kaido roads

2025-10-14 / Last updated : 2025-10-14 Sylvain History

Zenkoji Temple: From the Meiji Era to the Present (from 1868 to now)

In Nagano’s quiet temple district, a massive wooden gate marks the entrance to something extraordinary. Zenkoji Temple has been welcoming visitors for over 1,300 years, making it older than most European cathedrals and one of Japan’s most enduring pilgrimage sites. What sets it apart isn’t just its age, it’s the radical idea that still guides it today: everyone belongs here. Discover the history of Zenkoji Temple from the Meiji Era to the present. Following up on the first article, Zenkoji’s story didn’t end with the Edo period. The temple has navigated government pressure, war, and rapid modernization while maintaining its role as Japan’s most welcoming pilgrimage destination. Surviving Government Reform […]
2025-10-11 / Last updated : 2025-10-14 Sylvain History

Zenkoji Temple: Origin and History of the Sacred Temple (from 642 CE to 1868)

In Nagano’s quiet temple district, a massive wooden gate marks the entrance to something extraordinary. Zenkoji Temple has been welcoming visitors for over 1,300 years, making it older than most European cathedrals and one of Japan’s most enduring pilgrimage sites. What sets it apart isn’t just its age, it’s the radical idea that still guides it today: everyone belongs here. Discover the origin and history of the sacred Zenkoji Temple. Most Japanese temples belong to specific Buddhist sects, often restricting access based on gender, social class, or religious affiliation. Zenkoji broke that mold from the beginning. The temple established an open-door policy that drew pilgrims from across the country. To […]
2025-09-18 / Last updated : 2026-01-22 Sylvain Sightseeing

Narai-juku on the Nakasendo Road: A Living Time Capsule

Tucked away in the scenic Kiso Valley, about an hour’s train ride from Matsumoto, Narai-juku is one of the best-preserved post towns along the historic Nakasendo, the Edo-period highway that once connected Kyoto and Edo (modern-day Tokyo). Known as the “Narai of a Thousand Houses,” it was the wealthiest and longest of the eleven post towns in the region. Today, it offers a striking window into the past. Tradition and history are still etched into every wooden beam and street of the village. A Living Historic Post Town What sets Narai-juku apart is that it isn’t just preserved, it’s alive. People still live and work here, maintaining wooden homes and […]
2023-07-07 / Last updated : 2023-07-07 Kevin Kato History

Matsumoto’s Old Kaido Roads: On the Trails of History

During the Edo Era (1603-1868) the Japanese landscape was marked by an extensive network of old kaido roads– rugged trails used as transport routes, pilgrimage paths, and roads for the feudal lords traveling to and from Edo. There were five major kaido emanating outward from the capital city, and while none of these five ‘Go-Kaido’ passed through Matsumoto, four other important kaido did. These trails of history have largely been either paved over or simply lost to the march of time, but remnants of evidence do remain. Today we’re going to find them as we take a walk along Matsumoto’s old kaido roads. Zenkoji Kaido Zenko-ji is one of Japan’s […]