Stone Routes on:
[Wikipedia]
[Google]
[Amazon]
The Stone routes ( = Kuruma-michi), also called the Vehicle stones ( = Kuruma-ishi), were a pair of stone-paved "rails" that were placed on either sides of the three main highways leading to Kyoto, Japan, so that the oxcarts could ride on them during the 18th–19th century of the Edo period.
(in Japanese) In 2013, the Association of Vehicle Stones and Stone Routes Research ( ja, 車石・車道研究会) was established.Association of Vehicle Stones and Stone Routes Research (in Japanese)
/ref>
Association of Vehicle Stones and Stone Routes Research
(in Japanese)
(in Japanese) Edo period History of Kyoto Ōtsu History of engineering
The Stone routes ( = Kuruma-michi), also called the Vehicle stones ( = Kuruma-ishi), were a pair of stone-paved "rails" that were placed on either sides of the three main highways leading to Kyoto, Japan, so that the oxcarts could ride on them during the 18th–19th century of the Edo period.
Overview
Since Kyoto was located in the interior of Honshu island, unlike Tokyo and Osaka, it was difficult to cart materials into the city. During the 18th–19th century during the Edo period, the stone routes were placed on the side of the three main highways leading to Kyoto, so that oxcarts or bullock carts could ride on them, especially useful over themountain passes
A mountain pass is a navigable route through a mountain range or over a ridge. Since many of the world's mountain ranges have presented formidable barriers to travel, passes have played a key role in trade, war, and both human and animal migrati ...
when it rained and would have caused muddy conditions.
A stone route was typically 2.7 meters (9 shaku Shaku may refer to:
* Shaku (unit)
* Shaku (ritual baton)
* Buddhist surname
In East Asian Buddhism, monks and nuns usually adopt a Buddhist surname and a Dharma name, which are combined in the surname-first East-Asian naming order. Since the 4th c ...
) wide, with the two rows of stones of 30 cm x 60 cm × 25 cm size on both sides and a 90 cm (3 shaku) wide center for the bulls to walk. When the railways were introduced in the 19th century, the vehicle stone were dismantled and used for other purposes and, therefore, they came to mean the stone routes.
The three highways were: the Tokaido, Takeda-Kaido ( 竹田街道) and Toba-Kaido ( 鳥羽街道).What Were the Vihicle Stones and Stone Routes (Association of Vehicle Stones and Stone Routes Research)(in Japanese) In 2013, the Association of Vehicle Stones and Stone Routes Research ( ja, 車石・車道研究会) was established.
/ref>
References
{{ReflistExternal links
Association of Vehicle Stones and Stone Routes Research
(in Japanese)
(in Japanese) Edo period History of Kyoto Ōtsu History of engineering