The 53 Stations of the Tokaido Road (東海道五十三次)
The 53 stations of the Tokaido Road (Tokaido gojusan tsugi) can mean:
The 53 posting stations on the Tokaido Road, which connected Edo (Nihonbashi (Chuo Ward, Tokyo) and Kyoto (Sanjo Ohashi Bridge) during the Edo period. To be explained in this section.
The ukiyoe works painted by Hiroshige UTAGAWA depicted 53 posting stations (or 55, including the starting/ending stations).
Game software for family computers released by Sunsoft
The 53 stations of the Tokaido Road (a game)
The "53 stations" of the Tokaido Road refers to 53 stations in 'Tokaido Road,' which is the major road running through the Tokaido region and is among five provinces and seven circuits(Gokishichido). Many of the 53 stations are established in places where the scenery is beautiful, or in famous historic spots, and often served as the subjects of ukiyoe or waka/haiku. Furthermore, when it is called 53 stations it refers to the road up to Kyoto, but when referring to the road up to Osaka the term 57 stations is used.
From here onward we will categorize them according to their respective provinces. Serial numbers are used, starting at Shinagawa-juku Station.
*With respect to the local governments that became defunct as a result of the great Heisei merger, the names of former local governments are also listed.
Musashino Province
Nihonbashi Bridge (Chuo Ward, Tokyo)
1. Shinagawa-juku Station (Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo)
2. Kawasaki-juku Station (Kawasaki Ward, Kawasaki City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
3. Kanagawa-juku Station (Kanagawa Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
4. Hodogaya-juku Station (Hodogaya Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Sagami Province
5. Totsuka-juku Station (Totsuka Ward, Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
6. Fujisawa-shuku Station (Fujisawa City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
7. Hiratsuka-juku Station (Hiratsuka City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
8. Oiso-juku Station (Oiso-machi, Naka-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture)
9. Odawara-juku Station (Odawara City, Kanagawa Prefecture)
10. Hakone-juku Station (Hakone-machi, Ashigara-shimo-gun, Kanagawa Prefecture)
Izu Province
11. Mishima-shuku Station (Mishima City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
Suruga Province
12. Numazu-juku Station (Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
13. Hara-juku Station (Tokaido Road) (Numazu City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
14. Yoshiwara-juku Station (Fuji City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
15. Kambara-juku Station (Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture (formerly Kambara-cho, Ihara-gun))
16. Yui-shuku Station (Yui-cho, Ihara-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture)
17. Okitsu-shuku Station (Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture (formerly Shimizu City))
18. Ejiri-juku Station (Shimizu Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture (formerly Shimizu City))
19. Fuchu-shuku Station (Aoi Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
20. Mariko-juku Station (Suruga Ward, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
21. Okabe-juku Station (Okabe-cho, Shida-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture)
22. Fujieda-juku Station (Fujieda City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
23. Shimada-juku Station (Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
Totoumi Province
24. Kanaya-juku Station (Shimada City, Shizuoka Prefecture (formerly Kanaya-cho, Haibara-gun))
25. Nissaka-shuku Station (Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
26. Kakegawa-juku Station (Kakegawa City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
27. Fukuroi-juku Station (Fukuroi City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
28. Mitsuke-juku Station (Iwata City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
29. Hamamatsu-juku Station (Naka Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
30. Maisaka-juku Station (Nishi Ward, Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture (formerly Maisaka-cho, Hamana-gun))
31. Arai-juku Station (Arai-cho, Hamana-gun, Shizuoka Prefecture)
32. Shirasuka-juku Station (Kosai City, Shizuoka Prefecture)
Mikawa Province
33. Futagawa-juku Station (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)
34. Yoshida-juku Station (Toyohashi City, Aichi Prefecture)
35. Goyu-shuku Station (Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture)
36. Akasaka-shuku (Tokaido) (Toyokawa City, Aichi Prefecture)
37. Fujikawa-shuku Station (Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture)
38. Okazaki-shuku Station (Okazaki City, Aichi Prefecture)
39. Chiryu-juku Station (Chiryu City, Aichi Prefecture)
Owari Province
40. Narumi-juku Station (Midori Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)
41. Miya-juku Station (Atsuta Ward, Nagoya City, Aichi Prefecture)
Ise Province
42. Kuwana-juku Station (Kuwana City, Mie Prefecture)
43. Yokkaichi-juku Station (Yokkaichi City, Mie Prefecture)
44. Ishiyakushi-juku Station (Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture)
45. Shono-juku Station (Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture)
46. Kameyama-juku Station (Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture)
47. Seki-juku Station (Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture (formerly Seki-cho, Suzuka-gun))
48. Sakashita-juku Station (Kameyama City, Mie Prefecture (formerly Seki-cho, Suzuka-gun))
Omi Province
49. Tsuchiyama-juku Station (Koka City, Shiga Prefecture (formerly Tsuchiyama-cho, Koka-gun))
50. Minakuchi-juku Station (Koka City, Shiga Prefecture (formerly Minakuchi-cho, Koka-gun))
51. Ishibe-juku Station (Konan City, Shiga Prefecture (formerly Ishibe-cho, Koka-gun))
52. Kusatsu-shuku (-juku) Station (Kusatsu City, Shiga Prefecture)
53. Otsu-juku Station (Otsu City Shiga Prefecture)
Yamashiro Province
Sanjo-Ohashi Bridge (Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)
The reason the 53 stations were established
According to one theory, Ieyasu TOKUGAWA set the number of stations from Edo (Kanji characters with the same sound, 穢土, meaning unclean land) to Kyo (which means the land where Fugen Bosatsu (普賢菩薩) lives), based on a chapter from Kegon-kyo Sutra, in which Zenzai-doshi (善財童子) of 'Nyuhokkaibon (入法界品),' following the orders of Monju Bosatsu, achieved enlightenment at the place of Fugen Bosatsu, through 53 teachers.
The 57 stations of the Tokaido Road
As an extension of the Tokaido Road, the stations of the Kyokaido Road (Osaka Kaido Road) were established in 1619. In some cases the stations of the Kyokaido Road are included and are collectively referred to as the 57 stations of the Tokaido Road.
Furthermore, when entering the Kyokaido Road from the Tokaido Road, Sanjo-Ohashi Bridge will not be crossed, and the route taken will turn southwest at Higechaya-oiwake (髭茶屋追分) (Oiwake-cho, Otsu City), so the station following Otsu-juku Station will be Fushimi-juku Station.
These will be categorized according to their respective provinces. The first number is based on the country. The second number is a serial number, starting with Shinagawa-juku Station.
Yamashiro Province
54. Fushimi-juku Station (Kyo Kaido Road) (Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)
55. Yodo-juku Station (Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City, Kyoto Prefecture)
Kawachi Province
56. Hirakata-juku Station (Hirakata City, Osaka Prefecture)
57. Moriguchi-shuku Station (Moriguchi City, Osaka Prefecture)
Settsu Province
Korai-bashi Bridge (Chuo Ward, Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture)
Note: It was formerly Kyobashi Bridge (a bridge over Neyagawa-river, which is located between the Chuo and Miyakojima Wards of Osaka City, Osaka Prefecture).