Nakasendo
The Nakasendō ( Japanese 中山 道 ・ 中 仙道 ) was one of the two streets of the Edo period that connected the capital Edo (now Tokyo ) with the old capital Kyoto in Japan . In contrast to the coastal Tōkaidō , the Nakasendō led through the inland, hence its name "road through the central mountains". Sometimes the designation Kisokaidō or Kiso Kaidō ( 木 曾 街道 ) is used, which refers to the course of the road through the Kiso valley .
Creation of the Edo Period road system
The Battle of Sekigahara was followed by two and a half centuries of almost unbroken peace, known as the Edo Period . Among the many political, legislative, cultural, and intellectual changes in the early years of the Edo period, one of the most important was the renewal of the ancient Japanese highway network. Five roads were officially designated as routes for the use of the shogun and daimyo . They gave the Tokugawa shogunate a communications network that allowed them to stabilize and rule the country. One of these five roads is the Nakasendo, which stretched from Kyoto (where the emperor and his court - at least nominally - ruled) over the central mountains of the island of Honshu to Edo , where the Shogun exercised the actual power.
On the route there were once 67 stations with accommodation for travelers. Trade was carried on at the stations and many developed into villages or towns.
The Nakasendō today
Although a large part of the Nakasendō no longer exists in its historical form, some parts remain that have been restored in recent decades. Perhaps the most famous route is between Magome and Tsumago in the Kiso Valley . This was made famous by the 19th century writer Shimazaki Tōson , who described the effects of the Meiji Restoration on the valley in his story Yoake Mae ("Before Dusk").
This part of the street can still be comfortably traveled on foot. Both Tsumago and Magome have retained their traditional architecture. It takes 2-3 hours on foot, through forests, past some places of restored paving and beautiful views of waterfalls.
The poet Bashō also traveled to the Nakasendō.
The 69 classic stations of Nakasendō
A total of 69 stations were built along the Nakasendō between the Nihombashi bridges in Edo and Sanjō-Ōhashi in Kyoto . Guesthouses, post offices and customs stations were built. The individual stations are:
( Nihombashi ) - Itabashi - Warabi - Urawa (today: Urawa-ku , Saitama ) - Ōmiya (today: Ōmiya , Saitama) - Ageo - Okegawa - Kōnosu - Kumagaya - Fukaya - Honjō - Shinmachi (today: Takasaki ) - Kuragano (today : Takasaki) - Takasaki - Itabana (today: Annaka ) - Annaka - Matsuida (today: Annaka) - Sakamoto (today: Annaka) - Karuizawa - Kutsukake (today: Karuizawa) - Oiwake (today: Karuizawa) - Otai - Iwamurada (today : Saku ) - Shionada (today: Saku ) - Yawata (today: Saku ) - Mochizuki (today: Saku ) - Ashida - Nagakubo - Wada (today: Nagawa ) - Shimosuwa - Shiojiri - Seba (today: Shiojiri) - Motoyama (today : Shiojiri) - Niekawa (today: Shiojiri) - Narai (today: Shiojiri) - Yabuhara - Miyanokoshi - Fukushima - Agematsu - Suhara - Nojiri - Midono - Tsumago - Magome (today: Nakatsugawa ) - Ochiai (today: Nakatsugawa) - Nakatsugawa Ōi (today: Ena ) - Ōkute (today: Mizunami ) - Hosokute (today: Mizunami) - Mitake - Fushimi - Ōta (today: Minokamo ) - Unuma (today: Kakamigahara ) - Kanō (today : Gifu ) - Gōdo (today: Gifu) - Mieji (today: Mizuho ) - Akasaka (today: Ogaki ) - Tarui - Sekigahara - Imasu - Kashiwabara (today: Maibara ) - Samegai (today: Maibara) - Banba (today: Maibara ) - Toriimoto (today: Hikone ) - Takamiya - Aichigawa - Musa (today: Ōmihachiman ) - Moriyama - Kusatsu - Ōtsu - ( Sanjō-Ōhashi )
