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Gōdo-juku

Coordinates: 35°24′29.0″N 136°42′00.0″E / 35.408056°N 136.700000°E / 35.408056; 136.700000
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Gōdo-juku

河渡宿
post station
Hiroshige's print of Gōdo-juku, part of the Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō series
General information
LocationGifu, Gifu Prefecture (former Mino Province)
Japan
Coordinates35°24′29.0″N 136°42′00.0″E / 35.408056°N 136.700000°E / 35.408056; 136.700000
Elevation126 meters
Line(s)Nakasendō
Distance418.7 km from Edo
Location
Gōdo-juku is located in Gifu Prefecture
Gōdo-juku
Gōdo-juku
Location within Gifu Prefecture
Gōdo-juku is located in Japan
Gōdo-juku
Gōdo-juku
Gōdo-juku (Japan)

Gōdo-juku (河渡宿, Gōdo-juku) was the fifty-fourth of the sixty-nine stations of the Nakasendō connecting Edo with Kyoto in Edo period Japan. It is located in former Mino Province in what is now part of the city of Gifu, Gifu Prefecture, Japan.[1][2][3]

History

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Gōdo-juku was located on the far bank of the Nagara River from the castle town of Gifu and was the site of a ferry landing. Under the Tokugawa shogunate, no bridges were constructed across the Nagara River for defensive purposes, and all travelers, whether traveling merchants, priests, or daimyō on sankin-kōtai to-and-from the Shogun's court in Edo were required to cross by boat.

Per the 1843 "中山道宿村大概帳" (Nakasendō Shukuson Taigaichō) guidebook issued by the Inspector of Highways (道中奉行, Dōchu-būgyō), the post station was one of the smallest on the highway and had a population of 272 people in 64 houses, including one honjin, and 24 hatago, mostly used by travellers who missed the last ferry. It was located 418.7 kilometers from Edo.

Gōdo-juku was completely leveled in the Bombing of Gifu in World War II, and no structures of the former post station have survived. A small Kannon-do shrine has been reconstructed near the former ferry landing.

Gōdo-juku in The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō

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Utagawa Hiroshige's ukiyo-e print of Gōdo-juku dates from 1835 -1838 and is formally named "Gifu Road Station: Godo, Nagara River Cormorant Fishing Boat" (岐阻路ノ駅 河渡 長柄川鵜飼船 Gifu no Michi no Eki: Gōdo, Nagaragawa Ukaibune). As the name implies, the scene depicted is that of Cormorant fishing on the Nagara River, which is still a popular tourist attraction in Gifu. The post station itself is not depicted.[4]

Gōdo-juku Festival

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On the last Sunday of October, the Nakasendō Gōdo-juku Committee organizes a Gōdo-juku Festival,[5] with the support of other sponsors. The festival offers hands-on experiences and teaches about the Edo period post station.[6]

Neighboring post towns

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Nakasendō
Kanō-juku - Gōdo-juku - Mieji-juku

Notes

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  1. ^ Gifu City Walking Map. Gifu Lively City Public Corporation, 2007.
  2. ^ "中山道_河渡宿". Archived from the original on March 18, 2005. Retrieved January 27, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  3. ^ Gōdo-juku
  4. ^ Artifact Challenge Archived 2007-10-17 at the Wayback Machine. Gifu City Museum of History. Accessed October 25, 2007.
  5. ^ Outline of Gifu City 2007. Gifu City Hall, April 2007.
  6. ^ 6th Annual Nakasendō Gōdo-juku Festival flyer. Nakasendō Gōdo-juku Committee. 2007.

References

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  • 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)
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