The Nakasend was one of the Five Routes constructed under Tokugawa Ieyasu, a series of roads linking the historical capitol of Edo with the rest of Japan. The Nakasend connected Edo with the then-capital of Kyoto. It was an alternate route to the Tkaid and travelled through the central part of Honsh, thus giving rise to its name, which means 'Central Mountain Road'. Along this road, there were sixty-nine different post stations (-shuku or -juku), which provided stables, food, and lodging for travelers..