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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
- - - - - Ageya, Shitaya and Iriya
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Taitoo, Taitō 台東区 Taito Ward
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Taitō (台東区 Taitō-ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. In English, it is known as Taito City.
- source : wikipedia
Taito is a rather new name from 1947, combining the old Shitayaku 下谷区 Shitaya Ward and
Asakusaku 浅草区 Asakusa ward. Asakusa and Ueno were rather famous places since the Edo period.
- - - - - Its sub-districts are :
. Asakusa 浅草 / Asakusabashi 浅草橋 .
- . Asakusa Kuramae 浅草御蔵 .
. Matsugaya 松が谷 .
. Negishi 根岸 Negishi district .
. Okachimachi 御徒町 Okachimachi district .
. Ueno 上野 / Ameyoko アメ横 .
..... Shinobazu no Ike 不忍池 Shinobazu Pond / 黒門 Kuromon
. Ueno Sakuragi, Uenosakuragi 上野桜木町 .
. Yanaka 谷中 Yanaka district .
. Shubi no Matsu 首尾の松 "Pine of Success" - Kuramae .
They all have their separate entries in this Edopedia.
Senzoku 千束 see below
Torigoe / Torikoe 鳥越 see below
. Hashiba 橋場 Hashiba district, "place with a bridge" .
- former Asakusa Hashiba machi, Hashibacho 浅草橋場町
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Shitayaku, Shitaya ku 下谷区 Shitaya Ward
One of the original 15 wards of Tokyo (1889).
Shitaya Hirokoji 下谷広小路 Utagawa Hiroshige
Sanmaibashi bridge 三枚橋 Shitaya Hirokoji / Hiroshige
. Shitaya Jinja 下谷神社 .
to pray for 円満和合 a happy couple
- and 小野照崎神社 Onoterusaki jinja to pray for 学問芸能 Learning and progress in the arts
. Shitaya Sakamoto Fuji 下谷坂本富士 - Fujizuka 富士塚 mound .
(within the grounds of the Onoterusaki shrine)
. Chokugaku Fire 勅額火事 - October 9, 1698 .
from Surugadai to Shitaya 下谷, Then to 下谷池之端 Shitaya Ikenohata and on to Asakusa.
... Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 and the Shitaya Fire Haiku. Issa lived in Shitaya at that time.
上野山した」 Uenoyama Shita
歌川広重 Utagawa Hiroshige 名所江戸百景 Meisho Edo Hyakkei
- Reference with all the sub-districts of Shitaya
- reference source : edo.amebaownd.com...-
Ikenohata Benten 池の端弁天 Benten Shrine at Ikenohata
小林清親 Kobayashi Kiyochika
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Kintaien 錦袋円
At Ueno's 池之端仲町 Ikenohata-nakachō a medicinal remedy called "Kintaien"
was sold that could reputedly cure all ills,
and this picture shows the shop front of an apothecary called 勧学屋 "Kangaku-ya".
In 1675 (Enpō 3), the priest, 勧学坊了翁 Kangakubō Ryōō (1630-1707),
commenced this business, with proceeds from sales going towards
the purchase of complete Buddhist scriptures and the management of a library.
"Kintaien" had a great reputation as being an effective restorative and detoxing agent,
and it proved a very popular souvenir of Edo.
. source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library .
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- - - - - Iriya 入谷 - - - - -
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Iriya / Shitaya Area Guide
Shitaya and Iriya are neighbourhoods just north-east of Ueno Park on the other side of the railroad tracks. Taito Ward is the ward in which the bulk of Old Tokyo remainders can be found. However, it is not only Ueno and Asakusa where some gems can be discovered, the number of small temples and shrines in Iriya/Shitaya is impressive, and it retains the shitamachi feel that is common in several old Tokyo communities. When strolling through the streets, you will see many old houses in between the relics of worship. In particular check the streets around Hoshoji and
手児奈せんべい Tekona Senbei.
