🐦 Through Edo Period Post Towns and Scenic Riverbank Trails: A 9km Ptarmigan Loop 🐦
Sekijuku in Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture, nestled at the eastern foot of the Suzuka Mountains along the Ono River, flourished as the 47th post town on the historic Tokaido highway during the Edo period. Serving as a crucial junction where travelers branched off toward the Ise Grand Shrine, its preserved 1.8-kilometer streetscape features around 200 traditional merchant houses (machiya), designated as an Important Preservation District for Groups of Traditional Buildings. This 9km GPS art course invites you to experience a storied landscape, weaving through the timeless post town and the peaceful Eka district north of the river to sketch a Ptarmigan on your digital map.
The journey immerses you in authentic Edo-era charm, passing through Seki Post Town with its distinctive wooden lattice windows and plaster walls, alongside the historic Sekijuku Hatago Tamaya Historical Museum. Exploring the area brings you past relaxing stops like the Sekijuku Onsen Koman no Yu footbath, as well as the welcoming hubs of Seki Station and Roadside station Sekijuku. Crossing north over the tranquil Ono River into the Eka district, the mood turns quiet near the spiritual sanctuary of Shinzenji Temple and the historic mountain slopes around Wakana Castle Ruins.
Featuring gentle, engaging terrain that blends feudal highway history with natural riverbank beauty, this 9km route captures Sekijuku’s timeless spirit. As the digital silhouette completes on your map, you are left with a memorable impression of this preserved Edo-period haven.
RESTAURANTS
DETAIL (EXTERNAL LINK)
A PIONEER IN GPS ART.
1st work was authorized by Guinness World Records as “the Largest GPS Drawing”.
He is the only Japanese person to be featured in a Google documentary as an innovator. He is fascinated by the idea of drawing with GPS and has published more than 2,500 works.
