1-1　参勤交代　Sankin-kotai

金沢は、江戸時代は加賀前田家の城下であり、今も歴史と文化が色濃く残る町である。加賀百万石といわれるように、加賀藩は突出した全国一の大藩であった。「参勤」は大名が将軍に拝謁するために江戸に行くことで、「交代」は自分の領国に帰ることをいう。加賀藩の場合、1年間を在府(江戸)、次の1年間を在国(金沢)で、これをずっと繰り返した。加賀藩は、江戸時代に参勤交代を190回行っている。江戸まで順調にいけば12泊13日で、日程は前もって老中に届け出て許可をもらっているので、簡単には変えられない。それ故、金沢と江戸は距離にして480kmで、1日に30数kmを歩かなくてはならない。ただ歩いているだけではなく、大藩ゆえにその規模も大きく、随行人員は最低でも2,000人、多いときは4,000人という。これだけの人間が行列をつくって、Kurikara峠などの山や谷を越え、河を渡り、街道を進む。参勤交代は大名に財政的な負担を強いたが、その結果、北陸道街道等が整備され、竹の橋等の宿場町にも大きな経済効果をもたらした。

Kanazawa was the castle town of the Maeda family in Kaga during the Edo period (1603-1868), and even today it is a city with a rich history and culture. The Kaga clan, known as the “Kaga Hyakumangoku”, was the largest clan in Japan.  In the case of the Kaga clan, it is said that the clan was the largest clan in the country.  “Sankin” refers to a daimyo’s visit to Edo (Tokyo) to receive an audience with the shogun, and “kotai” refers to a daimyo’s return to his own domain.  In the case of the Kaga clan, one year was spent in Edo (Tokyo) and the next year in Kanazawa, and this was repeated all the time.  If the journey to Edo was smooth, it would take 12 nights and 13 days, and the schedule could not be easily changed since it was reported to the Imperial Court in advance for permission. Therefore, the distance between Kanazawa and Edo is about 480 km, and they have to walk more than 30 km a day. The scale of the procession was large due to the large size of the clan, with a minimum of 2,000 people accompanying the procession and as many as 4,000 at times. A procession of such a large number of people crosses mountains and valleys such as the Kurikara Pass, crosses rivers, and travels along roads. Although the change of shifts imposed a financial burden on the feudal lords, it resulted in the construction of the Hokuriku Road and other roads, and also had a great economic effect on inn towns such as Takenohashi.

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