Kyoto, Nakasendo

Japan is an island country located off the east coast of Asia. It is made up of four major islands and several smaller ones. Honshu is one of the four main islands where the current capital Tokyo, previously known as Edo, and former capital Kyoto, are situated.

It is on Honshu that the famous Nakasendo Way, also known as Kisokaido, was established by shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu. Known as one of the three Great Unifiers of Japan, Ieyasu was a powerful shogun in the early 1600s, who established a central government in Edo. To maintain order and control over the local feudal lords (aka daimyo), the Tokugawa shogunate had a policy requiring the lords to alternate living for a year in their domain and then in Edo. As such, the shogunate constructed five official routes that connected Edo with its outer provinces. One of those routes was the Nakasendo, which can be translated to Central Mountain Route, that began at Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo, travelled through the centre of the island, over several mountain passes and finished at Sanjo Ohashi Bridge in Kyoto.

To service the travellers’  accommodation and transportation needs, a system of 69 post-towns was set up on the route between the two main cities. Most towns had three different types of inns: honjin –reserved only for the daimyo or high-ranking officials; waki-honjin – reserved for lower ranking officials; and hatagoya – used by ordinary travellers. 

The post-towns were on average 5-6 miles apart (8-10km) apart and the roads were maintained by the local lords. They were typically ‘one-street towns’ with the Nakasendo as the main road. Sometimes the street meandered in a snake-like fashion or took a sharp turn as a way to slow down any potential enemies wanting to make their way into Edo. 

Pine and cypress trees were planted along the road to provide shade in the summer and protection from the cold in the winter. Distance markers were placed at regular intervals, around every 2.5mi (4km), often in the shape of large earthen mounds with a tree planted on top. 

The whole expedition would take on average two weeks, of course much of that was dependent on the size of the retinue, age and health of the travellers and the load being carried. Crossing nine mountain passes made it more difficult as they were typically narrow and steep. Some sections were paved with stones to help the travellers and make it easier to maintain. Harsh winters added to that complexity.

The journey I am embarking on begins in Kyoto and ends in Tokyo. Kyoto is an ancient capital city having been the seat of Japan’s imperial court for 1,100 years (769-1869 AD). The capital was moved to Tokyo following the fall of the Tokugawa shogunate.

Kyoto is home to 17 UNESCO listed sites that include a number of temples; Nijo Castle – the Tokugawa shogunate’s Kyoto residence; and the 6th century Shimogamo Shrine – one of the oldest Shinto shrines in Japan. Kyoto is also where the famous 1,000 Torii Gates are located, within the Fushimi Inari Shrine. The vermillion gates cover a network of hiking trails through the woodlands of Mount Inari. 

As I head east, I will meander through the cobblestone streets of Higashiyama Ward. The narrow lanes of this historic quarter are lined with traditional wooden buildings, beautifully restored and preserved, as a reminder of Japan’s feudal era. 

Before I carry on though, I’ll stop at one of the tea-rooms to sample Uji matcha tea. Considered to be the highest quality of green tea in Japan, Uji tea is often presented to the Imperial Family and used in tea ceremonies.