Data of Nakasendo :
Kyoto is reached [ from Edo Nihonbashi ] through each country in Musashi,
Kouzuke, Shinano, Mino, and Omi in one of the Five Highways of the Edo
period.
Although it was written also as Nakasendo, the government unified into
Nakasendo in the sense of the way of Nakasuji of Tosando in 1716 (Kyoho
era origin).
Since it passes along Kiso, it is also called KISOJI.
Since many of stations of a hotel were materialized in the Warring States
last stage, it told to KISOJI in 1601 (Keicho 6) and the command about
a horse was issued, maintenance of a highway would begin from this time.
The station of a hotel is from the Itabashi hotel of Edo to the Moriyama
hotel in Omi, Tokaido is joined in the Kusatsu hotel and Kyoto is reached
through the Otsu hotel.
From Itabashi to Moriyama, although it is 67 hotels, both the hotels
in Kusatsu and Otsu can be included, and the 69th Nakasendo is custom.
They are 135 villages between 129 villages (about 510km), and Edo - Kyoto
between Edo - Kusatsu.
the station of each hotel -- telling -- as the role of a horse -- the
official business of 50 persons of always, and 50 animals -- although
a duty of preparation of both man and horse was imposed, salt Nada of
the Shinano country, Yawata, Mochizuki, and four hotels of Ashida and
11 hotels in Kiso were 25 persons and 25 animals
There were also many difficult places, such as Usui Pass,
and the Wada peak, a torii peak, and the barrier set them in Usui and
Kisofukushima.
There are the Kawagoe highway which parts from the Itabashi hotel, the
northern-countries highway which divides in the sunlight Reiheishi highway
from Kuragano to sunlight or Oiwake, a Koshu trip which joins in Shimosuwa
in a byroad, otherwise, by Seba, the Mino way is joined in the Zenkoji
highway and Tarui, and it joins a northern-countries side round trip
etc. with a northern-countries highway and a torii book in Sekigahara.
Although the daimyo who passes along Nakasendo by the daimyo's alternate-year
residence in Edo was about 30 house, the woman of the Imperial Family
who becomes a general's wife, or the Imperial Court often used Nakasendo.
The large-scale procession of Kazunomiya which was married to especially
Tokugawa Iemochi will be famous in 1861 (Bunkyuu first year).
After the 18th century, the worship persons to Shinano country Zenkoji
or Omi country Taga Taisha also increase in number, and in the middle
of a highway, since there are also many famous places, such as the cave
Kannon of Nezame-no-Toko of Kiso or a Kannon hill, the remains of an
ancient battlefield in Sekigahara, and a Surihachi peak that looks afar
at Lake Biwa, and historic spots, it will come to be used also for passing
of people as a trunk road poured for Tokaido.
Both the hotels of Narai of Kiso who leaves a scene of those days also
now, and Tumago are specified to be the Historic Preservation Districts
of a country, and power is directed towards preservation.
Reference data :
Microsoft(R) Encarta(R) Reference Library 2003. (C) 1993-2002
Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
Kiso
and Nakasendo