The TÃkaidà Road offers a comparative study of the TÃkaidà road's representations during the Edo (1600-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) eras. Throughout the Edo era the TÃkaidà highway was the most important route of Japan and transportation was confined to foot travel. In 1889 the TÃkaidà Railway was established at first paralleling and eventually almost eliminating the use of the highway. During both periods the TÃkaidà was a popular topic of representation and was depicted in a variety of visual and literary media. After the installation of the railway in the Meiji era the TÃkaidà was presented as a landscape of progress modernity and westernisation. Such representations were fundamental in shaping the TÃkaidà and the realm of travelling in the collective consciousness of the Japanese people. . Language: English