4th Station: Hodogaya

At this countryside station the travelers had covered a distance of about 21 miles from Edo. This scene shows some of them carrying their wares over a wooden bridge towards a village on the opposite bank. Female servers standing next to the bridge beckon travelers into the restaurant for a meal. Behind the village is a view of a low wooded hill and mountains. Notice the retaining wall supporting the buildings on the shore protecting them from the sea.

Today, the inn (honjin) in this village still belongs to the same family that owned it when it first opened. Also remaining is a stone Buddha statue that travelers often prayed to for safety while traveling along the Tokaido.