The good thing about Shitaya and Iriya are that there are actually no major tourist attractions and it is therefore likely one of the most authentic shitamachi areas in Tokyo. I visited this place at the start of the year, when many Japanese people were doing a 7 lucky gods pilgrimage and I could not spot many tourists. Iriya/Shitaya is just a couple of minutes away from Uguisudani Station on the Yamanote line, which gives easy access to the rest of Tokyo.
One major event in this area of Tokyo
is related to the Iriya Kishimojin (Shingen-ji Temple). Every year in July, the Morning-Glory Festival (Iriya Asagao Matsuri) is held at the temple grounds around Tanabata on 7 July. This festival at Iriya Kishimojin began in the Meiji period after a gardener planted morning glory flowers in various parts of Iriya. It grew to become a festival in which around 120.000 plants are on display, attracting 400.000 visitors over three days. It was organised for the 68th time in 2017.
You might see the name “Shitaya” pop up in the wider neighbourhood as well (such as Shitaya Shrine), as Shitaya used to be the name of a whole ward before the administrative reform of 1936. The same is true for Iriya, which spanned a larger area than is now apparent from the postal address system. ...
- 英信寺 Eishinji Temple -
This temple has a large string of prayer beads (called juzu) in front of its main shrine building that crackles as fireworks when you pull them to pray. It also enshrines Daikokuten, one of the seven lucky gods. Interesting is that if you look at the statue of Daikokuten, it resembles Benzaiten on the right side, Bishamonten on the left side, so you get 3 lucky gods at the same time. The birds they keep at this place are also nice.
- 法昌寺 Hoshoji Temple -
Hoshoji temple sports a huge colorful buddha poster and was very popular as one of the stops on the local 7 lucky gods pilgrimage as it has a small shrine on its grounds dedicated to Bishamonten.
- source : old-tokyo.info/shitaya-and-iriya -
. Iriya Kishimojin 入谷鬼子母神 Iriya Kishibojin .
and the market selling Morning-Glories, asagao ichi 朝顔市
Iriya asagao ichi 入谷朝顔市 morning glory market at Iriya
There is another famous Kishibojin Hall in Zōshigaya 雑司谷鬼子母神堂 / 雑司ヶ谷 Zoshigaya.
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Zōshigaya Kishimojin-dō 雑司谷鬼子母神堂
Together with Kishimojin in Iriya, Kishimojin-dō Temple in Zōshigaya attracted many worshipers.
It is said that the origin of Kishimojindō was in 1561, when Yamamura Tan`emon
dug out the image of Kishimojin from a well in the neighborhood of present-day Mejirodai,
and enshrined it in 東陽坊 Tōyōbō (annexed to 法名寺Hōmyo-ji Temple on a later day).
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Museum -
. Kishibojin, Kishimojin 鬼子母神と伝説 Legends about the deity Kishibojin .
. Zoshigaya 雑司が谷 / 雑司ヶ谷 .
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Exhibition 浮世絵でめぐる台東区
浮世絵師が描く江戸のまち
- reference source : city.taito.lg.jp/index -
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The Taito-ku Shitamachi Museum
Alan Gleason
One of central Tokyo's 23 wards, Taito-ku contains some of the most historic sites and popular tourist destinations in the entire metropolis -- the museums and zoo in Ueno Park, the Asakusa entertainment district, Sensoji temple with its big red lantern. The area's reputation as an adult amusement mecca extends several centuries back into the Edo period, when it also contained the bustling Yoshiwara red-light district, backdrop to many a Kabuki play and ukiyo-e print.
Over the past century, Taito-ku has gone through some wrenching changes -- leveled by fire twice, after the Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the fire-bombings of 1945, then subject to rapid, often indiscriminate postwar development like the rest of the city. Yet the district has managed to hang on to some of the old flavor of the shitamachi once inhabited by plebeian Edoites. It has also displayed sufficient civic pride to build its own museum, with funding and exhibit materials donated by local residents, in homage to the shitamachi culture. ...
