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The was the most important of the Five Routes
Edo Five Routes

The were the five major roads that started at Edo during the Edo period, the most important of which was the Tokaido , which linked Edo and Kyoto....
 of the Edo period
Edo period

The , or , is a division of History of Japan running from 1603 to 1868. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa shogunate, which was officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu....
, connecting Edo
Edo

, literally: Headlands and bays-door, "estuary", ), also Romanization of Japanese as Yedo or Yeddo, is the Geographical renaming of the Capital of Japan Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868....
 (modern-day Tokyo
Tokyo

, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people....
) to Kyoto
Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 in Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendo
Nakasendo

The was one of the Edo Five Routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 Stations of the Nakasendo between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi Province, Kozuke Province, Shinano Province, Mino Province and Omi Province Old provinces of Japan....
, the Tokaido travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshu
Honshu

or Honshu is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait....
, hence the route's name.

Traveling the Tokaido
The standard method of travel was by foot, as wheeled carts were almost non-existent and heavy cargo was usually sent by boat. Members of the higher class, however, traveled by kago
Kago

A is a Japanese type of sedan chair, suspended by a single crossbeam, carried by two men, usually used to transport one person at a time. The front and back of the kago is always covered; the sides can be left open, or encased by folding screens....
.






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The was the most important of the Five Routes
Edo Five Routes

The were the five major roads that started at Edo during the Edo period, the most important of which was the Tokaido , which linked Edo and Kyoto....
 of the Edo period
Edo period

The , or , is a division of History of Japan running from 1603 to 1868. The period marks the governance of the Edo or Tokugawa shogunate, which was officially established in 1603 by the first Edo shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu....
, connecting Edo
Edo

, literally: Headlands and bays-door, "estuary", ), also Romanization of Japanese as Yedo or Yeddo, is the Geographical renaming of the Capital of Japan Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868....
 (modern-day Tokyo
Tokyo

, officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshu. The twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, cover the area that was once the Tokyo City in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people....
) to Kyoto
Kyoto

Sorry, no overview for this topic
 in Japan
Japan

Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south....
. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendo
Nakasendo

The was one of the Edo Five Routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 Stations of the Nakasendo between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi Province, Kozuke Province, Shinano Province, Mino Province and Omi Province Old provinces of Japan....
, the Tokaido travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshu
Honshu

or Honshu is the largest island of Japan. The nation's main island, it is south of Hokkaido across the Tsugaru Strait, north of Shikoku across the Inland Sea, and northeast of Kyushu across the Kanmon Strait....
, hence the route's name.

Traveling the Tokaido


The standard method of travel was by foot, as wheeled carts were almost non-existent and heavy cargo was usually sent by boat. Members of the higher class, however, traveled by kago
Kago

A is a Japanese type of sedan chair, suspended by a single crossbeam, carried by two men, usually used to transport one person at a time. The front and back of the kago is always covered; the sides can be left open, or encased by folding screens....
. Women were forbidden to travel alone and had to be accompanied by men. Other restrictions were also put in place for travelers, but, while severe penalties existed for various travel regulations, most seemed not to be enforced.

There were government-sanctioned post stations
Shukuba

were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki ....
 along the Tokaido for travelers to rest in. These stations consisted of porter stations and horse stables, as well as lodging, food and other places a traveller may visit. The original Tokaido was made up of 53 stations
53 Stations of the Tokaido

The are the rest areas along the Tokaido , which was a coastal route that ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto....
 between the termination points of Edo and Kyoto. At a few points along the route, there were checkpoints where travelers had to present traveling permits
Passport

A passport is a document, issued by a national government, which certifies, for the purpose of international travel, the identity and nationality of its holder....
 to pass.

Writing about Tokaido

Travel, particularly along the Tokaido, was a very popular topic in art and literature at the time. The famous artist Hiroshige
Hiroshige

was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, and one of the last great artists in that tradition. He was also referred to as Ando Hiroshige and by the art name of Ichiyusai Hiroshige ....
 depicted each of the 53 post stations
53 Stations of the Tokaido

The are the rest areas along the Tokaido , which was a coastal route that ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto....
 (shukuba
Shukuba

were post stations during the Edo period in Japan, generally located on one of the Edo Five Routes or one of its sub-routes. They were also called shukueki ....
) of the Tokaido in his work The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, and the haiku
Haiku

' ', plural haiku, is a form of Japanese poetry, consisting of 17 Mora e , in three metrical phrases of 5, 7 and 5 morae respectively. Haiku typically contain a kigo, or seasonal reference, and a kireji or verbal caesura....
 poet Matsuo Basho
Matsuo Basho

was the most famous poet of the Edo period in Japan. During his lifetime, Basho was recognized for his works in the collaborative Renku form; today, after centuries of commentary, he is recognized as a master of brief and clear haiku....
 traveled along the road.

