Hokkoku Kaidō

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The Hokkoku Kaidō (北国街道 Hokkoku Kaidō?) 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.

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[edit] Stations of the Hokkoku Kaidō

Though there were 25 post stations 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" (間の宿 ai no shuku), 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.[1]

[edit] Nagano Prefecture

Starting Location: Oiwake-juku (追分宿) (Karuizawa, Kitasaku District)
1. Komoro-shuku (小諸宿) (Komoro)
2. Tanaka-shuku (田中宿) and Unno-juku (海野宿) (Tōmi)
3. Ueda-shuku (上田宿) (Ueda)
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) (Chikuma)
6. Yashiro-shuku (屋代宿) (Chikuma)
  • 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-shuku (牟礼宿) (Iizuna, Kamiminochi District)
11. Furuma-shuku (古間宿) and Kashiwabara-juku (柏原宿) (Shinano, Kamiminochi District)
12. Nojiri-shuku (野尻宿) (Shinano, Kamiminochi District)

[edit] Niigata Prefecture

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-ku, Jōetsu)
17. Arai-shuku (荒井宿) (Myōkō)
Ending Location: Takada-shuku (高田宿) (Jōetsu)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ Shinshū no Kaidō Hōmon: Hokkoku Kaidō. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Accessed August 18, 2007.
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