|
The Nakasendo (中山道)
was one of two
Tokugawa-era roads connecting
Edo (modern-day
Tokyo) to
Kyoto in
Japan. Unlike the coastal
Tokaido, the Nakasendo travelled inland, hence its name, which means
"Road through the Middle of the Moutains" or "Road through the Central
Mountains."
Perhaps the most famous section of the Nakasendo is the
stretch between
Magome and
Tsumago in the
Kiso Valley, made famous by the 19th
century writer
Shimazaki Toson, who chronicled the effects of the
Meiji Restoration on the valley in his novel Yoake no Mae
("Before the Dawn"). This section of the road can still be travelled along
comfortably by foot, and Tsumago has preserved its traditional architecture.
The poet
Basho also travelled along the Nakasendo.
|
