Database: Kumagawa-Juku

The shuku were villages built near inns along main roads, particularly along the Tōkaidō or the route used by pilgrims traveling to the Kumano shrine. They first appeared at the end of the Heian period (11th century) then were developed during the Kamakura period (13th century). These shuku were often located near a bridge or ford, on the shore of a lake or river, or at a foot of a mountain pass. There were one or more inns for travelers, where puppeteers, dancers, and street performers entertained. Markets and religious centers were often established nearby. These shuku were led by a chief, responsible for paying the dues to the local lord. With the return of peace in the early 17th century, these stopover inns, which became shukuba during the Edo period, turned into thriving settlements for luxury inns for the great lords, horse stables, merchants, and shops.

The Kumagawa inn (Kumagawa-Juku) is located on the road between Kyoto and Wakasa Bay. It was founded in 1589 by Asano Nagamasa, lord of Obama, because of its strategic location on the border between the provinces of Ōmi and Wakasa, on the so-called Saba kaidō (mackerel road). In the days before refrigerators, merchants used to transport fresh fish, either alive or sometimes salted, to Kyoto. Beside of other seafood products, Mackerel was the main product transported, hence the name of the route. The very picturesque site has preserved many of its old houses and was designated as part of the Japan Heritage in 2015.