Author name: SOM

Hakone Sekisho – Hakone Checkpoint This was one of the most significant and strictly enforced inspection stations established by the Tokugawa shogunate during Japan’s Edo period (1603–1868) on the main route connecting Kyoto and Edo (modern Tokyo). It controlled the movement of people and goods, to prevent weapons from entering Edo and to stop the wives and children of feudal lords (daimyō) from escaping the capital, a policy summarized as “incoming guns and outgoing women” The statue depicts searching for messages hidden in a woman’s hair. Hakone Sekisho operated for about 260 years  Travelers passing through  had to present official permits, and any attempt to bypass the checkpoint or travel without proper documentation was a serious offense, sometimes punishable by death. The checkpoint’s strict enforcement and its strategic location  made it a symbol of the shogunate’s authority.   Lake Ashi in Hakone Sightseeing Cruise operates on a crater lake in the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. Open-Air Musium in Hakone Enchained Action by French artist Aristide Maillol 1905 Man with a Heart Jonathan Borofsky 1995 Never Ending Dialog Susumu Shingu Family Group Henry Moore 1948-49 The hand of God by Carl Milles 1954 Symphonic Sculpture by Gabriel Loire   Grand Story of Human Kind Giuliano Vangi Grand Story of Human Kind Giuliano Vangi