The Bitter End

Art of the Edo Period

The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido

50. Minakuchi-juku (Koka)

Minakuchi-juku

Minakuchi-juku was the fiftieth of the fifty-three stations of the Tokaido. It is located in the present-day city of Koka, in Shiga Prefecture, Japan.

History

This post station was developed as early as the Muromachi period, as its location was convenient for travelers going to Ise Shrine and Ise Bay. On the eastern border of Minakuchi-juku, the road split into three paths. On the western border, the post station also served as a castle town for Minakuchi Castle and was an important travel route.