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LittleEdos(HistoricTowns)GETAbce★ad宿場町Shukubamachi(Post-StationTowns)TimeTraveltotheEraoftheSamurai:“LittleEdos”ProvideanEnchantingWindowintoJapan’sFeudalPastTheyearsfrom1603to1868areknowninJapanastheEdoperiod,becauseduringthattimethecapitaloftheshogunatewaslocatedinEdo(nowTokyo).Characterizedbyrelativepoliticalstability,economicprosperity,andaourishingoftheartsandculture,thisperiodisvividlydepictedinthewoodblockprintsofmasterslikeHokusai.Today,theEdoperiodremainstheobjectofintensefascina-tion,andhasservedasthesettingforcount-lessnovels,comicbooks,andperioddramas.WhydoessuchadistanteracontinuetocapturetheimaginationsofJapanesepeo-ple?Discoverforyourselfbyvisitingoneofthe“LittleEdos”—picturesquetownswherethe24TochigiCity(TochigiPrefecture)aExplorehistoricshopsandstorehousesinthisfor-merpost-stationtown,orfeedducksfromaplea-sure-bargewhiletheboatmansingstheancientmelodyoftheriver.architectureandatmosphereofthepastareauthenticallypreserved.Withinaday’sjour-neyofTokyo,youcanndpost-stationtownsthatsprangupalongtheEdo-periodhighwaystolodgewearytravelers,aswellascastletownsthatdevelopedaroundthestrongholdsoffeudallords.You’llalsoencounteroldmer-chanttownswithscenicwaterways,andtempletownsthatprosperedthankstothesteadystreamofworshippers.Inadditiontotouringfamouslandmarks,howabouttastingtraditionaldelicacies,oreventryingonperiodcostumeslikeakimonoorsamuraigarb?Explorehistorywithallvesenses,andyou’lldenitelyfeellikeyou’vesteppedintoatimemachinetotheEdoperiod!