Shimada City Museum and Kawagoshi Ruins

A valuable museum that tells the history of river crossing in the Edo period! Special exhibitions are also held there!

Permanent exhibition: “Oi River, Shimada-juku(town), and River Crossing”

In the Edo period, travelers crossed the Oi River on shoulders or on a carriage. The river was once called “You can cross the Hakone eight *ris on the horseback, but you can’t cross the Oi River when it rains even if you wish.” This river was one of the most difficult parts on the Tokaido Way. Therefore, the rapids often caused the river to be blocked off when it rained.
*ri is an old Japanese unit of distance. A ri is approx. 3.927 km or 2.44 miles.

Shut off by the heavy streams was a great nuisance for travelers. On the other hand, Shimada-juku(town) was very busy with travelers who could not cross the river. As the result, a unique culture sprouted and developed in Shimada-juku. It is known as the ” shutting off river-cross culture”. It has been passed down to the present days.

The museum has considered why people once traveled. We featured “travels and travelers” as its main theme. Therefore, we permanently introduce the river, Shimada-juku, river crossing, and its unique culture in the late Edo period. Please come and see the exhibitions. As well, enjoy the Tokaido Shimada-juku and Kawagoe(river crossing) ruins located to the south of the museum.

Special Exhibition Room

The 96th special exhibition, “Never Forget the War – Shimada’s Journey Through the Pacific War” is being held in the exhibition room on the second floor.

• Dates：June 28th (Saturday) to September 21st (Sunday), 2025　
• Venue：Special exhibition room in the main building, Shimada City Museum
• Time：9:00~17:00 (last entry 16:30)
• Closed：Mondays (When Monday is a public holiday, the next day is closed.)