Hokkoku Kaido
Encyclopedia
The was a highway
in Japan
during the Edo period
. It was a secondary route, ranked below the Edo Five Routes
in importance. Because it was developed for travelers going to Zenkō-ji
, it was also called Zenkō-ji Kaidō (善光寺街道). It stretched from the Nakasendō
's Oiwake-juku to the Hokurikudō
's Takada-shuku. Nowadays, the route is traced by Route 18, stretching between the town of Karuizawa
and the city of Jōetsu
.
along the Hokkoku Kaidō, some of the stations were labeled as "paired stations" (合宿 aishuku). Additionally, Nezumi-shuku and Shinonoi Oiwake-shuku were mid-stations
, at which only government officials could stay, further reducing the number that commoners could use to 17. The stations are divided by present-day prefectures below, with the municipality in parentheses.
Nagano Prefecture
Niigata Prefecture
Kaido
were ancient roads in Japan dating from the Edo period. Major examples include the Edo Five Routes, all of which started at Edo...
in 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...
during the Edo period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
. It was a secondary route, ranked below the Edo Five Routes
Edo Five Routes
The were the five major roads that started at Edo during the Edo period, the most important of which was the Tōkaidō, which linked Edo and Kyoto...
in importance. Because it was developed for travelers going to Zenkō-ji
Zenko-ji
' is a Buddhist temple located in Nagano, Japan. The temple was built in the 7th century. Nagano City, established in 1897, was originally a town built around the temple. Historically, Zenkō-ji is perhaps most famous for its involvement in the battles between Uesugi Kenshin and Takeda Shingen in...
, it was also called Zenkō-ji Kaidō (善光寺街道). It stretched from the Nakasendō
Nakasendo
The , also called the , was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces...
's Oiwake-juku to the Hokurikudō
Hokurikudo
is a Japanese term denoting both an ancient division of the country and the main road running through the old Japanese geographical region. Both were situated along the northwestern edge of Honshū. The name literally means 'North Land Way'...
's Takada-shuku. Nowadays, the route is traced by Route 18, stretching between the town of Karuizawa
Karuizawa, Nagano
is a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 17,833 and has a total area of ....
and the city of Jōetsu
Joetsu, Niigata
is a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 205,521, with 72,982 households and a population density of 211.15 persons per km². The total area is 973.32 km²....
.
Stations of the Hokkoku Kaidō
Though there were 25 post stationsShukuba
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...
along the Hokkoku Kaidō, some of the stations were labeled as "paired stations" (合宿 aishuku). Additionally, Nezumi-shuku and Shinonoi Oiwake-shuku were mid-stations
Ai no shuku
were unofficial post stations along historical routes in Japan. These post stations formed organically along routes when the distance between two places was too far or when there were difficult passes nearby. Because they were not officially designated rest areas, travelers along the roads were...
, at which only government officials could stay, further reducing the number that commoners could use to 17. The stations are divided by present-day prefectures below, with the municipality in parentheses.
Nagano PrefectureNagano Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
- Starting Location: Oiwake-juku (追分宿) (KaruizawaKaruizawa, Naganois a town located in Kitasaku District, Nagano, Japan.As of January 1, 2008, the town has an estimated population of 17,833 and has a total area of ....
, Kitasaku DistrictKitasaku District, Naganois a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 40,041.The district has three towns*Karuizawa*Miyota*Tateshina-District Timeline:...
) - 1. Komoro-shuku (小諸宿) (KomoroKomoro, Naganois a city located in Nagano, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 44,270. The total area is 98.66 km².-Municipal Timeline:*February 1, 1954-Komoro absorbed the villages of Kawanabe, Kitaoi, and Osato from Kitasaku District....
) - 2. Tanaka-juku (田中宿) and Unno-juku (海野宿) (TōmiTomi, Naganois a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.The city was founded on April 1, 2004, when the village of Kitamimaki from Kitasaku District and the town of Tōbu from Chiisagata District merged to form a new city....
) - 3. Ueda-shuku (上田宿) (Ueda)
- Nezumi-shuku (鼠宿) (SakakiSakaki, Naganois a town located in Hanishina District, Nagano, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the town has an estimated population of 16,742. The total area is 53.64 km²....
, Hanashina DistrictHanishina District, NaganoHanishina is a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of December 1, 2005, the district has an estimated population of 16,742...
)
- Nezumi-shuku (鼠宿) (Sakaki
- 4. Sakaki-shuku (坂木宿) (Sakaki, Hanishina District)
- 5. Kami Kurashina-shuku (上戸倉宿) and Shimo Kurashina-juku (下戸倉宿) (ChikumaChikuma, Naganois a city located in Nagano, Japan.As of June 1, 2006, the city has an estimated population of 63,829. The total area is 119.84 km².-Description:...
