Kōshū Kaidō

The Five Routes

The Kōshū Kaidō (甲州街道) was one of the five routes or major highways of the Edo period. It was built to connect Edo (modern-day Tokyo) 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.[1] Many feudal lords from Shinano Province made use of the road during sankin-kōtai, including those from the Takatō, Suwa and Iida domains.

The Kōshū Kaidō's route is followed closely by the modern Route 20.

Stations of the Kōshū Kaidō

[edit]

There are 44 post stations along the Kōshū Kaidō.[2][3] They are listed below with they corresponding modern-day municipality listed in parentheses.

Tokyo

[edit]
Nihonbashi's highway distance marker, from which modern highway distances are measured
View of Mount Fuji from Tama River in Fuchū
Starting Location: Nihonbashi (Chūō)
1. Naitō Shinjuku (内藤新宿) (Shinjuku)
2. Shimotakaido-shuku (下高井戸宿) (Suginami)
3. Kamitakaido-shuku (上高井戸宿) (Suginami)
4–8: Fuda-Goshuku(布田五宿): These small posts are collectively referred to as Fuda-Goshuku. 'Goshuku' means five post-stations in Japanese.
4. Kokuryō-shuku (国領宿) (Chōfu)
5. Shimofuda-shuku (下布田宿) (Chōfu)
6. Kamifuda-shuku (上布田宿) (Chōfu)
7. Shimoishihara-shuku (下石原宿) (Chōfu)
8. Kamiishihara-shuku (上石原宿) (Chōfu)
9. Fuchū-shuku (府中宿) (Fuchū)
10. Hino-shuku (日野宿) (Hino)
11. Hachiōji-shuku (八王子宿) (Hachiōji)
12. Komagino-shuku (駒木野宿) (Hachiōji)
13. Kobotoke-shuku (小仏宿) (Hachiōji)

Kanagawa Prefecture

[edit]
14. Ohara-shuku (小原宿) (Sagamihara)
15. Yose-shuku (与瀬宿) (Sagamihara)
16. Yoshino-shuku (吉野宿) (Sagamihara)
17. Sekino-shuku (関野宿) (Sagamihara)

Yamanashi Prefecture

[edit]
Kōfu
18. Uenohara-shuku (上野原宿) (Uenohara)
19. Tsurukawa-shuku (鶴川宿) (Uenohara)
20. Notajiri-shuku (野田尻宿) (Uenohara)
21. Inume-shuku (犬目宿) (Uenohara)
22. Shimotorisawa-shuku (下鳥沢宿) (Ōtsuki)
23. Kamitorisawa-shuku (上鳥沢宿) (Ōtsuki)
24. Saruhashi-shuku (猿橋宿) (Ōtsuki)
25. Komahashi-shuku (駒橋宿) (Ōtsuki)
26. Ōtsuki-shuku (大月宿) (Ōtsuki)
27. Shimohanasaki-shuku (下花咲宿) (Ōtsuki)
28. Kamihanasaki-shuku (上花咲宿) (Ōtsuki)
29. Shimohatsukari-shuku (下初狩宿) (Ōtsuki)
30. Nakahatsukari-shuku (中初狩宿) (Ōtsuki)
31. Shirano-shuku (白野宿) (Ōtsuki)
32. Kuronoda-shuku (黒野田宿) (Ōtsuki)
33. Komakai-shuku (駒飼宿) (Kōshū)
34. Tsuruse-shuku (鶴瀬宿) (Kōshū)
35. Katsunuma-shuku (勝沼宿) (Kōshū)
36. Kuribara-shuku (栗原宿) (Yamanashi)
37. Isawa-shuku (石和宿) (Fuefuki)
38. Kōfu-shuku (甲府宿) (Kōfu)
39. Nirasaki-shuku (韮崎宿) (Nirasaki)
40. Daigahara-shuku (台ヶ原宿) (Hokuto)
41. Kyōraiishi-shuku (教来石宿) (Hokuto)

Nagano Prefecture

[edit]
Hiroshige's print of Shimosuwa-shuku, part of The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō series
42. Tsutaki-shuku (蔦木宿) (Fujimi, Suwa District)
43. Kanazawa-shuku (金沢宿) (Chino)
44. Kamisuwa-shuku (上諏訪宿) (Suwa)
Ending Location: Shimosuwa-shuku (Shimosuwa, Suwa District) (also part of the Nakasendō)

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ Information on Everyday Living for Foreign Residents of Shinjuku City Archived 2007-12-09 at the Wayback Machine. Shinjuku City Office. Accessed November 28, 2007.
  2. ^ Kōshū Kaidō Map Archived 2009-04-02 at the Wayback Machine. Yumekaidō. Accessed September 4, 2007.
  3. ^ Kōshū Kaidō 44 Information Archived 2007-08-22 at the Wayback Machine. NEC Corporation. Accessed August 4, 2007.
[edit]