Fujikawa-shuku
Encyclopedia
was the thirty-seventh of the fifty-three stations
of the Tōkaidō
. It is located in the present-day city of Okazaki
, in Aichi Prefecture
, Japan
. It was approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Akasaka-juku
, the preceding post station
. Another accepted reading for this post town is "Fujikawa-juku."
At its peak, Fujikawa-juku was home to 302 buildings, including one honjin
, one sub-honjin and 36 hatago
. Its total population was approximately 1,200 people.The classic ukiyoe print by Ando Hiroshige (Hoeido edition) from 1831 to 1834 depicts a daimyō
procession on sankin kōtai
entering the post station, which would have been a common occurrence. Three commoners are shown as kneeling as the lord's retinue passes.
The Okazaki city government has been working actively on preserving this old post town as a tourist destination. In addition to creating the Fujikawa-shuku Archives Museum within the preserved waki-honjin
, detailing the history of the post town, the city has preserved a number of old structures such old street lights, and traditional houses with lattice windows. A line of old pine trees extending for approximately a kilometer marks the location of the Tōkaidō road.
53 Stations of the Tokaido
The are the rest areas along the Tōkaidō, which was a coastal route that ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjō Ōhashi in Kyoto.-Stations of the Tōkaidō:...
of the Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
. It is located in the present-day city of Okazaki
Okazaki, Aichi
is a city located in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. As of August 2011, the city had an estimated population of 373,339 and a population density of 964 persons per km². The total area was 387.24 km².-Geography:...
, in Aichi Prefecture
Aichi Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region. The region of Aichi is also known as the Tōkai region. The capital is Nagoya. It is the focus of the Chūkyō Metropolitan Area.- History :...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. It was approximately 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) from Akasaka-juku
Akasaka-juku (Tokaido)
was the thirty-sixth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in present-day Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was only from Goyu-juku, the preceding post station.-History:...
, the preceding post station
Shukuba
were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki . These post stations were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation...
. Another accepted reading for this post town is "Fujikawa-juku."
At its peak, Fujikawa-juku was home to 302 buildings, including one honjin
Honjin
thumb|250px|The honjin at [[Inaba Kaidō]]'s [[Ōhara-shuku]]. is the Japanese word for an inn for government officials, generally located in post stations during the later part of the Edo period.-Evolution of Honjin:...
, one sub-honjin and 36 hatago
Hatago
were Edo period lodgings for travelers at shukuba along the national highways, including the Edo Five Routes and the subroutes. In addition to a place to rest, hatago also offered meals and other foods to the travelers...
. Its total population was approximately 1,200 people.The classic ukiyoe print by Ando Hiroshige (Hoeido edition) from 1831 to 1834 depicts a daimyō
Daimyo
is a generic term referring to the powerful territorial lords in pre-modern Japan who ruled most of the country from their vast, hereditary land holdings...
procession on sankin kōtai
Sankin kotai
was a policy of the shogunate during most of the Edo period of Japanese history. The purpose was to control the daimyo. In adopting the policy, the shogunate was continuing and refining similar policies of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. In 1635, a law required sankin kōtai, which was already an established...
entering the post station, which would have been a common occurrence. Three commoners are shown as kneeling as the lord's retinue passes.
The Okazaki city government has been working actively on preserving this old post town as a tourist destination. In addition to creating the Fujikawa-shuku Archives Museum within the preserved waki-honjin
Honjin
thumb|250px|The honjin at [[Inaba Kaidō]]'s [[Ōhara-shuku]]. is the Japanese word for an inn for government officials, generally located in post stations during the later part of the Edo period.-Evolution of Honjin:...
, detailing the history of the post town, the city has preserved a number of old structures such old street lights, and traditional houses with lattice windows. A line of old pine trees extending for approximately a kilometer marks the location of the Tōkaidō road.
Neighboring Post Towns
Tōkaidō- Akasaka-jukuAkasaka-juku (Tokaido)was the thirty-sixth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in present-day Toyokawa, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It was only from Goyu-juku, the preceding post station.-History:...
- Fujikawa-shuku - Okazaki-shukuOkazaki-shukuwas the thirty-eighth of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is located in the present-day city of Okazaki, in Aichi Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
Further reading
- Carey, Patrick. Rediscovering the Old Tokaido:In the Footsteps of Hiroshige. Global Books UK (2000). ISBN 1901903109
- Chiba, Reiko. Hiroshige's Tokaido in Prints and Poetry. Tuttle. (1982) ISBN 0804802467
- Taganau, Jilly. The Tokaido Road: Travelling and Representation in Edo and Meiji Japan. RoutledgeCurzon (2004). ISBN 0415310911