Changes

Similarly, the percentage of visitors who stayed overnight at the ''honjin'' rather than simply stopping briefly for a "rest" (often referred to as 休 or 小休 in documents from the time) also ranged from one ''honjin'' to another, depending on a number of factors including their location relative to major destinations, other post-stations, and river or sea crossings. At Ishibe and Toriimoto, for example, roughly 80% of the elite guests who passed through stayed overnight, whereas at Tsuchiyama, only roughly 30% stayed overnight, while the remainder merely stopped for tea, lunch, or a brief rest.<ref name=miyamoto178/> A ''honjin's'' revenues accordingly ranged widely as well; while many ''honjin'' brought in around 20-40 ''[[currency|ryô]]'' each year, some in particularly well-traveled locations, such as [[Hodogaya]], [[Mishima-juku|Mishima]], and [[Miya-juku]], regularly brought in as much as 100-150 ''ryô'' per year, during peak decades.<ref name=miyamoto178/>

Similarly, the percentage of visitors who stayed overnight at the ''honjin'' rather than simply stopping briefly for a "rest" (often referred to as 休 or 小休 in documents from the time) also ranged from one ''honjin'' to another, depending on a number of factors including their location relative to major destinations, other post-stations, and river or sea crossings. At Ishibe and Toriimoto, for example, roughly 80% of the elite guests who passed through stayed overnight, whereas at Tsuchiyama, only roughly 30% stayed overnight, while the remainder merely stopped for tea, lunch, or a brief rest.<ref name=miyamoto178/> A ''honjin's'' revenues accordingly ranged widely as well; while many ''honjin'' brought in around 20-40 ''[[currency|ryô]]'' each year, some in particularly well-traveled locations, such as [[Hodogaya]], [[Mishima-juku|Mishima]], and [[Miya-juku]], regularly brought in as much as 100-150 ''ryô'' per year, during peak decades.<ref name=miyamoto178/>

''Honjin'' often fronted directly onto the main road around which the town was built - e.g. a highway such as the Tôkaidô - and had a formal front gate, guardhouse, and ''genkan'' (entranceway/foyer) decorated with curtains ceremonially welcoming a formal guest such as a ''daimyô''. The ''daimyô'' would typically leave his [[palanquin]] at a designated spot near the front gate and enter the building via the ''genkan'', being formally received there and then led deeper into the building. While staying at a ''honjin'', a ''daimyô'' was typically given the use of a space known as the ''goza no ma'', a room with a slightly elevated tatami platform where the ''daimyô'' could sit and receive others, seated physically above them.<ref name=futaplaques>Plaques on-site at Futagawa-juku honjin.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/45579059734/sizes/k/]</ref>

''Honjin'' often fronted directly onto the main road around which the town was built - e.g. a highway such as the Tôkaidô - and had a formal front gate, guardhouse, and ''genkan'' (entranceway/foyer) decorated with curtains ceremonially welcoming a formal guest such as a ''daimyô''. The ''daimyô'' would typically leave his [[palanquin]] at a designated spot near the front gate and enter the building via the ''genkan'', being formally received there and then led deeper into the building. While staying at a ''honjin'', a ''daimyô'' was typically given the use of a space known as the ''goza no ma'', a room with a slightly elevated tatami platform where the ''daimyô'' could sit and receive others, seated physically above them.<ref name=futaplaques>Plaques on-site at Futagawa-juku honjin.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/45579059734/sizes/k/]</ref> Guardhouses at both the front and rear gates of the ''honjin'' were maintained for the use of visiting ''daimyô's'' retainers, who would be assigned in turn to stand guard; the rear gate functioned primarily as an emergency escape route.<ref name=futaplaques/>

''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.

''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.