The Tokaido: Edo's Main Road and Its 53 Post Stations

Follow the Tokaido, the great road between Edo and Kyoto, from its post stations and checkpoints to Hiroshige's prints and the rail and highway routes that follow it today.

Published October 20, 2026 at 10:30 AM JST | By Tokyo Paul

Quick answer: The Tokaido, meaning "Eastern Sea Road," was the main road linking Edo (modern Tokyo) and Kyoto during the Edo period. Roughly 500 km long, it had 53 official post stations offering lodging, food and transport. Travelers mostly walked, checkpoints controlled passage, and today a highway, a railway line and the Shinkansen follow the same corridor.

What the Tokaido was

The Tokaido was the most important road connecting Japan's two largest cities in the Edo period (1603 to 1867). It ran from Edo, the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate, to Kyoto, the imperial capital. The route stretched roughly 500 km (reference works give 514 or 515 km), mostly along the Pacific coast of Honshu. Its name means roughly "Eastern Sea Road."

The road was set up and managed by the Tokugawa government as part of a wider network. Britannica describes it as the main eastward route from Kyoto since ancient times, and it gained further importance when Edo became the center of government. Today the name is used for the historic road, for a famous rail line and for the surrounding corridor.

According to a general reference article, the road's eastern end was at Edobashi, in Edo, and its western end at Sanjo Ohashi bridge in Kyoto. In 1613, a group of English visitors, including William Adams and John Saris, traveled along it, and Saris praised the quality of the road. That early comment shows how well it was already regarded.

The 53 post stations

Along the road stood 53 official post stations, called shukuba or juku. Each was a small town that provided lodging, meals, porters and horses, and the stations were the backbone of the system. Inns and vendors offered travelers rest, food, drink and souvenirs, which helped many towns grow around the road.

The count of 53 refers to the original stations between Edo and Kyoto. A later extension toward Osaka, added in 1619, brought four more stations, which is why some sources count 57. Station names such as Hakone, Mishima, Okazaki and Kuwana remain familiar place names today. Many are now cities, and some keep museums or restored streets that recall the post-town era. Each station had a role in the system, handing travelers and goods on to the next town along the line, which kept traffic moving over the whole distance.

Checkpoints and the Tokugawa system

Travelers generally had to pass through government checkpoints along the road. The best-known is the Hakone Barrier, set on the shore of Lake Ashi. The Tokugawa authorities used it to monitor weapons entering Edo and people leaving it, including the families of regional lords. The Meiji government abolished the barrier in 1869.

The site became a National Historic Site in 1923, and a museum opened there in 1965. Buildings were rebuilt on the basis of excavations carried out between 1999 and 2001, so visitors today can see a reconstruction of gates and an office. The layout included a pair of wooden gates on the highway about 18 meters apart, with buildings between them, as well as an archery range on the site. Daimyo, the regional lords, administered the provinces along the road, and the towns that served as post stations grew up under this system of regional government.

Traveling on foot

Most people walked the Tokaido. Elite travelers rode in palanquins called norimono, and others used kago, simpler carried chairs. Britannica notes that wheeled vehicles were rare, and that people moved on foot, by packhorse or by palanquin carried by bearers.

The trip took about a week in good weather and as much as a month when conditions were poor. Rivers often lacked bridges, so travelers crossed by ferry or on foot when water levels allowed. One section needed a sea crossing of about 27 km between the towns of Nagoya and Kuwana. Britannica describes a well-kept roadbed of about 5.5 meters wide, with gravel and sand and stone paving on mountain slopes.

Hiroshige's famous prints

The road became world-famous through woodblock prints. In 1833 and 1834, the artist Utagawa Hiroshige produced The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, a series of 55 prints with one for each station, plus the departure from Nihonbashi and the arrival in Kyoto. In 1832 he had traveled the road with an official delegation escorting horses presented to the imperial court.

The series became his best-known work and one of the best-selling print series of its time, with new copies priced at about the cost of a pair of straw sandals or a bowl of soup. Scholars debate whether Hiroshige visited every station, since some views resemble those in an earlier illustrated guidebook of famous sights along the road, published in 1797. He went on to make about thirty Tokaido series in different sizes and layouts. The prints remain popular in museums and reproductions, and they gave many people at the time, who could not make the trip themselves, a picture of the road and its famous sights.

Surviving stretches and what to visit

Only a few original sections of the Tokaido survive in recognizable form, but the road's line can still be traced across the country. The Hakone Barrier and its museum are one of the easiest places to see a reconstruction of the checkpoint. In many post-station towns, local museums, preserved streets and signs mark the old route.

For travelers who like walking, the old road can be explored in sections rather than all at once. Trails, signs and local tourism offices usually give maps and directions. Hours, access and conditions of sites vary, so check the current information before going. This guide shares general information; rules change, so confirm details with the official agency or provider before you act.

The modern Tokaido

Today the corridor is one of the busiest in Japan. The JR Tokaido Main Line and the Tokaido Shinkansen follow the route from Tokyo through Nagoya and Kyoto to Osaka, and national highways and expressways run alongside. National Route 1 begins at Nihonbashi in Tokyo and follows the old Tokaido westward to Kyoto, then continues to Osaka.

The names on modern train announcements, such as Odawara, Hamamatsu and Okazaki, echo old post towns along the road. The fastest Shinkansen trains cover Tokyo to Shin-Osaka in a little over two hours, compared with a week or more on foot, which is a vivid way to see how transport changed. For anyone curious about the old route, a seat by the window on a local line or a stop at a former post town makes a thoughtful addition to a trip, even without any walking at all.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long was the Tokaido?

The Tokaido ran roughly 500 km from Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto. One reference gives 514 km and another about 515 km (320 miles). It had 53 post stations. Counts vary slightly depending on where the road is measured from and whether later branches are included.

How long did it take to travel the Tokaido?

On foot, a trip generally took about a week in good weather, and up to a month when rain or flooding slowed travelers. Most people walked, while some used palanquins or horses. Crossing rivers without bridges added time.

Can I still follow the Tokaido today?

Yes, partly. The route is followed by the JR Tokaido Main Line, the Tokaido Shinkansen and National Route 1, and a few original sections and sites survive, including the reconstructed Hakone Barrier. Many towns have museums or signs marking the old road.

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