Fushimi-kaido Road (伏見街道)
The Fushimi-kaido here refers to a road that links the Gojo-dori Street in Kyo, Capital (Kyoto) with Fushimi. This article explains this road.
The Fushimi-kaido also refers to a road that links Otsu-juku and Fushimi-shuku (Kyo-kaido Road). Refer to "Otsu-kaido Road" section.
Summary
It starts from the Gojo-dori Street (the Higashiyama Ward, Kyoto City) in the north, runs south along the eastern bank of the Kamo-gawa River, and leads to the Kyomachi-dori Street in Fushimi (the Fushimi Ward, Kyoto City). It is said to have been built by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI. It has existed as a busy street and sightseeing route that links Kyo and Fushimi since the Edo era.
It now functions as an intercity highway and a connection to other roads such as the Takeda-kaido Road which runs parallel 1 km west,and today serves as a community road. The northern part of the road in the Higashiyama Ward is called Honmachi-dori Street (Kyoto), and the southern part of the road around Fukakusa, Fushimi Ward is called Sujikaibashi-dori Street.
The Keihan Main Line also runs in parallel.
History
It is said to have been built by Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI during the Tenpo era or Bunroku period, when he stepped down as chief adviser to the Emperor and moved to Fushimi.
During the Edo period Fushimi was a traffic hub because the Takeda-kaido Road and the Takase-gawa River (Kyoto Prefecture) channel were developed at the same time as the Fushimi-kaido Road for use as a land route and water route respectively to transport goods between Kyo and Fushimi. In those days, however, people commonly travel by foot, and the Fushimi-kaido Road, with the Inari-jinja Shrine (present Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine) and many other sightseeing spots was busy with sightseers who travelled along the road and many houses were found in around Kyo and Fushimi.
In modern times, railways such as Japan's first tram linking Kyo and Fushimi were built along the Takeda-kaido Road. It has turned into a highway for the National Highway route No. 24 (Takeda-kaido-Road) and the National Highway route No. 1, which now acts as a main street.
The Fushimi-kaido Road, however, is an important community road, through narrow one-way traffic toward the north for all automobiles except for two-wheeled vehicles in almost all the sections. Also, although many reconstructed new-style buildings are found along the street, traditional town houses remain in some sections, showcasing its past as a prosperous highway from days gone by.
Route
It starts from a point three blocks north of Gojo-ohashi Higashizume (east foot of Gojo-Ohashi bridge) crossing the Kamo-gawa River.
Starting from that point, it runs south down a mountain in Higashiyama on the east bank of the Kamo-gawa River, passes in front of Tofuku-ji Temple and Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine, goes into the Sumizome-dori Street, and runs west at the Sumizome Crossing. It bends again south at the corner of Bokusen-ji Temple, passes in front of Shumoku-mach, crosses the National highway Route No, 24, and joins the Kyomachi-dori Street.
It is about 6 km long.
The section starting from Fukakusa-inari-onmae-cho is called Daiichi Gundo (first military road), Shidan-kaido road; the Daini Gundo (second military road) and the Daisan Gundo (third military road) belong to the Nakayama-Inari-sen, Kyoto Fudo 201 Go (Kyoto Prefectural Road 201). The section between Nishi-Masuya-cho and the National Highway Route No. 24 is Shiga Prefectural road or the Otsu-Yodo-sen, Kyoto Fudo 35 Go (Kyoto Prefectural Road 35).
Though the route of the Fushimi-kaido Road bends west at the Sumizome Crossing, the Sujikaihashi-dori Street continues south from the crossing and merges with the National Highway Route No. 24 at the Tsuchihashi-dori Street.
An alternate name
The Fushimi-kaido Road linking Kyo and Fushimi has the following alternate names.
Fushimi-kaido
Its Chinese character is also read "Fushimi-kaido"
Kyo-kaido Road
The road is so called because it leads to Kyo. It is also called Kyodo.
Kyo-Daibutsu Kaido Road
The road is so called because it passes near the Great Buddha.
Honkaido
The road is so called because it is the main street linking Kyo and Fushimi. It is also called Honmachi Kaido Road or Honmachi-dori Street.
Sujikaihashi-dori Street
The name comes from the bridge (called Shino-hashi bridge) that crosses diagonally over the Nanase-gawa river which is called Sujikai-bashi.
