Last Updated：march 16, 2021
In 1692, the central government in Edo (present-day Tokyo) assumed direct control over Shirakawa-go and the rest of the Hida area (the northern part of present-day Gifu Prefecture), a precious source of timber and metals. Checkpoints were established on the borders of Hida to regulate the flow of goods and people into and out of the area. The guards at these checkpoints were tasked mainly with ensuring that taxes were paid on goods crossing the border. The checkpoints also displayed kosatsu, official notice boards listing rules and regulations issued by the government in Edo or by its representative in the castle town of Takayama, the capital of Hida. The Kojirakawa checkpoint stood at the northern edge of Shirakawa-go, near the river that served as the border between the provinces of Hida and Etchu and now separates the prefectures of Gifu and Toyama. The checkpoint was
abolished in 1868, after the end of the Edo period, and no trace of it remains.
この英文解説は、2021年観光庁「地域観光資源の多言語解説整備支援事業」により整備しています。
This English description is provided by the "Multilingual Commentary Project 2021" of Japan Tourism Agency.