Hatago

Hatago (旅籠) were Edo period lodgings for travelers at shukuba (post stations) along the national highways, including the Edo Five Routes and the subroutes.

In addition to a place to rest, hatago also offered meals and other foods to the travelers.

The word itself originally derived from baskets that contained food for horses and were carried by travelers.

Because many post stations along the Tōkaidō, Nakasendō and other historical routes have been either preserved or rebuilt, there are many traditional hatago still in existence today.

While some have only been preserved as public buildings and museums, others have continued to operate for the past few hundred years.