The was the continuation of the

Ōshū Kaidō The was one of the five routes of the Edo period. It was built to connect Edo (modern-day Tokyo) with Mutsu Province and the present-day city of Shirakawa, Fukushima Prefecture, Japan. It was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu for government of ...

, one of the

Edo Five Routes The , sometimes translated as "Five Highways", were the five centrally administered routes, or ''kaidō'', that connected the ''de facto'' capital of Japan at Edo (now Tokyo) with the outer provinces during the Edo period (1603–1868). The mos ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. It connected the

Sendaidō The was a subroute of the Ōshū Kaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes of Japan. It connected the Ōshū Kaidō's terminus in Shirakawa, Fukushima, Shirakawa and Mutsu Province with Sendai. It was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu for government official ...

's terminus at

Sendai Castle 260px, Layout of Aoba Castle is a Japanese castle located in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. Throughout the Edo period, Aoba Castle was home to the Date clan, ''daimyō'' of Sendai Domain. The castle was also known as or as . In 2003, the ca ...

with the northern tip of modern-day

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, ...

. It was established by

Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...

for government officials traveling through the area. The route is named after the

Matsumae Domain The was a Japanese clan that was confirmed in the possession of the area around Matsumae, Hokkaidō as a march fief in 1590 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and charged with defending it, and by extension the whole of Japan, from the Ainu "barbarians" ...

, the only

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

feudal domain A demesne ( ) or domain was all the land retained and managed by a lord of the manor under the feudal system for his own use, occupation, or support. This distinguished it from land sub-enfeoffed by him to others as sub-tenants. The concept or ...

to have been located in

Ezo (also spelled Yezo or Yeso) is the Japanese term historically used to refer to the lands to the north of the Japanese island of Honshu. It included the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, which changed its name from "Ezo" to "Hokkaidō" in 18 ...

(now called

Hokkaidō is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

); Matsumae was accessible by boat from the northern terminus of the Matsumaedō.

Travel

In the early Edo period, travel along the road mostly consisted of ''

daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...

'' and their retainers heading to-and-from Edo under their '' sankin kōtai'' obligations. After

Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...

's development, the late Edo period saw travel further increase as a result of increasing trade with

Imperial Russia The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the List of Russian monarchs, Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended th ...

. Today, the path of the Ōshū Kaidō is followed by National Route 4, which runs parallel to the

Tōhoku Expressway The is a south-north national expressway, and the longest expressway in Japan at . Its southern terminus is in Kawaguchi, Saitama in the Greater Tokyo Area, at the Tokyo Gaikan Expressway and Kawaguchi Route near Araijuku Station, and its no ...

and the

Hachinohe Expressway The is a 4-laned national expressway in the prefectures of Iwate and Aomori in the Tōhoku region of Japan. It is a spur of the Tōhoku Expressway, primarily serving the city of Hachinohe. Signed as E4A, it is owned and operated by East Nippon E ...

Stations of the Matsumaedō

The 44 post stations along the Matsumaedō are listed below in order and are divided by their modern-day prefecture. The present day municipality is listed afterwards in parentheses. The

connected the beginning of the Matsumaedō with the end of the Ōshū Kaidō.

Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

:Starting Location:

( Aoba-ku,

Sendai is the capital Cities of Japan, city of Miyagi Prefecture, the largest city in the Tōhoku region. , the city had a population of 1,091,407 in 525,828 households, and is one of Japan's 20 Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, desig ...

) :1. Nanakita-juku (七北田宿) ( Izumi-ku, Sendai) :2. Tomiya-juku (富谷宿) ( Tomiya, Kurokawa District) :3. Yoshioka-juku (吉岡宿) (

Taiwa 270px, Taiwa Town Hall is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 28,436, and a population density of 130 persons per km² in 12,016 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Taiwa i ...

, Kurokawa District) :4. Sanbongi-juku (三本木宿) ( Ōsaki) :5. Furukawa-juku (古川宿) (Ōsaki) :6. Araya-juku (荒谷宿) (Ōsaki) :7. Takashimizu-juku (高清水宿) (

Kurihara Kurihara City Hall is a city located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 66,565, and a population density of 83 persons per km2 in 24,994 households. The total area of the city is . Parts of the city are wi ...

) :8. Tsukidate-juku (築館宿) (Kurihara) :9. Miyano-juku (宮野宿) (Kurihara) :10. Sawabe-juku (沢辺宿) (Kurihara) :11. Kannari-juku (金成宿) (Kurihara) :12. Arikabe-juku (有壁宿) (Kurihara)

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...

:13. Ichinoseki-juku (一関宿) (

Ichinoseki is a city located in Iwate Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. , the city had a population of 114,476 and a population density of 91 persons per km² in 46,375 households. It is currently the second largest city by population in ...

) :14. Yamanome-juku (山目宿) (Ichinoseki) :15. Hiraizumi-juku (平泉宿) (

Hiraizumi is a town located in Nishiiwai District, Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,408 and a population density of in 2,616 households. The total area of the town was . It is noted for the Historic Monuments and Site ...

, Nishiiwai District) :16. Maesawa-juku (前沢宿) (

Ōshū Oshu or Ōshū may refer to: *Another name for Mutsu Province, a former Japanese province *Ōshū, Iwate, Japan, a city *Northern Fujiwara The Northern Fujiwara (奥州藤原氏 ''Ōshū Fujiwara-shi'') were a Japanese kuge, noble Japanese c ...

) :17. Mizusawa-juku (水沢宿) (Ōshū) :18. Kanegasaki-juku (金ヶ崎宿) (

Kanegasaki is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,580, and a population density of 87 persons per km² in 6,155 households. The total area of the town is . In June 2001, the 34.8 hectare old centre of to ...

