TheNakasendō(Trung sơn đạo,Central Mountain Route),also called theKisokaidō(Mộc từng đường phố),[1]was one of the centrally administeredfive routesof theEdo period,and one of the two that connected thede factocapital of Japan atEdo(modern-dayTokyo) toKyoto.There were69 stations(staging-posts) between Edo and Kyoto, crossing throughMusashi,Kōzuke,Shinano,MinoandŌmiprovinces.[2]In addition to Tokyo and Kyoto, the Nakasendō runs through the modern-day prefectures ofSaitama,Gunma,Nagano,GifuandShiga,with a total distance of about 534 km (332 mi).[3]
Unlike the coastalTōkaidō,the Nakasendō traveled inland,[4]hence its name, which can be translated as "Trung = central; sơn = mountain; nói = route" (as opposed to the Tōkaidō, which roughly meant "eastern sea route" ). Because it was such a well-developed road, many famous persons, including thehaikumasterMatsuo Bashō,traveled the road. In the late 1830sHiroshigealso walked the Nakasendo, contributing 46 designs to a series of 69 views of the Nakasendo, which was later completed by Keisai Eisen.[5]
Many people preferred traveling along the Nakasendō because it did not require travelers to ford any rivers.[3][6]
In Gunma Prefecture, the Nakasendō is featured on the 'na' card inJomo Karuta.
Pre-Nakasendō
editRitsuryō
editAround the beginning of the seventh century, during the beginning ofRitsuryō,the area that would eventually make up the Nakasendō was developed to connectKinai(modern-dayKansai region,which included the former capital of Japan) with the provinces of theTōsandō(part of thegokishichidō) that lie to the east.
Sengoku period
editDuring theSengoku period,which lasted from the 15th to 17th centuries, the Tōsandō was controlled by theTakeda(Kai Province),Ogasawara(Shinano Province),Kanamori(Hida Province) andOda(Mino Province)clans.In order to connect the Tōsandō with theTōkaidō(and Takeda's troops with Oda's), a road system was developed. This route is generally followed by the modern daynational highwaysnumbered52,151,153,and22.
Creation of the Nakasendō
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In the early years of theEdo period,many political, legal, cultural and intellectual changes took place. Among them was the rejuvenation of Japan's thousand-year-old highway system. Five roads were formally nominated as official routes for the use of theshōgunand the otherdaimyōand to provide theTokugawa shogunatewith the communications network that it needed to stabilize and rule the country.[6]One of these five roads was the Nakasendō, which stretched fromEdo,from where the shogun wielded the real power, through the central mountain ranges ofHonshuand on to Kyoto.
Until the establishment of these formal trade routes, many shorter routes had existed, connecting towns over various distances. For example, theKisojiroute's eleven post towns all become part of the Nakasendō (fromNiekawa-jukutoMagome-juku).[7]Prior to the Edo period, the route had been called both "Sandō" ( sơn đạo "mountain route" ) and "Tōsandō"(" eastern mountain route "). During the Edo period, the name was changed to Nakasendō and was written as both trung sơn đạo and trung tiên đạo, but the Tokugawa shogunate established trung sơn đạo as the official name in 1716.
Today
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Although much of the Nakasendō no longer exists in its historic form, its route is now roughly followed by modern roads. In order, they are:
- National Route 17:TokyotoTakasaki(Gunma Prefecture)
- National Route 18:Takasaki toKaruizawa(Nagano Prefecture)
- National Route 142:SakutoShimosuwa(Nagano Prefecture)
- National Route 20:Shimosuwa toShiojiri(Nagano Prefecture)
- National Route 19:Shiojiri toEna(Gifu Prefecture)
- National Route 21:Mitake(Gifu Prefecture) toMaibara(Shiga Prefecture)
- National Route 8:Maibara toKusatsu(Shiga Prefecture)
- National Route 1:Kusatsu to Kyoto
Portions of the following railway lines approximately follow the path of the former Nakasendō:
National Historic Site
editAlthough there has been much modern development along the Nakasendō, a few stretches remain in its original form. Three sections in Nagano Prefecture and Gifu Prefecture have been accordedNational Historic Site of Japanstatus by the central government in 1987.[8]These include the section betweenWada-shukuand Wada Pass, the section betweenShiojiri-jukuandMidono-juku,and the section betweenTsumago-jukuandMagome-juku.The most well-known section lies in theKiso Valley,between Tsumago-juku andMagome-juku.The area was first made famous by the early 20th-century writerShimazaki Tōson,who chronicled the effects of theMeiji Restorationon the valley in his landmark novelBefore the Dawn.This eight-kilometer section of the Nakasendō can still be travelled along comfortably by foot, and both Tsumago-juku and Magome-juku have preserved and restored the traditional architecture. The walk between the historical post towns requires two to three hours to walk, with forests, restored paving and fine views of waterfalls along the way.
See also
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References
edit- ^Richard Lane,Images from the Floating World(1978) Chartwell, SecaucusISBN0-89009-761-5;pg. 285
- ^Nakasendou JouhouArchived2007-12-09 at theWayback Machine.(in Japanese)NEC Corporation. Retrieved August 18, 2007.
- ^abYama to Keikoku Publishing (2006). Nakasendō o Aruku (Revised ed.). Osaka: Yama to Keikoku Publishing.ISBN4-635-60037-8.
- ^Turnbull, Stephen (1987).Battles of the Samurai.Arms and Armour Press. p. 31.ISBN0853688265.
- ^"Nakasendo Way - Hiroshige".
- ^abJapan Atlas: Nakasendo.WebJapan. Retrieved August 2, 2007.
- ^Kisoji Shukuba-machi SeriesArchived2007-05-22 at theWayback Machine.(in Japanese)Higashi Nihon Denshin Denwa. Retrieved July 24, 2007.
- ^Trung sơn đạo(in Japanese).Agency for Cultural Affairs.