Students Hiyoshi

Hosokute

(One of the post town in edo period)

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Hosokute used to be one of the post-towns on the Nakasendo. Nakasendo is one of the famous roads in Edo period (1603-1867). It was connected from Edo to Kyoto. Before this post-town was made, there was heavy, heavy and painful traffic between Mitake and Okute, because there were many steep slopes in this area. Many men and horses found it difficult to come and go. People complained sometimes, then this Hosokute town was made. In 1606, Hosokute became a temporary post-town. Then the town became a real post-town in 1610.

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On the 4th Saturday in July, there's a festival in this town. The kids who live in there carry a mikoshi (a portable shrine on their shoulders) in the daytime. Then they play bingo, cards, and many things. Many people who live there carry more bigger mikoshi shaped like a ship on their shoulders at night. This festival is caused from Gion festival in Kyoto. The festival in Kyoto has been held from Heian period (794-1192), because of stamping out infectious diseases. This ship-shaped mikoshi in this town was made in Edo period.

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Daikokuya is a inn famous among the people who live in this region. This inn was designated by Owari han (han means a feudal domain - tief). We went to this old inn and interviewed to the madam about the house and many things in it. Daikokuya has been in business from Edo period (1603-1867). There is an old fashioned single-leaf wooden screen to partition a room, an old kind of shoji (a paper sliding door), an earth floor (it's a kind of entrance hall of a house in the old time in Japan) and the nest ledge of swallows which is made in the roof, a hibachi (a Japanese heating appliance using charcoal as fuel), a shimenawa (a Shinto straw festoon decorated with cut paper), a sugegasa (an old kind of hat), an old kind of knocking wood plate. The house is made by many wooden pillars, wall mud and plaster. 

[ click here for more Hosokute photos ]