Abstract
The geographical name “Kutsukake” is spread around at many spots in Japan for the place at the foot of a pass or for the traffic village.
The traffic form and its significance present an infinite variety with the changes of the times and locations as well as for its historical background.
What is the function and background of the village “Kutsukake”? The author performes historico-geographical analysis upon a village “Kutsukake” in Shima Province i.e. the land from where its products such as fishes and marine plants are offered to the Grand Shrine at Ise.
In case of the “Kutsukake”, Shima district, primarily it was linked to the Grand Shrine at Ise, secondarily to the Kokufu (local government in ancient Japan) and to Izônomiya (one of the most important branch of the Ise-Shrine), scarcely functioning as travellers inn. The growth of Osaka Pass route demanded there such a function for a while, but it was too short time to bring about any considerable change of form. That is to say that “Kutsukake” in Shima Province was originated with a special aim. It was quite different from the general routine of formation of the normal traffic village.
