Tag: Akasaka-juku

Mino Akasaka-juku: A Post Town on the Nakasendo Road

Mino Akasaka-juku was the 56th of the 69 post towns along the Nakasendo, the main highway connecting Edo (modern-day Tokyo) and Kyoto during the Edo period (1603-1868). It is located in what is now the Akasaka district of Ogaki City, Gifu Prefecture.

Akasaka-juku prospered as a post town between Minoji-juku to the west and Tarui-juku to the east. The town was also an important transportation hub for pilgrims on their way to Tanigumisan Kegon-ji Temple via the Kuise River.

Today, Mino Akasaka-juku retains much of its Edo-era atmosphere, with a number of well-preserved buildings lining the old街道 (highway). Among the most notable of these are the Masuda Family House (O嫁入り普請探訪館), a former豪農 (wealthy farmer) residence from the late Edo period, and the Former Shimizu Family House, a designated重要文化財 (Important Cultural Property) that showcases the architectural style of late Edo-period townhouses.

Other historic sites in Mino Akasaka-juku include the Akasaka Honjin (本陣, headman’s inn) site, the Ochaya Yashiki (お茶屋屋敷, teahouse) site, and the Akasaka Port (赤坂港) site.

Getting to Mino Akasaka-juku

• 15-minute walk from Mino Akasaka Station on the JR Tokaido Main Line
• 10-minute drive from Ogaki Interchange on the Meishin Expressway

Things to see and do around Mino Akasaka-juku

• Kinseiyama Castle Ruins
• Hirui Otsuka Tumulus Mound
• Enko-ji Temple
• Mino Kokubun-ji Temple Ruins