Tōkaidō (road)

The Tōkaidō road. Photograph by Felice Beato, 1865.

The Tōkaidō (東海道, East Sea Road) was a major road in ancient Japan. It was one of five main roads during the Edo period. The route connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto along the sea coast of eastern Honshū.

Traveling the Tōkaidō

See the main article: List of the 53 Stations of the Tōkaidō

There were fifty-three shogunate-maintained waystations (shuku-eki) along the road which connected Edo and Kyoto.

The typical method of travel was by foot.

Related pages

• The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō
• Tōkaidō Shinkansen
• Tōkaidō (region)

Further reading

Nissaka-shuku was the 25th station on the Tōkaidō -- woodblock print by Hiroshige, 1834

• Traganeou, Jilly. 2004. The Tokaido Road: Traveling and Representation in Edo and Meiji Japan. London: RoutledgeCurzon. ISBN 978-0-415-31091-8

Other websites

• Walk the Tōkaidō
• PBS, Travel Tōkaidō
• Hiroshige, The Fifty Three Stations of the Tokaido Road
• Kuniyoshi, The Fifty Three Stations of the Tokaido Represented as Cats