Ueno-koen 2-1, Taito-ku, Tokyo
- source : dnp.co.jp/artscape/eng -
. Shitamachi 下町 and Yamanote 山の手 .
. Minowa 三ノ輪 / 箕輪 Minowa district .
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Senzoku 千束 Senzoku district "1000 measures"
Taito ward 台東区 千束, in the Shitaya area
The name Senzoku is very old. The area was near 浅草天王町 Asakusa Tenno-Cho, reaching all the way to 千住 Senju.
One explanation of this name "1000 measures of rice" say the area was near the 浅草寺 Asakusa Temple Sensō-Ji and had to provide kuyoo 供養 food offerings (rice) for the 1000 priests and monks of the famous temple district:
senzoku 千僧供 food offerings for 1000 monks.
But this explanation is most probably wrong.
soku (zoku) 束 was a measurement for the amount of 穎稲 rice before the harvest, 1束 - 稲10把
(10把 - 1刈)- 束刈(そくかり)sokukari / 束把刈(そくはかり)sokubakari
This would suggest that on the fields of the temple, they harvested 1000 soku of rice.
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Ageyamachi 揚屋町 Ageyamachi district
東京都台東区千束 / Taito City, Senzoku, 4 Chome−46−46 揚屋通り Ageyadori street
One of the districts in the old 吉原内 Yoshiwara.
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ageya 揚屋 Also called ageya jaya 揚屋茶屋.
A type of town house machiya 町家, found in the pleasure quarters yuukaku 遊廓, of Edo period cities where the higher ranking and more cultivated entertainers and prostitutes, yuujo 遊女, served their clients.
These establishments were based in okiya 置屋 in Kansai 関西 region and yuujoya 遊女屋 in Edo.
In the early Edo period, the Edo pleasure quarter Yoshiwara 吉原, reputedly contained eighteen ageya. The ageya supposedly were impressive as architecture, being larger than hikite jaya 引手茶屋. The ageya had tsukiagedo 突上げ戸 in the windows of their upper-storeys, whereas the hikitejaya had kooshi 格子.
The ageya also had a place outside for visitors of warrior, bushi 武士, rank to tether their horses. In the Horeki 宝暦 era (1751-64), the ageya ceased to exist in Edo, and hikite jaya were built in their place. Moreover, the yuujoya of Edo came to combine residential and reception functions.
Architects continued to build ageya in Kyoto and Osaka. A surviving Edo period example is the Sumiya 角屋 in Shimabara 島原, Kyoto (now a National cultural property). The Sumiya takes the form of a large townhouse with an omoteya 表屋, providing a 31m frontage of kooshi overlooking the street, and a tsunoya 角屋 at the rear.
There are also several lavishly appointed suites of zashiki 座敷 on the upper floor of the Sumiya.
- source : JAANUS -
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Shrine Senzoku Inari Jinja 千束稲荷神社
東京都台東区竜泉2丁目19番3号 / Taitō, Ryusen, 2 Chome−19−3
Built around 1670. It used to be in the compound of 浅草寺 Asakusa Temple as
上千束稲荷(西宮稲荷)Nichinomiya Inari and
下千束稲荷 - the protector shrine of the district 北千束郷 Kita-Senzoku.
Known as "the shrine of 樋口一葉 Higuchi Ichiyo".
- reference source : senzokuinari.tokyo-jinjacho.or.jp -
. Higuchi Ichiyo 樋口 一葉 (1872 - 1896) .
pen name of Japanese author 樋口奈津 Higuchi Natsu.
. Ootori Jinja 鷲神社 Otori Jinja .
台東区千束3-18-7 -- 3 Chome-18-7 Senzoku, Taitō ward
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. 北千束 Kita North Senzoku, 南千束 Minami South Senzoku .
