Mieji-juku
Mieji-juku | |||||
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post station | |||||
General information | |||||
Location | Mizuho, Gifu (former Mino Province) Japan | ||||
Coordinates | 35°24′36.0″N 136°39′23.0″E / 35.410000°N 136.656389°E | ||||
Elevation | 10 meters | ||||
Line(s) | Nakasendō | ||||
Distance | 423.4 km from Edo | ||||
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Mieji-juku (
History
[edit]Mieji is surrounded by the Kiso Three Rivers: the Kiso River, Ibi River and the Nagara River and was subject to frequent flooding. A Buddhist temple called Mie-ji was constructed in 717 AD with an image of Kannon Bosatsu to pray for protection against floods, and a small village grew up around the gates of the temple. However, during the Sengoku period, Saitō Dōsan relocated the temple to his capital at Gifu. A small chapel was rebuilt, and under Toyotomi Hideyoshi a tonya was established for the supply of porters, horses and the warehousing of goods. However, it was not until 1637 that the Tokugawa shogunate officially formalized Mieji as a post station on the Nakasendō and it was not until 1669 that the honjin was completed.
Per the 1843 "
The station had a bad reputation, as travelers could be trapped for days due the floods (during which time prices increased astronomically). The honjin had an elevation of only 10 meters above sea level, and was the highest point in the settlement. The eleven inns were of low standing, and were known to be frequented by thieves. Mieji was also known for the aggressiveness of its meshimori onna serving girls, who supplemented their income as prostitutes. However, the station also promoted its location on the Mino Thirty-three Kannon pilgrimage routes and was frequented by many pilgrims.
Mieji-juku in The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō
[edit]Utagawa Hiroshige's ukiyo-e print of Mieji-juku dates from 1835 -1838. The print depicts a placid view of Mieji, with two farmers stopping to give directions to a traveling priest. The thatched roofs of the post station can be seen beyond a marsh with groves of bamboo and a pair of blooming Camilla trees.
Surrounding Area
[edit]The Goroku River, which ran alongside Mieji-juku, received its name from the post town. "Goroku" (
Neighboring Post Towns
[edit]- Nakasendō
- Gōdo-juku - Mieji-juku - Akasaka-juku
Notes
[edit]- ^ Gifu City Walking Map. Gifu Lively City Public Corporation, 2007.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2005-03-18. Retrieved 2020-04-03.
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: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ Mieji-juku
References
[edit]- Izzard, Sebastian (2008). The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kisokaido. George Braziller. ISBN 978-0807615935.
- Berna, Cristina (2019). Hiroshige 69 Stations of the Nakasendō. Missys Clan. ISBN 978-2919787661.
- Kishimoto, Yutaka (2016).
中山道 浪漫 の旅 書 き込 み手帖 . Shinano Mainichi Shimbun. ISBN 978-4784072972. (in Japanese) - Yagi, Makio (2014). ちゃんと
歩 ける中山道 六 十 九 次 西 藪原 宿 ~京 三条 大橋 .山 と渓谷社 . ISBN 978-4635600781. (in Japanese)