In steep mountain regions everyone, whatever their rank, is obliged to use a kago.The lords of the various manors are compelled by the authorities to maintain these places of refreshment for travelers; they are vastly superior to the caravanserais of the East, and relays of horses or porters are always ready at these post-houses, and must do all work at a regular fixed charge, ridiculously small according to English notions.

Another and still more onerous duty falls on these establishments, and that is the responsibility of forwarding all Imperial dispatches between the two capitals, or from Yedo to any part of the Empire.

Additionally, at one point in Nagoya the road was barred by several rivers and voyagers had to take a boat across the sea for 17 miles (27 km) to reach Kuwana station.

These water crossings were a potential source of delay: In ideal weather, the entire Tōkaidō journey on foot could be made in about a week, but if conditions were bad a trip might take up to a month.

At roadside lodgings, the group feasted upon rice and fish, with "pickled herbs, beans, radishes, and other roots" and an abundance "of cheese", which in reality was tofu.

A great many guidebooks of famous places were published and distributed at this time, and a culture of virtual tourism through books and pictures thrived.

Jippensha Ikku's Tōkaidōchū Hizakurige, translated as "The Shank's Mare", is one of the more famous novels about a journey along the Tōkaidō.

Due to the harsh and punitive Tenpō-era reforms which attempted to impose a strictly defined morality, prints of celebrity actors, courtesans, and entertainers were outlawed during this time.

Crafted to outwit the artistic restrictions imposed by the reforms, the woodcuts in the Parallel Series became popular visual puzzles that were frequently reproduced.

They used a variety of motifs, including stories from kabuki theater, poetry, famous tales, legends, landmarks, and local specialties.

These were collected in the 1985 book Tokaido Journey, along with Zacha's recollections (in both English and Japanese) of travelling the road and the people he encountered.