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A ''honjin'' might house a ''daimyô'' along with as many as sixty of his higher-level retainers, but rarely if ever housed an entire ''sankin kôtai'' mission; not only were few (if any) ''honjin'' large enough to accommodate that many people, but the idea of lower-ranking followers sharing the same lodgings with the lord went against social norms. ''Honjin'' were often accompanied by secondary establishments known as ''waki-honjin'', where additional members of an elite group might stay; for example, when the lead ambassador (''seishi'') of a Ryukyuan embassy stayed at a ''honjin'', his vice- or deputy envoy (''fukushi'') typically stayed at the town's ''waki-honjin'', along with other members of the embassy above a certain rank, while the remaining, lower-ranking, members of their mission were given lodgings at ''[[hatagoya]]'' - a more regular sort of inn, frequented by individual samurai and commoner travelers. Lower-ranking members of a mission might also be housed in private homes, Buddhist temples, or Shinto shrines.

A ''honjin'' might house a ''daimyô'' along with as many as sixty of his higher-level retainers, but rarely if ever housed an entire ''sankin kôtai'' mission; not only were few (if any) ''honjin'' large enough to accommodate that many people, but the idea of lower-ranking followers sharing the same lodgings with the lord went against social norms. ''Honjin'' were often accompanied by secondary establishments known as ''waki-honjin'', where additional members of an elite group might stay; for example, when the lead ambassador (''seishi'') of a Ryukyuan embassy stayed at a ''honjin'', his vice- or deputy envoy (''fukushi'') typically stayed at the town's ''waki-honjin'', along with other members of the embassy above a certain rank, while the remaining, lower-ranking, members of their mission were given lodgings at ''[[hatagoya]]'' - a more regular sort of inn, frequented by individual samurai and commoner travelers. Lower-ranking members of a mission might also be housed in private homes, Buddhist temples, or Shinto shrines.

''Honjin'' and ''waki-honjin'' sprang up quickly after ''sankin kôtai'' was made obligatory for all ''daimyô'' in [[1642]],<ref>With a very few select exceptions, such as for those clans whose service to the realm instead took the form of effecting the defense of the port of [[Nagasaki]], for example.</ref> and soon became standard fixtures in major ports and post-towns across the realm. Across the fifty-three stations of the [[Tokaido|Tôkaidô Highway]], there were 111 ''honjin'' and 73 ''waki-honjin''.<ref name=miyamoto167>Miyamoto, 167.</ref> While some towns had only one ''honjin'' (and perhaps not even a ''waki-honjin''), larger towns often had several of each. [[Hakone]] and [[Hamamatsu]], for example, were each home to six ''honjin''. While in most towns the ''honjin'' outnumbered the ''waki-honjin'', there were exceptions; at [[Omiya-juku|Ômiya]] on the [[Nakasendo|Nakasendô]], there were nine ''waki-honjin'' but only one ''honjin''.<ref name=miyamoto167/>

''Honjin'' and ''waki-honjin'' sprang up quickly after ''sankin kôtai'' was made obligatory for all ''daimyô'' in [[1642]],<ref>With a very few select exceptions, such as for those clans whose service to the realm instead took the form of effecting the defense of the port of [[Nagasaki]], for example.</ref> and soon became standard fixtures in major ports and post-towns across the realm. Most had previously been (and continued to be) the private homes of village elders or headmen (''shôya'' or ''nanushi'').<ref>Miyamoto, ''Nihon no shuku'', 176.</ref> Across the fifty-three stations of the [[Tokaido|Tôkaidô Highway]], there were 111 ''honjin'' and 73 ''waki-honjin''.<ref name=miyamoto167>Miyamoto, ''Nihon no shuku'', 167.</ref> While some towns had only one ''honjin'' (and perhaps not even a ''waki-honjin''), larger towns often had several of each. [[Hakone]] and [[Hamamatsu]], for example, were each home to six ''honjin''. While in most towns the ''honjin'' outnumbered the ''waki-honjin'', there were exceptions; at [[Omiya-juku|Ômiya]] on the [[Nakasendo|Nakasendô]], there were nine ''waki-honjin'' but only one ''honjin''.<ref name=miyamoto167/>

