During the Edo period (1600-1868), a vast network of roads was constructed from Edo, now Tokyo, to various locations throughout Japan. Among these, the Tokaido and Nakasendo routes connecting Edo and Kyoto were significant.
The Tokaido route followed the seashore and offered a relatively flat path but required crossing large rivers. Since there were no bridges in that era, travel along this route was highly dependent on weather conditions. On the other hand, the Nakasendo route traversed mountains with many ups and downs and mountain passes, but it was less affected by weather conditions.
The Nakasendo stretched for 532 kilometers (about 330 miles) and included 69 post towns with accommodations that were established by the Shogunate to facilitate traffic. Okuwa village had two such post towns, Suhara-juku as 39th post town and Nojiri-juku as 40th post town from Edo Nihonbashi, where juku means a post town. During the Edo period, it is said that the Nakasendo saw a significant number of travelers, and accommodations in Suhara-juku and Nojiri-juku were often bustling with activity.
The main street in Suhara-juku and Nojiri-juku still preserves an atmosphere of the post town, which can make you time warp to the Edo period.
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