Daigahara-shuku Post Town
Echoes of Edo: Exploring Daigahara-shuku on the Koshu-Kaidō
江戸の面影を残す宿場町・台ヶ原宿を歩く
Tucked away in the mountains of Hokuto, Yamanashi Prefecture, Daigahara-shuku still echoes with the footsteps of Edo-period travelers. Once a vital stop along the Koshu-Kaidō, this preserved post town offers a glimpse into Japan’s living history.
The Koshu-Kaidō was one of the five great highways developed by the Edo shogunate. Stretching about 205 km (127 mi), it connected Nihonbashi in central Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Shimosuwa-shuku in Nagano Prefecture.
As the 40th of 44 post towns along the route, Daigahara-shuku provided lodging and services to travelers moving between Edo and the provinces of Kai (Yamanashi Prefecture) and Shinano (Nagano Prefecture). During its heyday in the Edo and Meiji periods (1603–1912), the town hosted a honjin (main inn) reserved for feudal lords, elite samurai, aristocrats, and royalty, alongside numerous inns that catered to common travelers.
Many of these historic features remain: Shinto shrines, ornate wooden gates of merchant homes, and the Kitahara family residence, which famously welcomed Emperor Meiji in 1880. Today, the Kitahara estate also houses the Shichiken Sake Brewery, founded in 1750, where visitors can sample sake brewed with the region’s pristine spring water.
Just down the street from the brewery, the Kinseiken confectionery occupies a former inn. This long-established sweet shop is renowned for inventing mizu shingen mochi, a delicate, transparent dessert made from pure mountain water.
Every October, Daigahara-shuku comes alive with the Daigahara-shuku Market, where the main street is closed off to vehicular traffic so that hundreds of stalls can line the street to sell antiques, crafts, and local specialties.
With its preserved streetscape, celebrated sake and sweets, and vibrant seasonal events, Daigahara-shuku is a historic landmark that offers visitors a timeless experience waiting to be explored.
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