The road between Tokyo and Kyoto was once arduous. Miles of steep cobblestones you had to traverse by foot during the Edo era (1603-1868). Assuming their footwear didn't have modern treads you begin to appreciate the ardour of the task. In one of the information signs it casually mentions that the samurai didn't believe in wheels. What a remarkable idea. Was this because it made things too easy? Was this tendency towards self-sacrifice what led to their downfall? It seems they resisted all modernization efforts ushered in by the Satsuma rebellion. Thankfully this piece of the past is preserved and you can easily imagine the hard edges of this era far removed from all the wheeled conveniences hidden on the other side of the green canopies of trees.