2012
A serious of old etchings inspired the Belgian documentary maker to plan a journey along the ancient route between the imperial and shogun's capitals, visiting depicted monuments and registering how the country changed. Day 1 starts in modern capital Tokyo (feudal name Edo), the country's largest metropolis, which received regular visits from the 'daimyos', regional vassals. The area is rich in temples but also public executions sites for criminals condemned to decapitation of even crucifixion. Nex stop, Kawasaki. The first day ends reaching Yokohama, Japan's second port.
2012
Days 2&3. From Yokohama, the road follows the old coast, which was thoroughly altered, winning land at the expense of idyllic bays for the expanding megalopolis. The railroad has overtaken the tokaido as national transport mode and road R-1. On some minor rest till Odawara, Japanese commoners, a developer and a Flemish fake priest elaborate on the housing options, sense of formality and religious tolerance as well as health caring and ever costlier world-record aging.
2012
Past Fuji City, a visit to the paper wares convention. Although more of the landscape is preserved in this mountainous region, the cities were mostly bombed and rebuild hastily, not restored. The curator of a museum dedicated to the artist supports the theory that his inaccuracies suggest he may never have traveled along the tokaido. Scenes from the harmonious life between the peaceful country-folk and its most helpful police, also social workers in all but name, resulting in record low crime statistics. A visit the the provincial capital castle from which the first shogun ended the feudal warring states period and were he retired with a shadow government after abdicating in favor of his son. A period inn still serves the same local yam delicacy, using the traditional recipe.
2012
Day 8&9. Okabe - Kakegawa. Some minor stuff of the old tokaido is preserved between Okabe and Kakegawa, including a legendary rock where a traveler would have had Japan's first Cesarean. We visit a school and contemplate the group-oriented Japanese education, next its impact even in individual sports like traditional archery, just as in school fanfares and formal team sports like baseball, both Western imports.
2012
Between Kakegawa and Futagawa, the road crosses larger rivers, so instead of porters the shogunate had to allow boats to perform ferry services. Closer to Edo, there was a ring of castles, where strict searches were done, also for cross-dressing females trying to escape their hostage duty when their daimyo master left. A look at modern fishery.
2009
As the tokaido moves from Toyohashi to Okazaki, now closer to Kyoto, we consider the often unsatisfactory results of hasty (re)construction after the devastating war, resulting in poor urbanization. The fate of rest stop comfort girls, often sold by poor countryside families, some even committed suicide. In the first shogun's birth castle, as bonsai exhibition inspires contemplating the overpopulated country's aesthetic escapism.