Ōsaka no Seki, Ancient checkpoint in Shiga district, Japan.
Ōsaka no Seki was a checkpoint between Yamashiro and Ōmi provinces that monitored travel and trade on the Tōkaidō and Tōsandō roads in medieval Japan. It sat at a key junction where merchants and officials had to pass through its gates.
The checkpoint was founded in 646 and later reestablished in 857 as part of the Sangen system alongside Fuwa no Seki and Suzuka no Seki. It functioned within a network of barriers that defined movement across regions.
Classical Japanese literature features this location in poems and collections such as Hyakunin Isshu and Makura no Soshi by poets Semimaru and Sei Shonagon. The poetry reflects how people understood this border as a transformative passage in their journeys.
Visitors can find a commemorative monument next to Osakayama Checkpoint near Choan-ji Temple in Otani-cho, Otsu City. The site has signs explaining the historical importance and is easy to explore.
During the Kamakura period, Enjo-ji Temple managed the checkpoint and operated a toll system for travelers crossing through. This made it both a spiritual institution and a commercial operation.
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