Synopsis

This episode continues our exploration of Japan's pre-modern highways, focusing on the Nagasaki Kaido. During the Edo period (1603–1868), when the Shogunate largely restricted foreign trade, the port of Nagasaki Prefecture was granted a significant exception. From this vital gateway, ideas, technology, culture, and goods traversed the Nagasaki Kaido, spreading throughout Japan. Often called the "Sugar Road," after the region's most important commodity, the ancient highway and its travelers left