u ' s ▁great - grand son , ▁who ▁declared ▁them ▁as ▁major ▁routes . ▁Post ▁stations ▁were ▁set ▁up ▁along ▁the ▁route ▁for ▁travel ers ▁to ▁rest ▁and ▁buy ▁supplies . ▁The ▁routes ▁th riv ed ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁policy ▁of ▁s ank in - k ō ta i , ▁that ▁required ▁the ▁da im y ō s ▁( reg ional ▁r ul ers ) ▁to ▁travel ▁in ▁alternate ▁years ▁along ▁the ▁routes ▁to ▁E do . ▁ ▁History ▁ ▁The ▁various ▁roads ▁that ▁make ▁up ▁the ▁Five ▁Rout es ▁existed ▁in ▁some ▁form ▁before ▁becoming ▁an ▁official ▁set ▁of ▁routes . ▁Tok ug awa ▁I ey as u ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁routes ▁shortly ▁after ▁becoming ▁sh ō gun ▁in ▁ 1 6 0 0 . ▁The ▁official ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Five ▁Rout es ▁began ▁with ▁the ▁sh og un ate ▁taking ▁government ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁post ▁stations ▁along ▁the ▁existing ▁routes . ▁ ▁Before ▁this ▁inter vention , ▁the ▁post ▁stations ▁provided ▁places ▁for ▁travel ers ▁to ▁rest ▁and ▁ran ▁a ▁cou rier ▁system . ▁After ▁the ▁official ▁take over , ▁the ▁Sh og un ate ▁required ▁that ▁these ▁stations ▁give ▁prefer ential ▁treatment ▁to ▁those ▁on ▁official ▁business ▁or ▁be ▁forced ▁to ▁ce ase ▁activity . ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 6 4 0 s , ▁sh ō gun ▁Tok ug awa ▁I em its u ▁closed ▁down ▁all ▁but ▁the ▁necessary ▁stations , ▁which ▁would ▁be ▁the ▁last ▁major ▁change ▁during ▁the ▁E do ▁period . ▁ ▁Al ong