Honjin

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Evolution of "Honjin"

Originally, "honjin" were places from which generals directed battles and, therefore, were fleeting in nature. However, as commanders began to transform the "honjin" into temporary lodgings during battle and travel, "honjin" came to be places where "daimyō" and other representatives of the shogunate, including "hatamoto", "monzeki", etc., were allowed to stay during their travels. Many of the "honjin" were actually personal residences of village and town leaders. As such, they received official designations from the government and expanded their residences to include walls, gates and other features. Because of their cooperation, the owners of the "honjin" also gained various special rights. General travelers, regardless of status of money, were not able to stay at "honjin".

"Waki-honjin"

"Waki-honjin" (脇本陣), also referred to as "sub-"honjin"," are similar in structure and operation to, but generally smaller than, "honjin". The rules of operation were also are slightly different. When two official traveling parties are staying in the same post station, the more powerful of the two stayed in the main "honjin". The major difference, though, is that general travelers were able to stay at the "waki-honjin", if they had enough status or money.

"Honjin" Open to the Public

The "honjin" or "waki-honjin" of the following post stations have either been preserved or restored and are now open to be viewed by the public:;Tōkaidō:*Maisaka-juku (Hamamatsu, Shizuoka Prefecture) ("waki-honjin"):*Futagawa-juku (Toyohashi, Aichi Prefecture):*Kusatsu-juku [http://www.city.kusatsu.shiga.jp/midokoro/m_01.html Midokoro] . ja icon City of Kusatsu. Accessed November 6, 2007.] (Kusatsu, Shiga Prefecture) "(also part of the Nakasendō)";Nakasendō:*Okegawa-juku (Okegawa, Saitama Prefecture) "(only open during certain times)":*Wada-shuku (Nagawa, Nagano Prefecture):*Shimosuwa-juku (Shimosuwa, Nagano Prefecture) "(also part of the Kōshū Kaidō)":*Ōta-juku (Minokamo, Gifu Prefecture) ("waki-honjin");Kōshū Kaidō:*Hino-shuku (Hino, Tokyo):*Ohara-shuku (Sagamihara, Kanagawa Prefecture);Other Routes:*Matsumaedō's Arikabe-shuku (Kurihara, Miyagi Prefecture):*Mito Kaidō's Toride-shuku (Ibaraki, Ibaraki Prefecture):*Saigoku Kaidō's Kōriyama-shuku (Ibaraki, Osaka Prefecture):*San'yōdō's Yakage-shuku (Yakage, Okayama Prefecture) ("honjin" and "waki-honjin"):*Yamato Kaidō's Nate-shuku (Kinokawa, Wakayama Prefecture)

ee also

* "Toiyaba"
* "Hatago"
* "Kichinyado"
* "Chaya"
* "Kōsatsu"

References