Kosatsuba
Kosatsu were official notice boards displayed in heavily trafficked parts of cities and towns, such as intersections, ports, and areas near bridges, during the Edo period (1603–1868). Travelers checked these notice boards upon entering a city or town. The boards listed the local rules and regulations, including edicts that residents and visitors were required to follow. In 2009, an authentic replica of an Edo-period kosatsuba—the place where kosatsu were displayed—was erected in Gero’s hot spring district, complete with notice boards on which the text has been hand painted. The replica reminds visitors of Gero’s past as a post town on the old Hida Highway, which linked modern-day Toyama and Gifu Prefectures. Gero’s kosatsuba is conveniently located close to the Onsen Museum and Kaeru Shrine.