Author: Michał Malawski

While looking for inspiration for my works made using the yakisugi method 焼, which you read about in the previous article , I came across a very interesting article about the so-called postal cities in ancient Japan. Of course, my attention was attracted by the beautiful, centuries-old facades of houses in the photos. Architectural gems, made by the hands of Japanese wood masters, preserved for over four centuries!

Post towns were established during the Edo 江戸 (1603-1868). They were built throughout the cherry blossom country as a resting place for everyone traveling on the main roads connecting today's Tokyo 東京都with other important cities. On one of such roads, the architecture of that era has been preserved to this day in almost unchanged condition. This is the Nakasendō 中山道 , which connected Edo 江戸with Kyōto 京都市in the central part of the island of Honshu . It belonged to a network of roads connecting the capital with the entire country.

Gokaidō 五街道, where postal cities were built, are marked on the map in green, and roads of less importance for the entire country are marked The five most important paths are:

• Nikkō Kaidō 日光街道from Edo 江戸to Nikkō Tōshō-gū Shrine 日光東照宮
• Ōshū Kaidō 奥州街道from Edo 江戸to Mutsu Province陸奥国
• Koshu Kaido from Edo 江戸to Kai Province甲斐国
• Nakasendo from Edo 江戸to Kyōto-shi 京都市(through the mountains)
• Tokaido from Edo 江戸do to Kyōto-shi 京都市(along the coast)

Roads and post towns played a very important role in the policies of the Tokugawa shogunate 徳川幕府throughout most of the Edo period. The purpose of building all this infrastructure was to strengthen central control over the Daimyō 大名, i.e. feudal lords. This required the Daimyō 大名to live alternately in his own castle and in Edo 江戸, and besides, it simply helped to obtain better communication in a very difficult terrain. To make moving around Japan even more efficient, the construction of the titular post cities , i.e. Shukuba 宿場. This name mainly refers to the cities on the five main roads called Gokaidō 五街道. The towns where these rest places were located had accommodations, shops and other services aimed at providing rest. There were over two hundred postal towns on five main roads alone.

Shukuba 宿場also served a defensive function for those inside. The cities were guarded by defensive structures called Masugata 桝形, from an architectural point of view one of the most complex defensive tricks used by Japanese builders. The approach to the city limits was made at a right angle, thus delaying the attackers and giving the defenders time to react.

A road called Nakasendō 中山道mountain road , sometimes called Kisokaidō 木曾街道, 540 kilometers long, crosses Honshu and reaches Kyoto. It passes through present-day Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu, Shiga, and Nagano . Sixty-nine post towns were built along its course, the most of the five Edo roads. Some of these cities still look as if their architectural urban landscape had stopped in 17th-century Japan. Here are some of them, the most filled with beautiful Japanese architecture.

Narai-juku 奈良井宿 (Nagano)

Narai-juku 奈良井宿is located in the present-day city of Shiojiri 塩尻市in Nagano Prefecture and has been recognized as a national heritage of Japan. It is the thirty-fourth of the sixty-nine Nakasendō 中山道 , as well as the second of eleven stations along the Kisoji 木曽路 .

In Narai-juku 奈良井宿there is the Kamitoiya Museum where you can admire over 400 different items used in everyday life in the Edo period. the Ice Candle Festival takes place in this city . Traditionally made of ice, candles are placed on the streets, creating an eerie winter atmosphere.

Tsumago-juku 妻籠宿 (Nagano)

Tsumago-juku 妻籠宿was one of several post towns in the Kiso area. However, it became the first postal city in Japan to take action to protect the architecture and landscape of the Edo period in its area since 1976.

In the city there is, among others, such a historical gem as the Nagisomachi Museum 南木曽町博物館. The facility consists of three parts:

• Wakihonjin-okuya南木曽町博物館
• Tsumago-juku Honjin妻籠宿本陣
• Historical Archives

Wakihonjin-okuya 南木曽町博物館is a national heritage building dating back to 1877. The Tsumago-juku Honjin 妻籠宿本陣is a life-size replica of the Honjin 本陣, or lodging facility specifically designated for traveling Daimyō 大名, while documents and artifacts relating to the city itself can be found in the Historical Archives .

Wakihonjin-okuya 南木曽町博物館has a beautifully and carefully finished interior, and the view of sunlight streaming through the wooden windows is said to be incredibly mesmerizing. This effect can be admired from September to March.

Magome-juku 馬籠宿 (Gifu)

Magome-juku 馬籠宿is one of the most populous post towns and the forty-third on the entire route. Throughout its history, the city burned down twice, in 1895 and 1915. Controlling fires in such places was very difficult due to its location on a hill and the lack of sufficient water reserves. The current city has, of course, been rebuilt, but its traditional architectural style has been preserved.

Shimazaki Tōson島崎藤村was also born in this city . A museum was built there in his honor, where you can find over 6,000 documents and materials related to him.

There is also a traditional water mill in the city, which, along with its cobbled streets, has become its symbol. Interestingly, the water mill still produces electricity, providing it with a constant supply to the building in which it is located.

Samegai-juku 醒井宿 (Shiga)

Samegai-juku 醒井宿is the sixty-first post town on Nakasendō now within the city of Maibara . The city is famous for the clean waters of the river flowing through it.

Baikamo , are a popular sight in Samegai-juku. These small flowers only grow in areas with clean water. They bloom from mid-July to the end of August and look like plum blossoms. The source of the river flowing through the city is associated with a legend about a legendary Japanese prince who healed his wound with water from the source of this river.

Kusatsu-juku 草津宿 (Shiga)

It is here the Nakasendō 中山道and Tōkaidō 東海道routes come together, known as the "Eastern Sea Road" or "Trail to the East along the Sea ", making it an important city for travelers.

One of the biggest attractions here is Kusatsu-juku Honjin 草津宿本陣. Honjin 本陣is known to have hosted such historical figures as military commander Hijikata Toshizo 土方歳三and member of the forty-seven ronin, Kira Kozuke-no-suke 上野介. The facility was opened to visitors after reconstruction in 1996. Much of the interior has been restored in the style of the Edo period.

Kusatsu Kaido Koryukan is also a popular historical site where you can learn about the history of this city. There are period exhibits and a miniature model of the city of Kusatsu-juku.

This will end our tour through Nakasendō 中山道. The rest you have to see live.

Many thanks to THE GATE for the opportunity to use the article, which you can see here .