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Shkidai is Step in a Japanese entranceway. The path to the entrance from the gate of Honjin is paved with stone and leads to the shikidai (steps in a Japanese entranceway) in the entrance.
The entrance adds height to go in and out of a palanquin directly.
Futagawa Shuku Honjin
In 1601, the Shogunate Government of Edo established fifty-three stations along the Tokaido Road between Edo(present Tokyo) and Kyoto, the ancient capital.
Futagawa Syuku was the thirty-third station numbering from Edo. It was composed of Futagawa and Oiwa towns. According to the records in 1820, the main road through this Syuku was about 1.3kirometers long and both towns had a population of 1289( 666 males and 623 females). Futagawa Syuku had also a transportation office, an officially appointed inn(Honjin) for the feudal lords(Daimyo) and other noblemen, a sub inn(Waki-Honjin), and thirty-eight inns for travelers. Even today structure of ancient town and some old houses can still be seen along this section of the road.
The Honjin is few existence on the old Tokaido Road with Tanaka's Honjin of Kusatsu City in Shiga prefecture.
In 1985, Mr Happeizo Baba, the Honjin's keeper, contributed the Honjin to Toyohashi City for the preservation and practical use of this valuable historical property. Then, Toyohashi City officially declared the Honjin as a historical monument in 1987. In 1988, it started repairing work of the Honjin and new construction of the exhibition hall by useness of this historical monument as a museum connected with transportation in the Edo period.
The Honjin Museum of Futagawa Syuku was opened to the public on August 1,1991. The regular exhibits of the exhibition hall are divided in three themes: the Tokaido Road, the Futagawa Syuku, and Honjin, and the special exhibitions are held temporarily.
The Honjin is now opened to the public. Visitors may observe all areas of the Honjin including the "Jodan no ma" where the Daimyo and other noblemen stayed. The atmosphere of the Edo period has been carefully preserved in the Honjin and visitors will feel the conditions of noble life in the Edo period.
(Sources:HP of "Futagawa Shuku Honjin museum" http://www.toyohaku.gr.jp/honjin/page1.htm )
The eight islands of Japan sprang into existence through Divine Intervention.The first two gods who came into existence were Izanagi no Mikoto and Izanami no Mikoto, the Exalted Male and Exalted Female. It was their job to make the land for people to live on.They went to the bridge between heaven and earth and, using a jewel-encrusted halberd, Izanagi and Izanami churned up the sea into a frothy foam. As salty drips of water fell from the tip of the halberd the first island was formed. Its name was Onogoro.So far, so good. But when Izanagi and Izanami first met on their island, Izanami spoke to Isanagi without being spoken to first. Since she was the female, and this was improper, their first union created badly-formed offspring who were sent off into the sea in boats.The next time they met, Izanagi was sure to speak first, ensuring the proper rules were followed, and this time they produced eight children, which became the islands of Japan.I'm sure you did not fail to miss the significance of this myth for the establishment of Japanese formal society.At present, Japan is the financial capital of Asia. It has the second largest economy in the world and the largest metropolitan area (Tokyo.)Technically there are three thousand islands making up the Japanese archipelago. Izanagi and Izanami must have been busy little devils with their jewelled halberd...Japan's culture is highly technical and organized. Everything sparkles and swooshes on silent, miniaturized mechanisms.They're a world leader in robotics, and the Japanese have the longest life-expectancy on earth.Text by Steve Smith.
