Visitors interested in Japanese history are certain to have heard of the ‘Gokaido’ – five highways that connected Tokyo – then called Edo – and Kyoto during the Edo Period (1603-1868). Of those five, the ‘Tokaido’ was the most important. Following a coastal route it was the easiest to travel and as such carried the most trade.

Reconstructed in 2007, the Hakone Tokaido Checkpoint is a thoughtful restoration of one of fifty checkpoints that once monitored, controlled and taxed movement along the route. Located along the shore of Ashinoko, the reconstruction includes replicas of the Edo Period gates, fences, a look-out tower and quarters for the officers and soldiers once stationed there.

Of particular note, the six metre-high ‘Kyoguchi Gomon’ gate is an impressive and highly photogenic sight, while the overall provides an excellent estimation of what once stood nearby.