Fukushima - Fukushima

Japanese: 福島 - ふくしま

This is the central town of the Kiso Valley, and is part of what is now Kiso Town, Nagano Prefecture. In the Middle Ages, there was a castle of the Kiso clan. During the Genna era (1615-1624), the Kiso Valley became the territory of the Nagoya Domain, and this area developed as the Jinya-cho of Kiso Daikanyama Jinbei and as a post town on the Nakasen-do road. The Edo shogunate established Fukushima Barrier (a nationally designated historic site) at the entrance to the post town. The town was formed on either side of the Kiso River, with the Daikan residence and the samurai residences on the right bank, and the post town on the left bank along the Nakasendo road. Fukushima-juku was the most prosperous of the eleven Kiso post towns, and consisted of Kami-kan-cho, Shimo-machi, and Yoko-juku. In the late Edo period, the town was 3 cho 55 ken long and had 136 townhouses, including the main inn, waki-honjin, and wholesaler. When Uenodan-cho and Yasawa-cho outside the post town were added, the town was 7 cho 40 ken long. Yazawa-cho is the birthplace of Kiso lacquerware, and all households there engaged in cypress crafts. Fukushima Barrier was one of the four major checkpoints during the Edo period, along with Hakone Arai on the Tokaido and Usui on the Nakasendo, and was located in a strategic location with the cliffs of the Kiso River in front and Sekiyama looming behind. It is said to have been established in 1604, and the Kiso magistrate Yamamura clan guarded the barricade for generations. Two high-ranking and four low-ranking officers were stationed there, and the focus was on checking women and guns. The area is also known as the trailhead for Mount Ontake.

Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

木曾(きそ)谷の中心的な町で，現在の長野県木曽町に属する。中世には木曾氏の城館があった。木曾谷は元和年間（1615−1624）に名古屋藩領となり，当地は木曾代官山村甚兵衛の陣屋町，中山(なかせん)道の宿場町として発達した。宿の入口には幕府によって福島関（国指定史跡）が設けられていた。木曾川をはさんで町並が形成され，右岸が代官屋敷とそれに続く武家屋敷，左岸の中山道沿いに宿場町が位置した。福島宿は木曾十一宿中もっとも栄え，上(かん)町・下町・横宿からなり，江戸時代後期の町の長さ３町55間で本陣・脇本陣・問屋をはじめ町家136軒を数え，宿外の上之段(うえのだん)町・八沢(やさわ)町も加えると町の長さ７町40間であった。八沢町は木曾漆器の発祥地で，全戸が檜物細工を営んでいた。福島関は東海道の箱根・新居(あらい)，中山道の碓氷(うすい)とともに江戸時代の四大関所の一つに数えられ，前面は木曾川の断崖に臨み，背後には関山が迫る要害の地に位置した。1604年の創設といわれ，木曾代官山村氏が代々関を守った。上番２人・下番４人が詰め，女改めと鉄砲改めに重点が置かれた。当地は御嶽山(おんたけさん)の登山口としても知られる。

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