Tōkaidō (road)

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Nissaka, the 25th station on the Tōkaidō, as illustrated by the Ukiyo-e master Hiroshige. This print is from the first (Hoeiko) edition of The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō.

The Tōkaidō (東海道, Tōkaidō^?) was the most important of the Five Routes of the Tokugawa era, connecting Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the east coast of Honshū, hence its name, which means "East Sea Road."

Travel, particularly along the Tōkaidō, was a very popular topic in art and literature at the time. The famous artist Hiroshige depicted the Tōkaidō in his work, and the poet Bashō travelled along the road. A great many guidebooks of famous places were published and distributed at this time, and a culture of virtual tourism through books and pictures thrived. Jippensha Ikku's Hizakurige, often translated as "The Shank's Mare", is one of the more famous novels about a journey (michiyuki) along the Tōkaidō.

Today, the Tōkaidō corridor is the most heavily travelled transportation corridor in Japan, connecting Greater Tokyo (including the capital Tokyo as well as Japan's second largest city Yokohama) to Nagoya (fourth largest), and then to Osaka (third largest) via Kyoto. The Tokyo-Nagoya-Kyoto-Osaka route is followed by the Tōkaidō Main Line (railway line) and the Tomei and Meishin Expressways, as well as the Tōkaidō Shinkansen.

The original Tōkaidō Road was made up of 53 stations between the two termination points of Edo and Kyoto. These stations consisted of porter stations and horse stables, as well as lodging, food and other places a traveller may visit.

[edit] The 53 stations of Tōkaidō starting at Edo (Nihonbashi) and ending at Kyoto:

starting: Nihonbashi (日本橋) in Edo, former Musashi Province: now Chūō-ku, Tokyo

Shinagawa (品川) , Tokyo prefecture
Kawasaki (川崎) , Kanagawa Prefecture: south side of Tama River (多摩川, Tamagawa^?) also called Rokugo River (六郷川, Rokugōgawa^?)
Kanagawa (神奈川)
Hodogaya (程ヶ谷,保土ヶ谷) former Musashi Province
Totsuka (戸塚) former Sagami Province
Fujisawa (藤沢)
Hiratsuka (平塚) west side of Sagami River (相模川, Sagamigawa^?)
Ōiso (大磯)
Odawara (小田原)
Hakone (箱根) former Sagami Province, now Kanagawa Prefecture: There was a checkpoint at the Hakone Pass.
Mishima (三島) former Izu Province, now Shizuoka Prefecture
Numazu (沼津) former Suruga Province
Hara (原) now a part of Numazu
Yoshiwara (吉原) now a part of Fuji-city: east side of Fuji River (富士川, Fujikawa^?)
Kanbara / Kambara (蒲原) now an exclave of Shimizu-ku
Yui (由井,由比)
Okitsu (興津) now a part of Shimizu-ku
Ejiri (江尻) now central area of Shimizu-ku, Shizuoka-city
Fuchū / Sunpu / Sumpu (府中,駿府) now central area of Shizuoka-city: east side of Abe River (安倍川, Abekawa^?)
Mariko / Maruko (鞠子,丸子) now a part of Suruga-ku, Shizuoka-city
Okabe (岡部)
Fujieda (藤枝)
Shimada (島田) former Suruga Province: east side of Oi River (大井川, Ōigawa^?)
Kanaya (金屋,金谷) former Tōtōmi Province: now a part of Shimada: west side of Oi River
Nissaka (日坂) now a part of Kakegawa
Kakegawa (掛川)
Fukuroi (袋井)
Mitsuke (見附) now Iwata
Hamamatsu (浜松): west side of Tenryū River (天竜川, Tenryūgawa^?)
Maisaka (舞阪) now a part of Hamamatsu
Arai (荒井,新居): There was also checkpoint as same as Hakone.
Shirasuga / Shirasuka (白須賀) former Tōtōmi Province, now a part of Kosai, Shizuoka Prefecture
Futakawa / Futagawa (二川) former Mikawa Province, now a part of Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture
Yoshida (吉田) now Toyohashi
Goyu (御油) now a part of Toyokawa
Akasaka (赤坂) now a part of Otowa
Fujikawa (藤川) now a part of Okazaki
Okazaki (岡崎)
Chiryū / Chirifu (地鯉鮒,知立) former Mikawa Province
Narumi (鳴海) former Owari Province now a part of Midori-ku, Nagoya
Miya (宮) former Owari Province, now Atsuta-ku, Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture: Ferry boat service connected between Miya and Kuwana on Ise Bay to avoid three rivers: Kiso River, Nagara River, Ibi River.
Kuwana (桑名) former Ise Province, now Mie Prefecture
Yokkaichi (四日市)
Ishiyakushi (石薬師) now a part of Suzuka-city
Shōno (庄野) now also a part of Suzuka-city
Kameyama (亀山)
Seki (関) now a part of Kameyama
Sakanoshita (坂ノ下) former Ise Province: a part of Seki until 2005, and also merged into Kameyama, Mie Prefecture: southeast of the Suzuka Pass
Tsuchiyama (土山) former Ōmi Province, now a part of Kōka, Shiga Prefecture: northwest of the Suzuka Pass
Minakuchi (水口) now also a part of Kōka
Ishibe (石部) now a part of Konan
Kusatsu (草津)
Ōtsu (大津) former Ōmi Province, now Shiga Prefecture

ending: Kyoto (京都, sometimes 'Keishi', 京市) former Yamashiro Province, now Kyoto Prefecture

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Walk the Tokaido - an interactive tour down the road.

Travel Tokaido - from U.S. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)

The Old Tokaido: The Eastern Sea Road - Teacher James Baquet's log of a walk along the entire Tōkaidō, with photos and comparisons to Hiroshige's prints.