The Hakone Sekisho Checkpoint
During the Edo period (1603-1868), the role of the barrier stations changed from that of a military fortress to that of a police station, inspecting travelers and their luggage as they traveled along the roads. In particular, it seems that they kept a close watch on the wives of daimyos (feudal lords) who were kept as hostages in Edo to ensure that they did not rebel against the shogunate by fleeing back to their homeland, and to prevent large quantities of weapons from being brought into Edo without permission.
