| 21th Station: Okabe |
| History |
Like Mariko-shuku (inns district), Okabe was also a small inns district. Before entering the district, the Tokaido highway is merged to the famous ancient road, "tsuta no hosomichi", which literally means "narrow road of ivy". Tsuta no hosomichi has a close connection with Ariwara-no-Narihira (825-880), who is recognized as one of the six great poets in the Heian period (794-1192). Ever since he wrote a poem on this road, Tsuta-no-hosomichi became popular and has been used for poems and travel notes for years.
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| Mariko |
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| Fujieda |
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| Tokaido route |