These were often the largest buildings in a given town.<ref>Though there are obvious exceptions, such as in castle-towns such as Odawara, where the castle was far larger than the ''honjin''.</ref> The sole ''honjin'' at the small post-town of [[Futagawa-juku]], along the Tôkaidô in [[Mikawa province]], survives today as a local history museum; the building is 17 1/2 ''[[Japanese Measurements|ken]]'' wide, and covers a space of roughly 525 ''[[Japanese Measurements|tsubo]]''.<ref>Watanabe, 53.</ref> The largest ''honjin'' on the Tôkaidô were at [[Odawara-juku]]. This was in large part because of its location. The castle-town is both close to [[Edo]], meaning that most ''daimyô'' and other travelers from western Japan would come that way, and it is located between a difficult mountain pass & a river crossing; as a result, Odawara was a place that few travelers merely passed through, and where most instead stayed the night.<ref>Plaques and signs on-site at Odawara-juku nariwai kôryûkan.</ref> Some of the largest ''honjin'' at other post-stations included those at [[Narumi-juku]] (676.5 ''tsubo''), [[Kusatsu-juku]] (459 ''tsubo''), and [[Otsu|Ôtsu]] (394.5 ''tsubo''). In total, there were thirteen post-stations which featured ''honjin'' larger than 300 ''tsubo''. Most ''waki-honjin'', by comparison, were around 100 ''tsubo'' in area.<ref>Miyamoto, 168-169.</ref>

These were often the largest buildings in a given town.<ref>Though there are obvious exceptions, such as in castle-towns such as Odawara, where the castle was far larger than the ''honjin''.</ref> The sole ''honjin'' at the small post-town of [[Futagawa-juku]], along the Tôkaidô in [[Mikawa province]], survives today as a local history museum; the building is 17 1/2 ''[[Japanese Measurements|ken]]'' wide, and covers a space of roughly 525 ''[[Japanese Measurements|tsubo]]''.<ref>Watanabe, 53.</ref> The largest ''honjin'' on the Tôkaidô were at [[Odawara-juku]]. This was in large part because of its location. The castle-town is both close to [[Edo]], meaning that most ''daimyô'' and other travelers from western Japan would come that way, and it is located between a difficult mountain pass & a river crossing; as a result, Odawara was a place that few travelers merely passed through, and where most instead stayed the night.<ref>Plaques and signs on-site at Odawara-juku nariwai kôryûkan.</ref> Some of the largest ''honjin'' at other post-stations included those at [[Narumi-juku]] (676.5 ''tsubo''), [[Kusatsu-juku]] (459 ''tsubo''), and [[Otsu|Ôtsu]] (394.5 ''tsubo''). In total, there were thirteen post-stations which featured ''honjin'' larger than 300 ''tsubo''. Most ''waki-honjin'', by comparison, were around 100 ''tsubo'' in area.<ref>Miyamoto, ''Nihon no shuku'', 168-169.</ref>

The ''honjin'' at Futagawa-juku saw as many as 100-200 elite individuals across the year, with anywhere from zero to more than forty staying at the ''honjin'' in any given month.<ref>Ina, 56.</ref> ''Daimyô'' typically established regular reservations with ''honjin'' along their ''sankin kôtai'' routes, such that the ''honjin'' would know to expect them on particular dates each year, and to have a reception prepared for them in a particular manner, with the ''daimyô'' paying a pre-arranged amount as a show of gratitude. Such arrangements helped avoid difficulties which might otherwise emerge from negotiating and re-negotiating the schedule, and the terms, each time. Still, there were times when a ''daimyô'' arrived in a town to find that another ''daimyô'' (or Imperial envoy, or another guest of similar elite status) had booked the inn for the night; most of the time, this resulted in the newcomer taking up lodging in the town's ''waki-honjin'', or another similar establishment, when available. ''Daimyô'' also quite regularly passed through post-towns, not staying the night, but merely using the ''honjin'' as a place to rest for a bit, and to perhaps enjoy a meal. Such meals and rest-stops were also often pre-arranged, but ''daimyô'' could also simply arrive and have their men make an arrangement on the spot.

