Higashi Koya-Kaido Road (東高野街道)
Higashi Koya-kaido road was a road used to visit Mt. Koya from Kyoto.
Summary
Of the many Koya-kaido roads, Higashi Koya-kaido road was located at the eastern most location. Higashi Koya-kaido road parted from Kyo-kaido road (Osaka-kaido road) at Yahata (Yahata City, Kyoto Prefecture), ran through the eastern part of Kawachi Province, and joined Nishi Koya-kaido road at Nagano (Kawachi-nagano City, Osaka Prefecture).
The section of the Higashi Koya-kaido road in the south of Nagano led to Kimi-toge ridge, Hashimoto, and Mt. Koya in the form of the Koya-kaido road.
Exactly when Higashi Koya-kaido road was established is unknown. Higashi Koya-kaido road was constructed as straight as possible without passing through any then-existing settlements and, therefore, it is said that this road was not a road which had been spontaneously formed but an ancient Japanese road which was constructed according to a plan.
Higashi Koya-kaido road passed through the foot of the Ikoma mountain range bypassing the rivers in the Yodo-gawa River system and wetlands which used to exist around Lake Kawachi (Fukano-ike pond), and ran along the left bank of the Ishi-kawa River after crossing the Yamato-gawa River around Kawachi-Kokufu (presently, Fujiidera City).
During the Heian period, stations existed on the Higashi Koya-kaido road and was also important as an administrative road connecting Kyoto and Kawachi-Kokufu.
Although the importance of the Higashi Koya-kaido road declined after the Heian period, it became crowded with people at the entrance to Mt. Koya as visitors to Mt. Koya increased due to the spread of the Buddhist belief among the general public.
Today, the route for the Higashi Koya-kaido road corresponds to or runs in parallel to most of the Nagao-Yahata Line which is an Osaka prefectural road and Kyoto Prefectural Road No. 735, Hirakata Bypass, Hirakata-Katano-Neyagawa Line which is Osaka Prefectural Road No. 18, Hirakata-Tondabayashi-Izumisano Line which is Osaka Prefectural Road No. 20, and National Road No. 170 (old road).