Hokkoku Kaidō
The Hokkoku Kaidō (北国街道, Hokkoku Kaidō) was a
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
.
Although it ranked below the five major routes, the Hokkoku Kaidō was an important link between the
sankin kōtai journeys between their domains and Edo.[1]
Stations of the Hokkoku Kaidō
Though there were 25 post stations along the Hokkoku Kaidō, some of the stations were paired stations (合宿, aijuku).[2] Additionally, Nezumi-shuku and Shinonoi Oiwake-shuku were mid stations (ai no shuku (間宿), at which stayovers were not permitted, reducing the number where travellers could stay to 17. The stations are divided by present-day prefectures below, with the municipality in parentheses.[3]
Nagano Prefecture
- Starting Location: Oiwake-juku (追分宿) (Karuizawa, Kitasaku District)
- 1. Komoro-shuku (小諸宿) (Komoro)
- 2. Tanaka-juku (田中宿) and Unno-juku (海野宿) (Tōmi)
- 3. Ueda-shuku (上田宿) (Ueda)
- Nezumi-shuku (鼠宿) (Sakaki, Hanashina District)
- 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)
- Shinonoi Oiwake-shuku (篠ノ井追分宿) (
- 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-juku (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)
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)
See also
- Edo Five Routes
- Other Routes
References
- ^ "北国街道" [Hokkoku Kaidō]. www.jinriki (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 2016-12-19. Retrieved 19 December 2017.
- ^ Aijuku: Two or more inns that operated alternately, in areas where there was not enough traffic to support a full-time station.
- ^ Shinshū no Kaidō Hōmon: Hokkoku Kaidō. Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport. Accessed August 18, 2007.