Mibu Street - Mibu Street

Japanese: 壬生通り - みぶどおり

This approximately 30km long road branches off from Kizawa Village, north of Oyama-juku (present-day Oyama City, Tochigi Prefecture), on the Nikko Road, heading north to rejoin the Nikko Road at the eastern end of Imaichi-juku (present-day Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture). It is also called the Nikko Road Mibu Street or Nikko West Road. After branching off from Kizawa Village, the road passes through Iizuka-juku and Mibu-juku, joins the Nikko Reiheishi Kaido at Niregi-juku, and passes through Nasahara-juku, Kanuma-juku, Fubasami-juku, Itabashi-juku, and finally reaches Imaichi-juku. This route has been in use since the Middle Ages, and is believed to have been one of the Kamakura Highways. When Tokugawa Ieyasu's Nikko Mausoleum was built in 1617, materials were transported along this road. Later, the Nikko Road via Utsunomiya was developed and became the main road, but Mibu Street was treated the same as the Nikko Road because it was closer. In 1696, Josuke-go was established at the same time as the Nikko Road. It was also important as a distribution route for goods, connecting with southern Ou via Imaichi. The cedar trees that run from Kogura Village (present-day Nikko City) to the junction with the Nikko Road at Imaichi-juku were planted by Matsudaira Masatsuna in the first half of the 17th century and still remain a beautiful sight today.
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Source : Heibonsha Encyclopedia About MyPedia Information

Japanese:

日光道中小山(おやま)宿（現栃木県小山市）の北の喜沢(きざわ)村から分岐し，北上して今市宿（現同県日光市）の東端で再び日光道中に合するまでの約30kmの街道。日光道中壬生通り，日光西街道ともいう。道筋は喜沢村から分岐後，飯塚宿，壬生宿を経て，楡木(にれぎ)宿で日光例幣使街道を合わせ，奈佐原(なさはら)宿，鹿沼宿，文挟(ふばさみ)宿，板橋宿を経て今市宿に至る。この道筋は中世から利用され，鎌倉街道の一つであったと推定される。1617年徳川家康の日光廟が造営されたとき，この通りを使って資材が運ばれた。その後宇都宮経由の日光道中が整備され本通りとなったが，壬生通りは距離も近いため，日光道中と同じ扱いをされた。1696年には日光道中と同時に定助郷(じょうすけごう)が定められた。今市を経て南奥羽ともつながり，商品の流通路としても重要であった。小倉(こぐら)村（現日光市）から今市宿の日光道中との合流点まで続く杉並木は，17世紀前半に松平正綱によって植えられたもので，現在も美しい景観を残す。
→関連項目宿村大概帳｜壬生［町］

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