High well what does it mean? That’s the question surrounding Kami Takaido. We’re standing in a place with a name that echoes through centuries. The name Kami Takaido might seem simple. Its story has many layers.
Kami Takaido’s name first appeared in records in the 1530s. This was a rural part of Kanto. It wasn’t well connected to Kyoto the imperial capital. Even then people wondered about the village’s name.
The name Takaido consists of three kanji. The first one, takai, means “high”. The other two, ido, mean “well”. One theory suggests a freshwater well existed. It was next to a temple or shrine on high ground. Thus, the name Takaido means “high well”. However, some consider this origin story too simple. They call it folk etymology.
Another theory proposes a different division of the kanji. It suggests takai do meaning “high do”. Do could be a shortened form of dō. Dō refers to a Buddhist hall. This theory connects the name to the Takai clan. The Takai clan served as priests at Jingū-ji. Jingū-ji was also called Takai-dō.
However, there’s a catch. Jingū-ji never existed in the area. It was just a generic term. Temples and shrines used it before Shinto and Buddhism separated in 1868. Yet, another temple exists. It is called Takaisan Honkaku-in. It sits on Takai-yama or Takai Hill.
Honkaku-in was home to the Takai family graves. Fifteen generations of them served as priests. If this is true, Takai-dō probably refers to a funerary hall. The Takai clan held memorial services for their ancestors there. The Takai clan likely lived in this rural area until the 1500s. Their activity began in the 1300s. At that time Kanto was wild and detached.
Families extended outward from the imperial court. They often took the names of their local fiefs. The Edo clan is a regional example. This reflected their control and integration into the local culture. So, the “high well” theory makes more sense. A well existed on top of Takai Hill. People living there needed water.
The Takai clan took their name from Takai. It could have been Takaido or Takai-yama. People started questioning this in the 1530s. Before that it was prehistory. There were no written records. So, the folk etymology might be right. The longer explanations give it legitimacy.
For most of its history Kami Takaido was part of Musashi Province. It was also part of Tamagawa District. It was a simple agricultural village. Major roads developed later. They helped local trade. Everything changed when Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Edo Castle in 1598. Minor road networks became part of a vast highway system.
Soon Kami Takaido became Takaido-shuku. It was the second post town on the Kōshū Kaidō Highway. Takaido-shuku combined Kami-Takaido and Shimo-Takaido. Kami means Upper. Shimo means Lower. They refer to locations along the Tamagawa Aqueduct.
Takaido was on a road for merchants and pilgrims. Daimyō traffic was scarce. So, a simple honjin existed in Lower Takaido. A honjin was an inn for daimyō. Naitō Shinjuku the next post town lacked a honjin. Daimyō would proceed to their local palace because it was close to Edo. They would stop in Takaido for meals or to hire laborers.
The Kamakura Kaidō also passed through this area. If there was no lodging available there people were diverted to Takaido. Takaido was a minor post town. It had resources for local merchant traffic. It was also prepared for daimyō when lodging wasn’t available elsewhere. Today, very little harkens back to Kami Takaido’s Edo Period roots.