IMAICHI ISHIDATAMI / Oita City

The stone path known as Imaichi Ishidatami, located in the Imaichi area of Oita City, is a historic highway that was used as a road by the Sankin Kotai during the Edo period. Imaichi was maintained by Lord Nakagawa of the Bungo Oka Clan, as a Shukuba–machi, a post–town where a traveller can rest, on the highway linking Bungo Tsurusaki and Higo Kumamoto. It is believed that the lords of the Kumamoto Clan rested here during their travels. There is also an anecdote that in 1864, under orders from the shogunate, Kaishu Katsu accompanied Ryoma Sakamoto to Nagasaki and back along these cobblestones.

The cobblestone street measures approximately 660 m in length and 2.1 m in width, and has been preserved as a reminder of the exceptional stonemasonry skills at the time. Certain sections of the road are deliberately curved for defensive purposes, preventing a clear line of sight through the post–town. In spring, the weeping cherry trees bloom in full splendour, attracting many visitors.