Soka Matsubara, Yatate Bridge, Hyakutai Bridge

Soka Matsubara is a 1.5-kilometer stretch of pine trees along the Ayase River from Shinmei 2-chome to the southern end of Asahi-cho 1-chome on the old Nikko Kaido (now Adachi-Koshigaya Line prefectural road).

This beautiful row of pine trees has been known as “Senbon Matsubara” since the Edo period (1603-1867), when the overgrown trees created a tunnel-like green landscape and became a famous roadside attraction.

To protect the pine trees, the uphill lane of the Adachi-Koshigaya line, a prefectural road that passed through the pine grove, was moved to the west side of the road, and the road was converted into a walking trail.

The promenade was selected as one of the “100 best roads in Japan,” and 634 pine trees were planted along the promenade, each one named after the height of the Tokyo Sky Tree.

The promenade is paved with cobblestones and crossed by pedestrian bridges, the Momoyobashi and Yatatebashi, which straddle the roadway (prefectural road).

Part of Soka Matsubara Park has been designated as a national scenic beauty spot as “Soka Matsubara, a scenic spot along the Okunohosomichi Road.

Numerous pine trees, including some with trunks as large as 2 meters, create a beautiful landscape along the river, and are highly regarded as a landscape that still conveys the atmosphere of the period of “Okunohosomichi.

Soka City was a post town on the Nikko Kaido highway during the Edo period (1603-1868), and is described in Matsuo Basho’s “Okunohosomichi” journey.

The area of Soka Matsubara, known as “Fudaba,” was located north of Sokajuku and prospered from boat transportation using the Ayase River.

After World War II, the Nikko Kaido became General Route 4, an important highway connecting Tokyo and the Tohoku region.

According to one theory, the rows of pine trees in Soka Matsubara were planted by Ina Hanjuro Tadaatsuatsu, the Kanto county governor, when the Ayase River was opened in 1683, and the area has long been known as “Senbon Matsubara.

The haiku poet Matsuo Basho left Basho’s hermitage in 1688 and embarked on his “Okunohosomichi” journey in 1689, the following year.

He arrived at Senju by boat and traveled north on foot along the Nikko Kaido Road. He also visited Soka Inn in the process, which appears in the work “Okunohosomichi” (the first day of the journey).

However, due to the effects of exhaust emissions caused by the rapid spread of automobiles during the postwar period of rapid economic growth, the pine trees rapidly withered away, and at one point there were only about 60 pine trees left in the area.

However, thanks to the preservation efforts of local residents, the “Pine Tree Preservation Society” was formed in 1976, and pine trees were planted and cared for.

In 1983, the area was converted to a promenade, and since 1985, the Saitama Symbol Road development project has been underway, creating five areas where water and greenery are in harmony: the Historical Zone, Event Zone, Symbol Zone, Pine Grove Zone, and Seseragi (streams) Zone.

Hyakudai Bridge

This Japanese-style drum-shaped pedestrian bridge has become a symbol of Soka. It was built to protect the historical landscape of Soka Matsubara.

The bridge is 62.5 meters long and 3.5 meters wide. It has a wooden railing and is equipped with a night light to match the atmosphere of the street.

The bridge is named after the opening phrase of Matsuo Basho’s “Oku no Hosomichi” (The Narrow Road to the Interior): “Tsukihi wa hyakuyo no kakaku ni shite...” (Tsukihi is a traveler who will never return).

Yatate Bridge

Yatate Bridge is a Japanese-style drum bridge with a wood grain pattern that is a counterpart to the Hyakudai Bridge. It is also a symbol of Soka.

From the bridge, visitors can enjoy a panoramic view of 634 pine trees, the height of the Tokyo Sky Tree. The bridge is 96.3 meters long and 4.14 meters wide, about 1.5 times as wide as the Hyakudai Bridge.

The bridge is named after a passage from Matsuo Basho’s “Oku no Hosomichi” (The Narrow Road to the Deep North): “In the spring, when the birds sing and the fish cry, the eyes are incapacitated...”.