Motoyama-juku

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Hiroshige's print of Motoyama-juku, part of the series The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaido Kisokaido32 Motoyama.jpg
Hiroshige's print of Motoyama-juku, part of the series The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō

Motoyama-juku(本山宿,Motoyama-juku) was the thirty-second of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the central part of the present-day city of Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

69 Stations of the Nakasendō

The 69 Stations of the Nakasendō are the rest areas along the Nakasendō, which ran from Nihonbashi in Edo to Sanjō Ōhashi in Kyoto. The route stretched approximately 534 km (332 mi) and was an alternate trade route to the Tōkaidō.

Nakasendō

The Nakasendō, also called the Kisokaidō (木曾街道), was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 stations (staging-posts) between Edo and Kyoto, crossing through Musashi, Kōzuke, Shinano, Mino and Ōmi provinces. In addition to Tokyo and Kyoto, the Nakasendō runs through the modern-day prefectures of Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu and Shiga, with a total distance of about 534 km (332 mi).

Shiojiri, Nagano City in Chūbu, Japan

Shiojiri is a city located in Nagano Prefecture, Japan. As of 1 March 2019, the city had an estimated population of 67,240 in 27,602 households, and a population density of 230 persons per km². The total area of the city is 289.98 square kilometres (111.96 sq mi).

Contents

History

Motoyama became a post town in 1614, when the Nakasendō's route was changed. It became a post town at the same time as Shiojiri-juku and Seba-juku. It became known throughout the country for its soba noodles. [1]

Seba-juku

Seba-juku was the thirty-first of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the central part of the present-day city of Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

<i>Soba</i> thin Japanese noodle made from buckwheat flour

Soba is the Japanese name for buckwheat. It usually refers to thin noodles made from buckwheat flour, or a combination of buckwheat and wheat flours. They contrast to thick wheat noodles, called udon. Soba noodles are served either chilled with a dipping sauce, or in hot broth as a noodle soup.

Neighboring post towns

Nakasendō
Seba-juku - Motoyama-juku - Niekawa-juku

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Kiso District district of Japan

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Kanō-juku

Kanō-juku was the fifty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located just south of JR Gifu Station in Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. During the Edo period, it was an independent post town that was approximately 2.3 km (1.4 mi) wide, making it the largest post towns in Mino Province.

Gōdo-juku

Gōdo-juku was the fifty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations (shukuba) of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. Gōdo-juku flourished as a post town because it was located next to the Nagara River and there was a ferry service to the other side.

Hosokute-juku

Hosokute-juku was the forty-eighth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō during the Edo period and it is located in the present-day city of Mizunami, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

Akasaka-juku (Nakasendō)

Akasaka-juku was the fifty-sixth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Ōgaki, Gifu Prefecture, Japan. It flourished during the Edo Period, as it was located in a fertile valley, next to a river.

Mitake-juku

Mitake-juku was the forty-ninth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day town of Mitake, Kani District, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

Shiojiri-shuku

Shiojiri-shuku was the thirtieth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the central part of the present-day city of Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Shimosuwa-shuku

Shimosuwa-shuku was the twenty-ninth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, as well as being the ending location of the Kōshū Kaidō. It is located in the present-day town of Shimosuwa, Suwa District, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Banba-juku

Banba-juku was the sixty-second of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Maibara, Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

Takamiya-juku

Takamiya-juku was the sixty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan on the right bank of the Inukami River. It stretches from the center of the city out towards the east. It became a post town shortly after its original founding during the Warring States period. Takamiya was the entrance station of Taga-taisha shrine and a big torii exists at the center of Takamiya. Today, Ohmi Railway Taga Line connects Takamiya Station and Taga Taisha-mae Station.

Niekawa-juku

Niekawa-juku was the thirty-third of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō. It is located in the present-day city of Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

Kisoji

The Kisoji was an old trade route in the Kiso Valley that stretched from Niekawa-juku in Nagano Prefecture to Magome-juku in Gifu Prefecture. There were eleven resting spots along the route, all of which became part of the Nakasendō when it was established. There is an article dating from 713 in the Shoku Nihongi that records the routes characters as 吉蘇路.

Narai-juku

Narai-juku was the thirty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō, as well as the second of eleven stations along the Kisoji. It is located in the present-day city of Shiojiri, Nagano Prefecture, Japan.

<i>Shukuba</i> post stations of Japan in the Edo period

Shukuba (宿場) 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 shuku-eki (宿駅). These post stations were places where travelers could rest on their journey around the nation. They were created based on policies for the transportation of goods by horseback that were developed during the Nara and Heian periods.

<i>The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō</i>

The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō or Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Road, is a series of ukiyo-e works created by Utagawa Hiroshige and Keisai Eisen. There are 71 total prints in the series. The common name for the Kiso Kaidō is "Nakasendō," so this series is sometimes referred to as the Sixty-nine Stations of the Nakasendō. It is a follow up to Hiroshige's The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō and he produced 47 of the prints, with Eisen being responsible for the rest.

Shio no Michi

Shio no Michi was an old kaidō, or road, in ancient Japan and was used to transport salt from the ocean to the inland central Honshū. In the Middle Ages, salt was brought both from the Sea of Japan and the Pacific Ocean to Shinano Province for processing. The road leading from the Sea of Japan to Shinano Province was called the Chikuni Kaidō (千国街道), whereas the road leading from the Pacific Ocean was called the Sanshū Kaidō (三州街道).

References

  1. Kaidō ga Kōsa Suru Kōtsū no Yōjutsu Archived 2007-12-18 at the Wayback Machine .. Shiojiri City Hall. Accessed July 23, 2007.