The ''honjin'' at Futagawa-juku saw as many as 100-200 elite individuals across the year, with anywhere from zero to more than forty staying at the ''honjin'' in any given month.<ref>Ina, 56.</ref> ''Daimyô'' typically established regular reservations with ''honjin'' along their ''sankin kôtai'' routes, such that the ''honjin'' would know to expect them on particular dates each year, and to have a reception prepared for them in a particular manner, with the ''daimyô'' paying a pre-arranged amount as a show of gratitude. Such arrangements helped avoid difficulties which might otherwise emerge from negotiating and re-negotiating the schedule, and the terms, each time. Still, there were times when a ''daimyô'' arrived in a town to find that another ''daimyô'' (or Imperial envoy, or another guest of similar elite status) had booked the inn for the night; most of the time, this resulted in the newcomer taking up lodging in the town's ''waki-honjin'', or another similar establishment, when available. ''Daimyô'' also quite regularly passed through post-towns, not staying the night, but merely using the ''honjin'' as a place to rest for a bit, and to perhaps enjoy a meal. Such meals and rest-stops were also often pre-arranged, but ''daimyô'' could also simply arrive and have their men make an arrangement on the spot.

As a ''daimyô'' and his entourage approached a post-town, they would send a messenger ahead to alert the ''honjin'' to the ''daimyô's'' impending arrival. A special curtain was hung over the entrance, and a number of other preparations were done, including arranging small mounds of sand or salt, called ''[[morisuna]]'', and a decorative broom and bucket (known as ''kazari-hôki'' and ''kazari-oke''), outside of the inn as symbolic indications of the cleanliness and preparedness of the ''honjin''. The messenger would often exchange a ''sekifuda'', an official indication of his lord's wishes, for a receipt from the ''honjin'' confirming their acknowledgement of the reservation. When the ''daimyô'' then arrived in town, he would be greeted near the entrance to the town, and led to the ''honjin'', where a proper reception awaited. It was not uncommon for all the officials of the post-town to contribute directly to the process of receiving a ''daimyô'' (or other figure of similar status), with some officials performing the greetings and formal reception, some ensuring the streets and the ''honjin'' itself were clean and in good condition, and others overseeing guardsmen and security concerns.

As a ''daimyô'' and his entourage approached a post-town, they would send a messenger ahead to alert the ''honjin'' to the ''daimyô's'' impending arrival. A special curtain was hung over the entrance, and plaques were placed both at the ''honjin'' and at both main entrances to the town, announcing who it was that had reserved the town's lodgings for the night.<ref name=miyamoto175>Miyamoto, ''Nihon no shuku'', 175.</ref> A number of other preparations were also performed, including arranging small mounds of sand or salt, called ''[[morisuna]]'', and a decorative broom and bucket (known as ''kazari-hôki'' and ''kazari-oke''), outside of the inn as symbolic indications of the cleanliness and preparedness of the ''honjin''. The messenger would often exchange a ''sekifuda'', an official indication of his lord's wishes, for a receipt from the ''honjin'' confirming their acknowledgement of the reservation. When the ''daimyô'' then arrived in town, he would be greeted near the entrance to the town, and led to the ''honjin'', where a proper reception awaited. It was not uncommon for all the officials of the post-town to contribute directly to the process of receiving a ''daimyô'' (or other figure of similar status), with some officials performing the greetings and formal reception, some ensuring the streets and the ''honjin'' itself were clean and in good condition, and others overseeing guardsmen and security concerns.

 

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