Fuda-no-moto; Guard Station Ruins
Fuda-no-moto
This crossroads used to have an official governmental bulletin board defining local laws and was called Fuda-no-moto. When the lord used the port of Hijikuro to travel to and from Edo (present-day Tokyo), he used to pass through these crossroads. In one corner of the intersection, a signpost erected in 1890 still remains, inscribed East (Shimabara), West (Nagasaki), South (Unzen) and North (Prefectural Road), respectively, indicating that this was a major crossroads in the past.
Guard Station Ruins
A guard station was established in the Edo Period (1603-1868). Guard stations were set up at important traffic points to keep an eye on passers-by, inspect shipments and collect taxes. A stone wall with a key-shaped entrance used to stand here, but was demolished when the road was widened.