ちょっと長浜まで（３）北国街道　　Let’s go to Nagahama! #3: Hokkoku Kaido

　現在の日本では車を中心とした道路交通網が敷かれていますが、それでも古道としての旧街道が各地にその面影をとどめています。その中でも、北国街道は、彦根（滋賀県）で中山道と分かれた後、木之本を抜けて今庄（福井県）へ向かう、近江の国と北陸地方を結ぶ往来でした。その中の一つの宿があった通りとして、鉄道の駅からほど近い長浜市の中心部付近にも、この街道が残っています。私も観光客として何度か訪れている界隈なのですが、この通りが北国街道だったと知ったのは、実はごく最近のことです。

Although Japanese modern road networks for automobiles are well designed and arranged, old routes for walkers still remain in many locations in Japan, with glimpses of the historical residues. Hokkoku Kaido is one of them, which separates from Nakasendo in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture. It goes north through Kinomoto to Imajo, Fukui Prefecture, and functioned mainly in Ohmi region, linking to Hokuriku region. One post station along Hokkoku Kaido was located around the Nagahama downtown area, close to the railway station. As a tourist, I visited this area several times over years; however, surprisingly, it was very recent that I recognized the overlap of this area with Hokkoku Kaido.

黒壁スクエア付近の北国街道の賑い。観光客が絶えることはない。Active Hokkoku Kaido near Kurokabe Square in the downtown of Nagahama. From morning to evening, many craftsman shops and restaurants are open along this historical walking street.

　全国各地の旧街道を訪ねることが好きな私が旧街道だったと気づかなかったのはなぜかというと、旧街道の中でも、これほど人通りが多く賑やかな道はなかなか無いからです。私の経験では、大抵の旧街道では、そのことを示す看板と、所々にある土産物屋や喫茶店・和菓子店等に少し人の出入りがあるところ、それが旧街道の宿の典型的な現在の姿です。しかし、ここは、そのような旧街道独特の雰囲気や店舗に加え、長浜名産のガラスの工房、趣きや個性のあるオシャレな飲食店などが軒を連ねます。私はその歴史には決して詳しくはありませんが、昔の往来と現在の賑わい、観光地を支える産業と商業、そして興味を持って訪れる人と地道な努力を重ねて迎える人、それらの鮮やかな対比は、無邪気な一人の観光客からみてもとても魅力的に映るのです。

Why did I overlook this fact so long, who visited many post stations of old walking routes all over Japan? One of the reasons might be its activeness with flourished airs, which is quite rare. A typical post station along an old walking route currently has a standing sign which tells us its historical note and involves a few scattered shops like souvenir sellers, coffee shops and traditional sweet stores which some intermittent guests visit. However, in this area of Nagahama, many shops like these are aligned on both sides of the street without vacancies, and we also find glass art shops with manufacturing services; glass arts around here are famous as a local specialty. We also enjoy foods and drinks in modernized restaurants which keeps an old-fashioned style as its outlook. I am one of the tourists who has no idea about its details of historical efforts by the local people, but naively attracted by the vivid contrasts between the past and the current activeness, between industry and commercial outcomes both of which are basis of the local tourism, and between many visiting guests and local welcoming hosts, with slightly randomized mixing to form a gently unified scene.