, Isawa District) :19. Aisari-juku (相去宿) ( Kitakami) :* Kurosawajiri-juku (黒沢尻宿) (Kitakami) ('' ai no shuku'') :20. Hanamaki-juku (花巻宿) (

Hanamaki is a Cities of Japan, city in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 94,691, and a population density of 100 persons per km², in 37,773 households. The total area of the city is . Hanamaki is famous as the birthplace ...

) :21. Ishidoriya-juku (石鳥谷宿) (Hanamaki) :22. Hizumekōriyama-juku (日詰郡山宿) ( Shiwa, Shiwa District) :23.

Morioka Castle is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . ...

(盛岡城) (

Morioka is the capital city of Iwate Prefecture located in the Tōhoku region of northern Japan. On 1 February 2021, the city had an estimated population of 290,700 in 132,719 households, and a population density of . The total area of the city is . ...

) :24. Shibutami-juku (渋民宿) (Morioka) :25. Numakunai-juku (沼宮内宿) ( Iwate, Iwate District) :26. Ichinohe-juku (一戸宿) ( Ichinohe, Ninohe District) :27. Fukuoka-juku (福岡宿) ( Ninohe) :28. Kindaichi-juku (金田一宿) (Ninohe)

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, ...

:29. Sannohe-juku (三戸宿) (

Sannohe is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 9,814 in 4260 households, and a population density of 65 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Sannohe occupies an inland area in sout ...

, Sannohe District) :30. Gonohe-juku (五戸宿) (

Gonohe is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 16,880, and a population density of 95 persons per km2 in 7,006 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Gonohe is located in the north-easte ...

, Sannohe District) :31. Denbōji-juku (伝法寺宿) (

Towada is a city in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 60,697, and a population density of 84 persons per km2 in 27,677 households. The total area of the city is . Geography Towada is in the foothills of the Hakkōda M ...

) :32. Fujishima-juku (藤島宿) (Towada) :33. Shichinohe-juku (七戸宿) (

Shichinohe is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 15,286, and a population density of 45 persons per km2, in 6,797 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Shichinohe is in central Aomori Pref ...

, Kamikita District) :34. Noheji-juku (野辺地宿) (

Noheji is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 12,956, and a population density of 168 persons per km2 in 6,466 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Noheji occupies the southeastern coa ...

, Kamikita District) terminus of the Tanabu Kaidō :35. Makado-juku (馬門宿) (Noheji, Kamikita District) :36. Kominato-juku (小湊宿) (

Hiranai ( ain, ピラナィ, piranay) is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan and a part of the Aomori metropolitan area. , the town had an estimated population of 10,460 in 4,860 households, and a population density of 48 persons per km². It i ...

, Higashitsugaru District) :37. Nonai-juku (野内宿) (

Aomori is the capital city of Aomori Prefecture, in the Tōhoku region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 278,964 in 136,457 households, and a population density of 340 people per square kilometer spread over the city's total area of ...

) :38. Aomori-juku (青森宿) (Aomori) :39. Aburakawa-juku (油川宿) (Aomori) (also part of the

Ushū Kaidō The was a subroute of the Ōshū Kaidō and the Sendaidō in Japan. It breaks off from the Sendaidō at Kōri-juku in the modern-day Koori in Fukushima Prefecture. It connects to Aburakawa-juku along Matsumaedō, the other subroute of the Ōshū K ...

) :40. Yomogita-juku (蓬田宿) ( Yomogita, Higashitsugaru District) :41. Kanita-juku (蟹田宿) ( Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District) :42. Tairadate-juku (平舘宿) (Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District) :43. Imabetsu-juku (今別宿) (

Imabetsu is a town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan and a part of the Aomori metropolitan area. , the town had an estimated population of 2,562 in 1414 households, and a population density of 20 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geogr ...

, Higashitsugaru District) :44. Minmaya-juku (三厩宿) (Sotogahama, Higashitsugaru District) :Ending Location: Tappisaki (竜飛崎) ( Minmaya, Higashitsugaru District)

National Historic Site

In the year 2010, seven surviving portions of the highway with a total length of 8.86 kilometers in the towns of

Ichinohe, Iwate is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 12,053, and a population density of 40 persons per km² in 5645 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Ichinohe is located in far north-centr ...

and

Iwate, Iwate is a town located in Iwate Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 13,111, and a population density of 36 persons per km² in 5455 households. The total area of the town is . Geography Iwate is located in an inland region in ...

received protection as a National Historic Site of Japan. These surviving sections contain four of the original ''

ichirizuka are historic Japanese distance markers akin to milestones. Comprising a pair of earthen mounds (''tsuka'' or ''zuka'') covered in trees and flanking the road, they denoted the distance in '' ri'' () to Nihonbashi, the "Bridge of Japan", erected ...

'' milestones of the highway.

References

External links

Ōshū Kaidō Travel Journal
{{in lang, ja Road transport in Japan 17th-century establishments in Japan Historic Sites of Japan

Travel

Stations of the Matsumaedō

Miyagi Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. Miyagi Prefecture has a population of 2,305,596 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of . Miyagi Prefecture borders Iwate Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefecture to the nort ...

Iwate Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It is the second-largest Japanese prefecture at , with a population of 1,210,534 (as of October 1, 2020). Iwate Prefecture borders Aomori Prefecture to the north, Akita Prefectur ...

Aomori Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is bordered by the Pacific Ocean to the east, ...

National Historic Site

See also

References

External links