Yamato-kaido Road
Hideyoshi TOYOTOMI, when he moved to Fushimi, built a bank (Ogura-zutsumi bank) around Ogura-ike and a new road (Yamato-kaido Road) linking Nara and Fushimi. A section of Fushimi-kaido Road north of Fushimi was also given the name of Yamato-kaido Road later.
Hosshoji-Oji Street and Fushimi-kaido Road
Since ancient times, there has been a road to Nara along the eastern side of the Kamo-gawa River in Kyoto, and it was named Hosshoji-michi Street or Hossho-ji-Oji after Hossho-ji Temple, which held great power over the area along the eastern bank of the Kamo-gawa River.
The Fushimi-kaido Road seems to approach Hosshoji-Oji Street but takes a slightly eastern route.
Principle buffering road
Shibutani-kaido road
Suberi-ishi-goe
Oiwa-kaido Road, Otsu-kido Road
Four bridges
There were 4 bridges crossing a river running from mountains in Higashiyama, each of which was called Ichino-hashi bridge, Nino-hashi bridge, Sanno-hashi bridge, and Shino-hashi bridge from the north. Sanno-hashi bridge and Shino-hashi bridge still exist. The section of the river over which Ichino-hashi bridge and Nino-hashi bridge crossed became a closed conduit. However, the new posts, which were built when the Sanno-hashi and Shino-hashi bridge were built, remain in the school yard of Ikkyo Elementary School for the Ichino-hashi bridge and under the Kujo Elevated Bridge for the Nino-hashi bridge.
Shino-hashi bridge is called Sujikai-bashi bridge, and is the origin for the name of the street. The Ichino-hashi bridge, the Nino-hashi bridge, and the Sanno-hashi bridge were relatively close to each other, but the Shino-hashi bridge was a little ways south.
Town zoning
In the Higashiyama Ward towns having names with numbers from 1 to 22--1 chome, Honmachi to 22 chome Honmachi--are arranged on both sides of the Fushimi-kaido Road starting from Gojo to the south.
(There are a total of 24 towns including Honmachi Shin 5 chome (north of 5 chome, Honmachi) and Honmachi Shin 6 chome (north of 6 chome, Honmachi.)
Fukakusa, Fushimi Ward has 1 Chome, Fukakusa-Sujikaibashi-Minami south of the Sujikai-bashi bridge and 1 Chome, Fukakusa-Sujikaibashi-Kita north of the Sujikai-bashi bridge, and in addition, towns having names with numbers from 2 to 11--2 Chome, Fukakusa-Sujikaibashi to 11 Chome, Fukakusa-Sujikaibashi--are arranged north on both sides of the Fushimi-kaido Road.
Route connecting Kyo and Fushimi
The roads, water channels, and railways that start south from central Kyoto and lead to central Fushimi include the following. The Fushimi-kaido Road is located on the eastern most side of this collection of roads, water channels and railways in Kyoto.
Fushimi-kaido Road (Honmachi-dori Street (Kyoto) and Sujikai-bashi Street)
Keihan Main Line, Keihan Electric Railway
Biwako Sosui (channel) (Kamo-gawa Canal)
Kawabata-dori Street/Shidan-kaido Road
Takase-gawa River (Kyoto Prefecture)
Takeda-kaido Road and National Highway Route No. 24
The trams (Kyoto Denki Tetsudo (Kyoto Electric Railway) Fushimi Line of Kyoto Shiden (Kyoto Municipal Streetcar) once ran on this street.
Kyoto Municipal Subway/Kyoto City Subway, Karasuma Line and Kintetsu Kyoto Line
Main facilities along the street
Keihan Main Line - Gojo Station, Shichijo Station, Tofukuji Station, Tobakaido Station, Fushimi-inari Station, Fukakusa Station, Fujinomori Station, Sumizome Station
Nara Line - Tofukuji Station, Inari Station
Kyoto Municipal Ikkyo Elementary School, Tsukinowa Elementary School, Inari Elementary School, Fukakusa Elementary School, Fujinomori Elementary School
Kyoto-Honmachi Post Office, Kyoto-Tobamichi Post Office
Takino-o-jinja Shrine
Tanaka-jinja Shrine
Fushimi-Inari Taisha Shrine
Honkan (main building of Kyoto/Fujimori Campus), Seibo Gakuin School
Bokusen-ji Temple
Shumoku-machi
Biwako Sosui (channel) site of Fushimi Incline