Hirakata-juku
Encyclopedia
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 Hirakata
Hirakata, Osaka
is a city located in north-eastern Osaka, Japan, near the prefectural borders of Nara and Kyoto. It is renowned for its chrysanthemum doll exhibition, as well as Hirakata Park — an amusement park featuring five roller coasters....
, Osaka Prefecture
Osaka Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the Kansai region on Honshū, the main island of Japan. The capital is the city of Osaka. It is the center of Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto 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 flourished as a port along the Yodo River and traces of the post town can still be seen today.
History
Hirakata was formed in 1596, under the order of Toyotomi HideyoshiToyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
. Though initially developed for other purposes, it became a post town
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...
when Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu
was the founder and first shogun of the Tokugawa shogunate of Japan , which ruled from the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. Ieyasu seized power in 1600, received appointment as shogun in 1603, abdicated from office in 1605, but...
extended 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....
with the creation of the Ōsaka Kaidō in 1601. In 1758, it was said that the Tōkaidō extended from Shinagawa-juku
Shinagawa-juku
was the first of the fifty-three stations of the Tōkaidō. It is presently located in Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan. Along with Itabashi-shuku , Naitō Shinjuku and Senju-shuku , it was one of the Four Stations of Edo . It was located in the present-day Shinagawa Port area near Shinagawa Station....
to Moriguchi-juku
Moriguchi-juku
was the fourth station on the Ōsaka Kaidō . It is located in the present-day city of Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It spread through the modern Honmachi, Tatsuda-dōri and Hama-machi.-History:...
, and Hirakata-juku was again described as part of the Tōkaidō in 1789. Because Hirakata is located at the approximate midpoint between Osaka
Osaka
is a city in the Kansai region of Japan's main island of Honshu, a designated city under the Local Autonomy Law, the capital city of Osaka Prefecture and also the biggest part of Keihanshin area, which is represented by three major cities of Japan, Kyoto, Osaka and Kobe...
and Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, it was a major travel intersection. However, it not only flourished as a land-based center of traffic, but also as a port for the shipping that took place on the Yodo River.
Those who traveled through Hirakata-juku for 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...
were generally those who were direct descendents of Ieyasu, including the fudai
Fudai
was a class of daimyo who were hereditary vassals of the Tokugawa in Edo period Japan. It was primarily the fudai who filled the ranks of the Tokugawa administration.-Origins:...
. In 1841, when Tokugawa Nariyuki participated in sankin kōtai, he brought with him 1,639 warriors, 2,337 servants and 103 horses. It was such a large traveling party that clan representatives traveled months ahead to help prepare for the party.
During the Meiji period
Meiji period
The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...
, train lines were developed, which had a negative effect on the post town's economy. The JR Kyoto Line
JR Kyoto Line
The is the common name of a portion of the Tōkaidō Main Line, between Kyoto Station and Osaka Station. The line is one of commuter rail lines and services in Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto Metropolitan Area, owned and operated by West Japan Railway Company ....
(originally developed in 1876) and the Keihan Electric Railway
Keihan Electric Railway
is a Japanese railway operator in Osaka, Kyoto, and Shiga Prefectures. It is known as , or .-History:Keihan started its operation between Osaka and Kyoto in 1910. It was the first electric railway to connect these two cities, and the first line on the left bank of Yodo River...
(developed in 1910) both provided a faster and cheaper means of transport, when compared to boats on the Yodo River.
Description of the Post Town
Hirakata-juku was located in the modern-day city's Okashin-machi, Oka, Mitsuya and Doro-machi's Yongamura. It was approximately 24 kilometres (15 mi) from Kyoto and 20 kilometres (12 mi) from Osaka. The roads through the post town stretched approximately 1447 metres (4,747 ft) and were 4.5 metres (15 ft) wide. It was a long and thin post town that was bordered to the north by the Yodo River, the south by Hirakatagaoka, and the west by Mount Mannenji. In Mitsuya, which was the center of the post town, there was one honjinHonjin
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:...
and two sub-honjin, in addition to numerous other buildings for other travelers, whether they were coming by land or river.
Neighboring Post Towns
Ōsaka Kaidō (extended Tōkaidō)- Yodo-jukuYodo-jukuthumb|The Yodo River was the second station on the Ōsaka Kaidō . It is located in the southern part of Fushimi-ku in the present-day city of Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture, Japan.-History:...
- Hirakata-juku - Moriguchi-jukuMoriguchi-jukuwas the fourth station on the Ōsaka Kaidō . It is located in the present-day city of Moriguchi, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It spread through the modern Honmachi, Tatsuda-dōri and Hama-machi.-History:...