1.
post town, post station town
A town that developed around a post station on one of the Edo-period highway routes, providing lodging and services for travelers.
ここはかつての宿場町だ。
This was once a post town.
旧宿場町の町並みが残っている。
The old streetscape of the former post town remains.
江戸時代には東海道に多くの宿場町があった。
In the Edo period, there were many post towns along the Tokaido highway.
A historical term for towns that grew up around official resting stations (宿場) on the major highways (街道) during the Edo period. These towns provided lodging (旅籠), food, and other services to travelers.
COMMON COLLOCATIONS:
- 旧宿場町: former post town
- 宿場町の面影: traces of a post town's past
- 宿場町を歩く: to walk through a post town
CULTURAL CONTEXT:
Many former post towns survive as tourist destinations today, preserving Edo-period architecture and atmosphere. Famous examples include Tsumago and Magome on the Nakasendo highway. The term appears frequently in travel guides and historical documentaries.