Today, we can plan an entire trip on our smartphones, from searching for hotel reviews to making reservations.
But what about the common people of the Edo period, who traveled on foot along Japan’s historic highways?
How did they find a safe place to stay?
The answer lies in a surprising “travel guide” that appeared in the late Edo period called the Naniwa-kō Teishukuchō.
This was no mere list of inns.
It was the Edo-era equivalent of the Michelin Guide, a book created to ensure the safety and comfort of travelers.
