Kamakura Kaido
Encyclopedia
is the generic name of a great number of roads built during the Kamakura period
which, from all directions, converged on the military capital of Kamakura
, Kanagawa Prefecture
, Japan
. The term itself however was created probably during the Edo Period
to mean simply any old road going to Kamakura; it is used for example in the Fudokikō. The famous Tōkaidō
highway which connects Kyoto
to Kamakura can therefore also be considered a Kamakura Kaidō. Texts like the Taiheiki
and the Azuma Kagami
see things from a Kamakura-centric perspective and therefore use for the same roads individual names deriving from their destination, for example Kyōto Ōkan or the generic term . Today, modern paved roads that approximately follow one of the routes of an Old Kamakura Kaidō are named either Kamakura Kaidō, as Tokyo Prefecture Machida Route 18, or .
gate (torii
) at the entrance of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū in Kamakura. Like the other routes, these roads were built to allow quick army movements from and to Kamakura and were of great importance during the many internal wars of the period. The Kami no Michi, in particular, was used by Nitta Yoshisada
for his 1333 attack on Kamakura
, and all the battlefields of that campaign (for example and , both in today's Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
, or in today's Fuchū
) are therefore along its course.
The Kamakura Kaidō/Ōkan network remained important during the Muromachi period
(1336- 1573) because Kamakura continued to be essential to control the Kantō region, however, after the last Kantō kubō
Ashikaga Shigeuji was driven out of Kamakura and established himself in Shimōsa Province, the Late Hōjō clan
supremacy made Kantō's political and economic center move to Odawara. The final blow to the network was given by the Tokugawa, who in the 17th century made Edo
their capital. With Kamakura's importance waning, the network fell in disrepair and in places disappeared.
Even though they are described in several old texts like the Azuma Kagami, the Taiheiki, the Gukanshō
and the the three roads' exact courses aren't known with certainty, and their description can therefore vary considerably with the source. The following are considered the most likely.
), Karasawa, Iida (within today's Yokohama
), then Seya, Tsuruma (today's Machida), Tamagawa
, Bubai, Fuchū
, Kokubunji
, Sayama, and Ogawa, then, at the Usui Pass, divided in three, forming the (that went towards today's Nagano Prefecture
), (that went towards today's Gunma Prefecture
) and the , that went towards Musashi Province
, today's Tokyo Prefecture. For unknown reasons, this route appears to be what the Azuma Kagami calls Shimo no Michi.
, Kasama (within today's Yokohama), Nagaya, Futamatagawa, and Nakayama, finally joining the Kami no Michi there. In Kamakura this particular road is still known as Kamakura Kaidō.
, Hatogaya, Yono, Iwatsuki, Iwatsuki, Koga, and Yūki, then reaching Utsunomiya. In Maruko (near today's Kawasaki), the Shimo no Michi divided into the and the the first going to Kisarazu, the second going to Ishioka in Northern Ibaraki Prefecture.
Kamakura period
The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura Shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo....
which, from all directions, converged on the military capital of Kamakura
Kamakura, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, about south-south-west of Tokyo. It used to be also called .Although Kamakura proper is today rather small, it is often described in history books as a former de facto capital of Japan as the seat of the Shogunate and of the Regency during the...
, Kanagawa Prefecture
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The term itself however was created probably during the Edo Period
Edo period
The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....
to mean simply any old road going to Kamakura; it is used for example in the Fudokikō. The famous Tōkaidō
Tokaido (road)
The ' was the most important of the Five Routes of the Edo period, connecting Edo to Kyoto in Japan. Unlike the inland and less heavily travelled Nakasendō, the Tōkaidō travelled along the sea coast of eastern Honshū, hence the route's name....
highway which connects Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
to Kamakura can therefore also be considered a Kamakura Kaidō. Texts like the Taiheiki
Taiheiki
The is a Japanese historical epic , written in the late 14th century. It deals primarily with the Nanboku-chō, the period of war between the Northern Court of Ashikaga Takauji in Kyoto, and the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in Yoshino....
and the Azuma Kagami
Azuma Kagami
The , or "mirror of the east", is a Japanese medieval text that chronicles events of the Kamakura Shogunate from Minamoto no Yoritomo's rebellion against the Taira clan in Izokuni of 1180 to Munetaka Shinnō and his return to Kyoto in 1266...
see things from a Kamakura-centric perspective and therefore use for the same roads individual names deriving from their destination, for example Kyōto Ōkan or the generic term . Today, modern paved roads that approximately follow one of the routes of an Old Kamakura Kaidō are named either Kamakura Kaidō, as Tokyo Prefecture Machida Route 18, or .
The three main routes
The three main roads in the Kantō region were called ("Upper Route"), ("Middle Route"), and ("Lower Route"). Their course is well known because it's described in several medieval books. They ended at the ShintoShinto
or Shintoism, also kami-no-michi, is the indigenous spirituality of Japan and the Japanese people. It is a set of practices, to be carried out diligently, to establish a connection between present day Japan and its ancient past. Shinto practices were first recorded and codified in the written...
gate (torii
Torii
A is a traditional Japanese gate most commonly found at the entrance of or within a Shinto shrine, where it symbolically marks the transition from the profane to the sacred...
) at the entrance of Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū in Kamakura. Like the other routes, these roads were built to allow quick army movements from and to Kamakura and were of great importance during the many internal wars of the period. The Kami no Michi, in particular, was used by Nitta Yoshisada
Nitta Yoshisada
was the head of the Nitta family in the early fourteenth century, and supported the Southern Court of Emperor Go-Daigo in the Nanboku-chō period, capturing Kamakura from the Hōjō clan in 1333....
for his 1333 attack on Kamakura
Siege of Kamakura (1333)
The 1333 siege of Kamakura was a battle of the Genkō War, and marked the end of the power of the Hōjō clan, which had dominated the regency of the Kamakura shogunate for over a century...