) - 6. Yashiro-shuku (屋代宿) (Chikuma)
- Shinonoi Oiwake-shuku (篠ノ井追分宿) (NaganoNagano, Nagano, the capital city of Nagano Prefecture, is located in the northern part of the prefecture near the confluence of the Chikuma and the Sai rivers, on the main Japanese island of Honshū.As of April 1, 2011 the city has a population of 387,146...
)
- Shinonoi Oiwake-shuku (篠ノ井追分宿) (Nagano
- 7. Tanbajima-shuku (丹波島宿) (Nagano)
- 8. Zenkōji-shuku (善光寺宿) (Nagano)
- 9. Shinmachi-shuku (新町宿) (Nagano)
- 10. Mure-juku (牟礼宿) (IizunaIizuna, Naganois a town located in the north side of Nagano City, Kamiminochi District, Nagano, Japan.The town was created through a merger of the villages of Samizu and Mure on October 1, 2005....
, Kamiminochi DistrictKamiminochi District, Naganois a district located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan.As of 2011, the district has an estimated population of 23,774. As a result of mergers the total area of the district is now 282.65 km².- Towns and villages :*Iizuna*Ogawa*Shinano- Mergers :...
) - 11. Furuma-shuku (古間宿) and Kashiwabara-juku (柏原宿) (ShinanoShinano, Naganois a town located in Kamiminochi District, Nagano, Japan.As of 2005, the town has an estimated population of 9,851 and a density of 65.99 persons per km². The total area is 149.27 km²....
, Kamiminochi District) - 12. Nojiri-shuku (野尻宿) (Shinano, Kamiminochi District)
Niigata PrefectureNiigata Prefectureis a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Honshū on the coast of the Sea of Japan. The capital is the city of Niigata. The name "Niigata" literally means "new lagoon".- History :...
- 13. Sekigawa-shuku (関川宿) and Uehara-juku (上原宿) (Myōkō)
- 14. Tagiri-shuku (田切宿) and Futamata-juku (二俣宿) (Myōkō)
- 15. Sekiyama-shuku (関山宿) (Myōkō)
- 16. Matsuzaki-shuku (松崎宿) and Nippongi-juku (二本木宿) (Nakagō-kuNakagou, NiigataNakagō was a village located in Nakakubiki District, Niigata, Japan.As of 2003, the village had an estimated population of 4,916 and a density of 112.88 persons per km²...
, JōetsuJoetsuJōetsu may refer to:*A city in Niigata Prefecture, Japan;*A geographical region within Niigata Prefecture, Japan that consists of the cities of Jōetsu, Itoigawa and Myōkō; or...
) - 17. Arai-shuku (荒井宿) (Myōkō)
- Ending Location: Takada-shuku (高田宿) (JōetsuJoetsu, Niigatais a city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.As of June 1, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 205,521, with 72,982 households and a population density of 211.15 persons per km². The total area is 973.32 km²....
)
See also
- Edo Five RoutesEdo Five RoutesThe were the five major roads that started at Edo during the Edo period, the most important of which was the Tōkaidō, which linked Edo and Kyoto...
- TōkaidōTokaido (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....
(or 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō53 Stations of the TokaidoThe 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:...
) - NakasendōNakasendoThe , also called the , was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces...
(or 69 Stations of the Nakasendō69 Stations of the NakasendoThe are the rest areas along the Nakasendō, which ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjō Ōhashi in Kyoto. The route stretched approximately and was an alternate trade route to the Tōkaidō.-Stations of the Nakasendō:...
) - Kōshū KaidōKoshu KaidoThe was one of the five routes of the Edo period and it was built to connect Edo with Kai Province in modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture, Japan. The route continues from there to connect with the Nakasendō's Shimosuwa-shuku in Nagano Prefecture...
- Ōshū KaidōOshu KaidoThe was one of the five routes of the Edo period and it was built to connect Edo with Mutsu Province and the present-day city of Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan...
- Nikkō KaidōNikko KaidoThe was one of the five routes of the Edo period and it was built to connect Edo with the Nikkō Tōshō-gū, which is located in the present-day city of Nikkō, Tochigi Prefecture, Japan. It was established in 1617 by Tokugawa Ieyasu, in order for him to have a smoother route to the shrine...
- Tōkaidō
- Other Routes
- KisojiKisojiThe was an old trade route in the Kiso Valley that stretched from Niekawa-juku in Nagano Prefecture to Magome-juku in Gifu Prefecture. There were eleven resting spots along the route, all of which became part of the Nakasendō when it was established...
- Mikuni KaidōMikuni Kaidowas an ancient highway in Japan that stretched from Takasaki-juku on the Nakasendō to Teradomari-juku on the Hokuriku Kaidō.-History:...
- Kisoji