Hikyaku

Ancient Japan

The design of the hikyaku system occurred within the framework of the ricuryo legislation, when establishing a system of stations borrowed from Tang China . Then a network of stations was established, located on major roads with the center in the capital. The messengers exchanged horses at these stations, thus ensuring the fast delivery of messages and parcels. There was also an express delivery system: messengers who were called “hiyaku” ( jap. 駅 ), could pass up to ten stations per day. As a distinctive sign, they wore special bells.

Kamakura Period

After the system of laws of ritsuryou ceased to operate, the system of stations also fell into disrepair. For the delivery of parcels, the messengers of Kamakura-hikyaku (鎌倉 飛脚) and rokuhara-hikyaku (六 波羅 飛脚) were used. These hikyaku rode horses and could get from the Kyotosh district of Rokuhara to Kamakura in 72 hours. Instead of unused stations, poison inlets (宿) began to be used, which appeared in each region as trade routes developed.

Sengoku Period

As a result of the weakening of ties between the regions of the country during the daimyo wars during the Sengoku period, the implementation of the postal communication was difficult. But the daimyo used the hikyaku to send packages to other daimyo. During this period, vassals, monks, and yamabusi often acted as hikyaku.

Edo Period

With the onset of the Edo period, a system of five main highways "Gokaydo" (五) was formed, which connected Edo with the main regions of the country, and the system of stations - shukuba (宿 場). Hikyaku moved between stations on horseback. During this period there existed both messengers in the service of official authorities, and messengers who worked for daimyo, samurai, city authorities. In the cities there were special establishments that provided the services of messengers - “Hikyaku-I” (屋) or “Hikyaku-Monya” (飛脚 問 屋), with the help of which a significant part of connections were made within Japan of this period.

Meiji Period

With the onset of the Meiji period, the parcel delivery system was reformed. According to the project of Baron Maejima Hisoka, who was sent to England to study postal business, the formation of the Japanese postal service according to the English model began in 1871 , in which, at the same time, the Hikyaku system was partially preserved. A representative from the hikyaku Sasaki Sojo (佐 々 木 荘 助) participated in the drafting of the reform. Hikyaku-I was reformed into a land transportation company and provided services for the delivery of cash and small items. Many hikyaku went to the service in the mail.

• Tsugi-bikyaku (継 飛脚) - hikyaku in the service of official authorities. The use of roju , kyoto-sukidai, osaka-jodai, sumpu-jedai, as well as kanjou-bugo and dotiu-bugu was allowed. The messages were placed in special boxes "sozho-bako" (状) with the inscription "御用". Upon delivery, the messages were used for the hikyaku, who together moved between stations.
• Daimyo-hikyaku (大名 飛脚) - hikyaku in the service of daimyo.
• Hikyaku-I (飛脚 屋) - hikyaku, whose services could be used by ordinary samurai and merchants. They are often also called mati-bikyaku. The offices providing such services began to function after the official permission of the authorities in 1663. Often, such offices carried out regular parcel shipments. For example, in Osaka, they worked according to the following principle: they were sent to the capital on the 2nd, 12th and 22nd days of each month.
• Mati-bikyaku (町 飛脚) - professional hikyaku who worked inside the city of Edo. Because they wore bells, they were often called "tirin-tirin mother-bikyaku".
• Tooshi-bikyaku (通 飛脚) - hikyaku, engaged in delivery on a particular route alone.

• (世界 大 百科 事 典).
• Frolova, EL. Writing letters in Japanese: epistolary style. - M .: AST, East-West, 2005.