During the
Edo period the
Tokugawa shogunate established
ichirizuka on
major roads, enabling calculation both of distance travelled and of the charge for transportation by
kago or
palanquin. These mounds denoted the distance in
ri (), typically to
Nihonbashi, the "Bridge of Japan", erected in
Edo in 1603. They were typically planted with an
enoki or
Japanese red pine to provide shelter for travelers. Since the
Meiji period, most of the
ichirizuka have disappeared, having been destroyed by the elements, modern highway construction and urban encroachment. In 1876, the "Ichirizuka Abolition decree" was issued by the
Meiji government and many were demolished at that time. Currently, 17 surviving
ichirizuka are designated as national historic sites. In the case of the Magane Ichirizuka, the mounds flank the San'yōdō highway which ran for a total of roughly 145
ri (approx. 350 miles) from
Kyoto to
Shimonoseki. The San'yōdō was one of the major
kaidō in western Japan and was the main route both for commercial travelers, but for
daimyō fulfilling their
sankin kōtai obligation to have to the
Shōgun's court in Edo on alternate years. The Magane Ichirizuka is the first milestone that can be seen after entering
Bitchū Province from
Bizen Province, and is located near the border between
Okayama Domain and
Niwase Domain. Conversely, it the second marker when traveling west from Okayama. In addition, this
ichirizuka also marks the starting point for the "Kibitsu-Kompira Route, a pilgrim's road connecting the important shrines of
Kotohira-gū in
Shikoku with
Kibitsu Shrine in Bizen. Originally,
Japanese black pine trees were planted on the north side of the highway, and
enoki trees on the south side, but today only the mound and stone marker remains. The Magane Ichirizuka is about seven minutes on foot from
Kibitsu Station on the
JR West Kibi Line. ==See also==