Kaidō (街道, 'road') were roads inJapan dating from theEdo period.[1] They played important roles in transportation like theAppian Way of ancient Roman roads. Major examples include theEdo Five Routes, all of which started atEdo (modern-dayTokyo). Minor examples include sub-routes such as theHokuriku Kaidō and theNagasaki Kaidō.
Kaidō, however, donot includeSan'yōdō,San'indō,Nankaidō andSaikaidō, which were part of the even more ancient system of Yamato government calledGokishichidō. These names were used for administrative units, and the roads within these units.
Manyhighways andrailway lines in modern Japan follow the ancient routes and carry the same names. The early roads radiated from the capital atNara orKyoto. Later, Edo was the reference, and even today Japan reckons directions and measures distances along itshighways fromNihonbashi inChūō, Tokyo.
The five mainkaidō from Nihonbashi in Edo were:
At various times, the government established post stations (shukuba) along the roads. These had lodgings for travelers and grew as commercial centers. These former post towns, along with castle and harbor towns, form a major category of cities in Japan.
Kaidō figure prominently inJapanese culture. The poetMatsuo Bashō memorialized his travels along the Ōshū Kaidō (and elsewhere) in the bookOku no Hosomichi. A set ofwoodblock prints byHiroshige forms a travelogue of the Tōkaidō.Daimyō, making the requiredsankin-kōtai trip between theirhan and Edo, also traveled along thekaidō and stayed at post stations. Some woodblock prints show their stately processions. TheBunraku playKanadehon Chūshingura, the fictionalized account of the true story of theForty-seven Ronin, has several scenes set along variouskaidō.
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