Kobotoke Check Point

 I had written about Plum Festival in Takao before. I went there in 2013 and 2014. A place that has a lot of plum trees is called baigō. There is Sekisho baigō close to Takao station on the JR line. Sekisho means “Check Point”, and the place was called Kobotoke Check Point (or Kobotoke barrier station).

 The Check Point was originally located at Kobotoke pass. After Hachiōji Castle fell in 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu (1542~1616, the first Tokugawa shōgun) came to Edo (part of the current 23 wards of Tōkyō), and moved it to its current location.

 About after moving the Check Point, there were two gates at the west side and the east side. There were some mountains at the north. And there was a river at the south.

 The role of the Check Point was said to be for "incoming weapons and outgoing women". It was strictly prohibited to bring weapons to Edo, and any family members (wives) of the feudal lords to escape from Edo.

 The passage time of Check Point was from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm, and they needed the paper passes (called Tegata). Right now the Check Point became a park. The buildings are not there anymore, but two stones remain there. One stone on which passers-by put the paper passes, and the other one which a passers-by once laid their hands.