▁with ▁the ▁Post ▁St ations , ▁the ▁government ▁created ▁a ▁system ▁of ▁Check ▁St ations ▁along ▁the ▁Five ▁Rout es . ▁Un like ▁the ▁Post ▁St ations , ▁which ▁provided ▁for ▁travel ers , ▁the ▁Check ▁St ations ▁served ▁a ▁regul atory ▁purpose , ▁cont rolling ▁the ▁movement ▁of ▁people ▁and ▁goods . ▁Some ▁of ▁the ▁uses ▁of ▁these ▁stations ▁were ▁prevent ing ▁the ▁tra ff ick ing ▁of ▁fire ar ms , ▁ens uring ▁that ▁the ▁various ▁rules ▁and ▁policies ▁surrounding ▁the ▁s ank in - k ō ta i ▁were ▁followed , ▁and ▁checking ▁the ▁pass ports ▁of ▁trav elling ▁common ers . ▁Fif ty - three ▁Check ▁St ations ▁were ▁created ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century . ▁( This ▁is ▁not ▁to ▁be ▁confused ▁with ▁the ▁ 5 3 ▁St ations ▁of ▁the ▁T ō ka id ō , ▁which ▁refers ▁to ▁the ▁Post ▁St ations ▁on ▁the ▁T ō ka id ō .) ▁ ▁The ▁sh og un ate ▁also ▁coordin ated ▁general ▁improvements ▁to ▁the ▁roads ▁of ▁the ▁Five ▁Rout es . ▁The ▁roads ▁were ▁fl atten ed ▁and ▁w iden ed , ▁with ▁ste eper ▁sections ▁p aved ▁with ▁rough ▁stone . ▁Tre es ▁were ▁plant ed ▁alongside ▁the ▁road , ▁and ▁d rain age ▁d itch es ▁were ▁d ug ▁in ▁many ▁places . ▁Mark ers ▁were ▁put ▁up ▁to ▁indicate ▁distance ▁at ▁each ▁ri , ▁which ▁was ▁defined ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁as ▁ 3 . 9 3 ▁km ▁( 2 . 4 4