The Many Routes of the Saba Kaido （若狭鯖街道熊川宿資料館（宿場館）　展示説明：京は遠ても十八里） 鯖街道のいくつものルート

Though the name “Saba Kaido” implies a single road, it was a branching network consisting of multiple trade routes. The most well-traveled was the Wakasa Kaido road, which passed through Kumagawa-juku post town and led to Kyoto via the villages of Kutsuki, Ohara, and Yase. The shortest way from the port town of Obama to Kyoto was the mountain trail along the Onyu River and through the Harihatagoe Pass, but it was very steep, making the journey quite challenging. Other roads connected Wakasa to the Tanba area north of Kyoto and to Lake Biwa in Omi Province (present-day Shiga Prefecture).

Only 72 Kilometers to Kyoto

An old expression in Wakasa states that “the far-off capital is only 18 ri away,” referring to the fact that the distance to Kyoto is approximately 72 km. Despite the challenging trek through the mountains, experienced porters carrying fish and other goods along the Saba Kaido could make the journey in just one day. As a haiku written by the renowned poet Yosa Buson (1716–1784) about the Saba Kaido reads: The people of Wakasa / Are well-accustomed to travel / Through the summer mountains.