After the Port of Yokohama opened in 1859, raw silk for export was gathered in Hachioji and was transported to Yokohama via the Hama Kaido (“road to Yokohama”). Westerners came to Hachioji to inspect how silkworms were raised and the silk industry as a whole, and also enjoyed climbing Mt. Takao for sightseeing.
This road, which still retains much of its original appearance, was later called the Silk Road and is one of the “100 Historical Roads (Hama Kaido-Yarimizu Mountain Pass)”.