A great many guidebooks of famous places were published and distributed at this time, and a culture of virtual tourism through books and pictures thrived. Jippensha Ikku
Jippensha Ikku

was the pen name of Sadakazu Shigeta , a Japanese people writer in the late Edo period. He lived primarily in Edo in the service of samurai, but also spent some time in Osaka as a townsman....
's Tokaidochu Hizakurige, translated as "The Shank's Mare", is one of the more famous novels about a journey along the Tokaido.

Osaka Kaido

In 1619, the Osaka Kaido was established, adding four
53 Stations of the Tokaido

The are the rest areas along the Tokaido , which was a coastal route that ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjo Ohashi in Kyoto....
 more stations after Otsu-juku. These additions extended the route to Koraibashi
Koraibashi

is a bridge located in Chuo-ku, Osaka in the city of Osaka, Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It crosses over the Higashi Yokobori River and shares its name with the surrounding area....
 in Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
. This extension was also called the Kyokaido, or was described as being a part of the 57 stations of the Tokaido.

Modern-day Tokaido

Today, the Tokaido corridor is the most heavily travelled transportation corridor in Japan, connecting Greater Tokyo (including the capital Tokyo as well as Japan's second largest city Yokohama
Yokohama

is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kanto region of the main island of Honshu. It is a major commercial hub of the Greater Tokyo Area....
) to Nagoya (fourth largest), and then to Osaka
Osaka

is a Cities of Japan in Japan, located at the mouth of the Yodo River on Osaka Bay, in the Kansai region of the main island of Honshu.Osaka is a City designated by government ordinance under the Local Autonomy Law and the capital city of Osaka Prefecture....
 (third largest) via Kyoto. The Tokyo-Nagoya-Kyoto-Osaka route is followed by the JR Tokaido Main Line
Tokaido Main Line

The is the busiest trunk line of Japan Railways Group , connecting Tokyo Station and Kobe Station . It is 589.5 km long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities....
 and Tokaido Shinkansen
Tokaido Shinkansen

is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen line, opened in 1964 between Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station. It is operated by the Central Japan Railway Company , and formerly by JNR, Japan National Railways....
, as well as the Tomei
Tomei Expressway

The is a national Expressways of Japan on the island of Honshu in Japan. It is operated by Central Nippon Expressway Company....
 and Meishin
Meishin Expressway

The is a toll expressway in Japan. It runs from a junction with the Tomei Expressway in Nagakute, Aichi west to Nishinomiya, Hyogo . It is the main road link between Osaka and Nagoya, and, along with the Tomei Expressway, forms the main road link between Osaka and Tokyo....
 expressways.

See also

  • Edo Five Routes
    Edo Five Routes

    The were the five major roads that started at Edo during the Edo period, the most important of which was the Tokaido , which linked Edo and Kyoto....
  • Japan National Route 1
  • Tokaido Main Line
    Tokaido Main Line

    The is the busiest trunk line of Japan Railways Group , connecting Tokyo Station and Kobe Station . It is 589.5 km long, not counting its many freight feeder lines around the major cities....
  • Tokaido Shinkansen
    Tokaido Shinkansen

    is a Japanese high-speed Shinkansen line, opened in 1964 between Tokyo Station and Shin-Osaka Station. It is operated by the Central Japan Railway Company , and formerly by JNR, Japan National Railways....
  • Namamugi Incident
    Namamugi Incident

    The was a samurai assault on foreign nationals in Japan on September 14, 1862, which resulted in the August 1863 bombardment of Kagoshima, during the Late Tokugawa shogunate....


External links

  • - an interactive tour down the road.
  • - from U.S. Public Broadcasting Service (PBS)
  • - Teacher James Baquet's log of a walk along the entire Tokaido, with photos and comparisons to Hiroshige's prints.
  • - by Ando Hiroshige