, and all the battlefields of that campaign (for example and , both in today's Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture
Saitama Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kantō region of the island of Honshu. The capital is the city of Saitama.This prefecture is part of the Greater Tokyo Area, and most of Saitama's cities can be described as suburbs of Tokyo, to which a large amount of residents commute each day.- History...
, or in today's Fuchū
Fuchu, Tokyo
is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 255,394 and a population density of 8,700 persons per km². The total area was 29.34 km²...
) are therefore along its course.
Muromachi period
The is a division of Japanese history running from approximately 1336 to 1573. The period marks the governance of the Muromachi or Ashikaga shogunate, which was officially established in 1338 by the first Muromachi shogun, Ashikaga Takauji, two years after the brief Kemmu restoration of imperial...
(1336- 1573) because Kamakura continued to be essential to control the Kantō region, however, after the last Kantō kubō
Kanto kubo
was a title equivalent to shogun assumed by Ashikaga Motouji after his nomination to Kantō kanrei, or deputy shogun for the Kamakura-fu, in 1349. Motouji transferred his original title to the Uesugi family, which had previously held the hereditary title of , and would thereafter provide the Kantō...
Ashikaga Shigeuji was driven out of Kamakura and established himself in Shimōsa Province, the Late Hōjō clan
Late Hojo clan
The ' was one of the most powerful warrior clans in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region.The clan is traditionally reckoned to be started by Ise Shinkurō, who came from a branch of the prestigious Ise clan, a family in the direct employment of the Ashikaga...
supremacy made Kantō's political and economic center move to Odawara. The final blow to the network was given by the Tokugawa, who in the 17th century made Edo
Edo
, also romanized as Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of the Japanese capital Tokyo, and was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate which ruled Japan from 1603 to 1868...
their capital. With Kamakura's importance waning, the network fell in disrepair and in places disappeared.
Even though they are described in several old texts like the Azuma Kagami, the Taiheiki, the Gukanshō
Gukansho
is a historical and literary work about the history of Japan. Seven volumes in length, it was composed by Buddhist priest Jien of the Tendai sect c. 1220....
and the the three roads' exact courses aren't known with certainty, and their description can therefore vary considerably with the source. The following are considered the most likely.
The Kami no Michi
From Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū's gate, the Kami no Michi passed through the Kewaizaka Pass, then Susaki, Watauchi (today's FujisawaFujisawa, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa, Japan. As of 2010, the city had an estimated population of 407,731 and a population density of 5,870 people per km². The total area is 69.51 km²-Geography:...
), Karasawa, Iida (within today's Yokohama
Yokohama
is the capital city of Kanagawa Prefecture and the second largest city in Japan by population after Tokyo and most populous municipality of Japan. It lies on Tokyo Bay, south of Tokyo, in the Kantō region of the main island of Honshu...
), then Seya, Tsuruma (today's Machida), Tamagawa
Tamagawa
may refer to the following places in Japan:*Tamagawa, Ehime, a former town in Ehime Prefecture that is now part of the city of Imabari*Tamakawa, Fukushima, a village in Fukushima Prefecture*Tamagawa, Saitama, a village in Saitama Prefecture...
, Bubai, Fuchū
Fuchu, Tokyo
is a city located in western Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 2010, the city has an estimated population of 255,394 and a population density of 8,700 persons per km². The total area was 29.34 km²...
, Kokubunji
Kokubunji, Tokyo
is a city in Tokyo, Japan.As of 1 June 2008, the city has an estimated population of 117,335 . The total area is 11.48 km²...
, Sayama, and Ogawa, then, at the Usui Pass, divided in three, forming the (that went towards today's Nagano Prefecture
Nagano Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of the island of Honshū. The capital is the city of Nagano.- History :Nagano was formerly known as the province of Shinano...
), (that went towards today's Gunma Prefecture
Gunma Prefecture
is a prefecture of Japan located in the northwest corner of the Kantō region on Honshu island. Its capital is Maebashi.- History :The remains of a Paleolithic man were found at Iwajuku, Gunma Prefecture, in the early 20th century and there is a public museum there.Japan was without horses until...
) and the , that went towards Musashi Province
Musashi Province
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Prefecture, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama...
, today's Tokyo Prefecture. For unknown reasons, this route appears to be what the Azuma Kagami calls Shimo no Michi.
The Naka no Michi
The Naka no Michi departed from Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū with a left turn and passed through the Kobukurozaka Pass, Yamanouchi, OfunaOfuna
Ōfuna can refer to:*Ōfuna Kannon, a Buddhist temple in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan*Ōfuna Station, a railway station in Kamakura, Kanagawa, Japan...
, Kasama (within today's Yokohama), Nagaya, Futamatagawa, and Nakayama, finally joining the Kami no Michi there. In Kamakura this particular road is still known as Kamakura Kaidō.
The Shimo no Michi
The Shimo no Michi was a branch of the Naka no Michi that departed before Tsurumi (within today's Yokohama), then crossed Maruko, ShibuyaShibuya, Tokyo
is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....
, Hatogaya, Yono, Iwatsuki, Iwatsuki, Koga, and Yūki, then reaching Utsunomiya. In Maruko (near today's Kawasaki), the Shimo no Michi divided into the and the the first going to Kisarazu, the second going to Ishioka in Northern Ibaraki Prefecture.