Hikyaku

Hikyaku (飛脚) were couriers in Japan who carried letters, documents, bills of exchange, and packages, using a system of relay stations under the bakufu military governments, beginning in the Kamakura period (1185–1333), gradually yielding to more modern systems beginning in 1858.

During the Asuka period the government established a system called Five Home Provinces and Seven Circuits, served by messengers known as ekishi (駅使) who carried special post station bells (駅鈴, ekirei) .

The hikyaku system reached a degree of sophistication that led to The Japanese Letter-Writing Era, beginning about 1721.

The Courier for Hell 冥途の飛脚 (Meido no hikyaku) is a love-suicide play by the Japanese writer Chikamatsu Monzaemon.

A motion picture titled Tengu hikyaku (Goblin Courier) was produced by Daiei Film, starring Daisuke Katō.