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country now becomes less flat, the road crosses two hills to Kogane, 2 ri from Matsuido. Near Kogane is an extensive moor where the Shôguns used to rear horses. It is now cultivated. The Mitokaidô now branches away to the right to Tsuchiura, and 2 ri beyond Kogane the road to Tsukuba separates from it. The next stage is Fusé (3 ri 8 chô) on the banks of the branch of the Tonegawa which falls into Pacific Ocean. On a well-wooded hill close to the river is a shrine of Benten, and a little further is the hill of Akebeno, much frequented in the spring and summer on account of the cherry and maple trees and azaleas with which it is covered. The shrine of Benten is worth a visit. It is surrounded by magnificent trees. A scroll in the possession of the priest says that the hill was once an island with the river on one side and a lake 7 ri across surrounding it on the other sides. The gateway and the bell tower have some of the finest wood carving that I have seen in Japan. The priest exhibits a piece of rock almost black, with a light-coloured layer in it, which with the help of a little manipulation is a very curious representation of the dragon which the Japanese are so fond of making drawings of. From the priest’s house there is a very fine view of the mountains of Nikkô and Tsukuba San, with the broad expanse of the Tonegawa as a foreground. From the little village on the opposite side of the river to Fusé there are two roads to Tsukuba: one by way of Sannon, a village on the Kokaigawa, and the other by the castle town of Mori which is a little the shorter of the two. The two roads meet again at Yatabe, 8 ri further on. Sannon is a flourishing place. The Nanushi has a big house and is very civil to travellers. From Sannon it is 3 ri to Itabashi passing through Ataka where are the remains of the castle of Ogami, and from the side of the hill on which it is built are extracted shells of small round shellfish called ishimanju (stone dumplings). Between Ataka and Itabashi the country is covered with pine. At Itabashi is a large temple of Kuannon with a pagoda. From Itabashi to Yatabe is a 2 ri walk through a pine forest.
