Ōshū Kaidō
What is known today as National Route 280 was originally established during the Edo period by Tokugawa Ieyasu as the Matsumaedō. Its primary purpose was for government officials traveling through the area as a branch of the Ōshū Kaidō, one of the Edo Five Routes connecting the capital to the rest of Japan. It also had defensive importance to the Japanese who feared a Russian incursion into Ezo, which was ruled by the Matsumae clan; however, the main threat to Japanese control of the area was rebellion by the native Ainu.