Learn about historical locations

Thanks for that insight into the terrain and the history! Where I am, between the Edo and Tone Rivers, is protected by massive levees and earthworks that the Tokugawa shogunate built to prevent flooding. The government continues to shore them up. We've got super-embankments on the Chiba side and the G-CANS - Metropolitan Area Outer Underground Discharge Channel - on the Saitama side.

Looking at historical maps, you can see the lower reaches of the rivers fanned out into creeks and ravines. There are a few heritage houses on stilts to raise them above floods. Further south, Funabashi gets its name from the pontoon bridges of linked boats across the rivers that would flood. I've heard some people refer to the city of Noda in Chiba Prefecture as The Noda Triangle which is bound by the two rivers, Edo to the east, Tone to the west, and the Tone Canal to the south. Sekiyado Castle Museum has dioramas and exhibits about the river systems from ancient times to modern flood control. There are exhibits of ancient artifacts in the region. When the Tsukuba Express was constructed, archaeologists dug a Jomon site and the finds, mostly pottery, are displayed at one of the train stations.

Yes, that's an interesting part of Japan. I did quite a few projects for Saitama and Tochigi prefectures in the last decade concerning inbound tourism and history/culture. In fact, one of the things that drew me to Ogori was it's similarities with Omiya in Saitama as a crossroads intersecting several old kaido. The river embankments, roads, and dams are what really kept rural communities afloat through the bubble years while young people continued the expedite to metropolitan areas during the post-war expansion. The aging society issues didn't come into pubic scrutiny until much later because of the infrastructure investments.

For sure, the eastern part of Saitama Prefecture is pretty rich in interesting historic spots along and adjacent to the Nikko Kaido. I've been gradually exploring some interesting scenic spots such as Soka Matsubara Promenade and locations in the other post towns along the way - Koshigaya, Kasukabe, Sugito, and beyond. Another route that I've explored a bit is the Mito Kaido. Tsuchiura City in Ibaraki Prefecture has a number of preserved shophouses along a street in front of a castle site.

I'm hoping to get away to Mito City proper to see the Kodokan samurai school and Kairakuen. And you mention the exodus of young people. I really notice the changes on the Joban line, so many farms and rice paddies that were worked when I first commuted up there are now overgrown. So many forgotten treasures there!