There were five main highways such as TOKAIDO, NAKASENDO, KOSHUKAIDO,NIKKOKAIDO
and OSHUKAIDO starting from Nihon bashi (Japan bridge), Edo during the Edo period (1603-1868).
As you know, EDO is the seat of the TOKUGAWA shogunate and KYOTO the seat of the Emperor.
Among them TOKAIDO and NAKASENDO highways connected EDO with KYOTO.
TOKAIDO was a costal route and its length was 490 km with 53 stations passing Kanagawa, Shizuoka,
Aichi, Mie, Shiga and Kyoto prefecture. The Japanese traveled on foot before and took 12 days
on the average between the two cities through TOKAIDO because we did not have any knowledge of
castration nor geldings in those times.
On the other hand NAKASENDO was an inland route and its length was 526 km with 67 stations
passing Saitama, Gunma, Nagano, Gifu, Shiga and Kyoto prefecture.
As NAKASENDO passed through mountainous area, there were many steep paths and their stations
were closer than those of TOKAIDO. However some travelers chose NAKASENDO less vigilant than
another. Because the Tokugawa shogunate put two checkpoints at HAKONE and ARAI along TOKAIDO
in order to severely check ladies out and matchlocks in EDO.
TSUMAGO JUKU and MAGOME JUKU were 42^nd and 43d station from Edo city and are preserved
well as they were. The stations, JUKUs were basically located about 8 km apart each other
by the TOKUGAWA shogunate and had folloinwg facilities in general.

1, TONYABA (Office of transportation and communicatios and public works)
2, HONJIN ( Hotel for fuedal lords and high class aristocrats)
3, WAKI-HONJIN (Hotel for Bushi such as worriers or retainersand low class aristocrats)
4, HATAGO & KICHINYADO (Hotels for common travellers with or without meals)
5, CHAYA (Restaurant, cafe and bar)
6, SHOTEN (Shops for travellers)
7, TAKAFUDASHO (Official Bulletin board for noticies of the Shogunate)
8, Guidepost