Old Tokaido Road — Edo-Period Cedar Avenue

The Old Tokaido Road (旧東海道, Kyu Tokaido) is a preserved section of the historic highway that connected Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto during the Edo Period (1603–1867). The Hakone section runs along the shore of Lake Ashi, featuring a 500-meter stone-paved path lined with 400-year-old cedar trees planted to provide shade for travelers. Walking this path evokes the era when daimyo (feudal lords) traveled in processions between their domains and the shogun's capital.

The cedar avenue (杉並木, suginamiki) creates a tunnel of massive tree trunks — some over 30 meters tall with 3-meter circumference. The stones underfoot are original Edo-Period cobbles (worn smooth by centuries of foot traffic), and the path passes historic checkpoints, teahouses, and stone markers indicating distances to Edo and Kyoto. The combination of ancient trees, historic paving, and lake views creates atmospheric walk through living history.