Oguni-shuku

...A town in Nishiokitama County, in the southwest of Yamagata Prefecture. Population 10,715 (1995). Located on the border with Niigata Prefecture, surrounded by the Iide Mountains to the southwest and the Asahi Mountains to the northeast, it occupies the upper reaches of the Arakawa River. Most of the town area is covered by forests, and it is one of the prefecture's snowiest areas. Oguni, the central settlement, is located on the border with Echigo, and during the Edo period it was the site of a branch castle (official office) of the Yonezawa Domain, guarded by the castle lord and other samurai, and a guardhouse was also set up nearby. It was also a post station on the Echigo Kaido road connecting Yonezawa and Echigo, and bustling with inns and salt wholesalers. ...

*Some of the terminology that refers to "Oguni-juku" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…山形県南西端，西置賜（にしおきたま）郡の町。人口1万0715(1995)。新潟県境に位置し，南西部は飯豊山地，北東部は朝日山地に囲まれ，荒川上流域を占める。町域の大部分は山林で，県下でも有数の豪雪地帯である。中心集落の小国は越後との国境に位置するため江戸時代に米沢藩の支城(御役屋)が置かれ，城代以下の家士が警備に当たり，付近に口留番所も設置されていた。また米沢と越後を結ぶ越後街道の宿駅でもあり，旅籠や塩問屋などが立ち並んでにぎわった。…

※「小国宿」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報