The Hokkoku Kaido Road is the generic name of the main roads in Hokuriku region in the Edo period. There were actually three roads running through this region; the Hokuriku-do Highway, which went to the west from Naoetsu (present Niigata Pref.), the Hokkoku Nishi Kaido (West Road), which linked Seba (present Shiojiri City) on the Nakasendo Road and Tanbajima (present Nagano City), and the Hokkoku Waki Okan (Byroad of the Hokkoku Highway). At the present, this byroad is often referred to as the Hokkoku Kaido Road. The road with a total length of 140 km crossed the whole area of Shinshu region and linked Oiwake (present Karuizawa) on the Nakasendo Highway and Takada (present Joetsu City) on the Hokuriku Highway. This road connecting the Pacific side and the Northern coastal side of the country played an important role as the gold route that carried the gold mined at Sado Gold Mine and the sankin kotai (the system of “alternate attendance”) route of the feudal lords including that of Maeda clan, who were given the fiefs in the Hokuriku region. It was also used for carrying commodities from the Hokuriku region to the Kanto region. The road was sometimes called “Zenkoji Kaido,” because it was used by the pilgrims visiting Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City. At the present, Route 18 traces about the same route as the Edo period Hokkoku Kaido.