Ōta ku 大田区 Ota ward
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Torigoe 鳥越 (とりごえ)Torigoe district (Torikoe)
With the sub-districts Torigoe 1 and 2 and Asakusabashi 3 to 5
The name of this district dates back to the Heian period, the village Torigoe mura 鳥越村, and the legend about
. Minamoto no Yoshiie Hachimantaro 源八幡太郎義家 / 源義家 .
In the Edo period, after the removal of a small hill the new flat area was called Asakusa Torigoe Cho 浅草鳥越町 in 16435.
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In this map, the area outlined in red and labeled “頒暦所御用ヤシキ” (Hanrekishogoyouyashiki: Observatory for the Calendar; the lettering is upside-down from this angle) is the Astronomical Observatory in Asakusa constructed in 1782 (2nd year of the Tenmei Era). At first, this observatory was used to compile the Kansei Calendar. Afterwards, the Tenmonkata (Official Astronomer) continued to use it for observations until the fall of the Shogunate.
Previously,
Torigoe Hill had been located in the northern part of the area shown in this map; and farther north was a pond named Himegaike. But to help ease the land shortage inside of Edo (now Tokyo), the pond was filled in and the hill was flattened. With the hill to the north gone and low lying river banks to the east and the south, this site had clear lines of sight, making it suitable for an observatory. Perhaps that’s why it was chosen.
In modern times
when we think of observatories, we envision sites located far from urban areas to optimize the observing conditions. But looking at this map, to the north-west of the observatory is Torigoe Shrine; to the north is Jyusyo Temple; and to the north-east is Saifuku Temple, which is listed on maps of important Edo sites. Turning to the south where the Torigoe River is located, we find Fudasashi Gokaisei Kaisyo (a government accounting office). It can definitely be said that this is an urban area. On the other hand, since the observations don’t seem to have suffered due to being located within a city, we can get a sense of how dark the Edo nights must have been. The Astronomical Observatory in Asakusa is also included in Hokusai Katsushika’s “One Hundred Views of Mount Fuji” under the name Torigoe-no-fuji (Torigoe’s Unparalleled [View of Mt. Fuji]).
- source : nao.ac.jp/en/gallery -
. tenmondai 天文台 The Edo observatory .
Spring Snow at Torigoe Shrine
Kasamatsu Shiro
. Torikoe Jinja 鳥超神社 / 鳥越神社 Shrine Torikoe Jinja .
also spelled とりごえじんじゃ Torigoe Jinja.
The shrine is the final resting place of the legendary leader 日本武尊 Yamato Takeru no Mikoto. A former prince and ruler in Japan, stories of Yamato Takeru have been told for centuries.
The deity of the shrine was first called Hakuchoo Myoojin 白鳥明神 Hakucho Myojin (Swan Deity).
In the late Heian period, Minamoto no Yoshiie was shown his way through the wetlands by 白い鳥 "white birds" 越 crossing over.
To show his gratitude, Yoshiie venerated 鳥越大明神 Torigoe Daimyojin.
Thus the name Torigoe (birds crossing over) was given to the whole district.
. Taira no Masakado 平将門 (? - 940) .
and his head at shrine Torikoe Jinja 鳥越神社
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東京都台東区清川 Kiyokawa district
Taito, 清川一丁目 - 清川二丁目 first to second sub-district
Asajigahara 浅茅ケ原(あさじがはら)
A swamp along the 奥州街道 Oshu Kaido highway with many big and small ponds.
A wide field of sparsely growing cogon grass (Imperata cylindrica)
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. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
Asakusa Kannon 浅草観音 and temple 浅草寺 Senso-Ji, Asakusadera .
Around the year 1802, a country bump came to Edo for sightseeing. After visiting the Asakusa Kannon he then was on his way back home. On the bank of the river he met a very drunk man who attacked him and killed him . . . at least the man lost his conscience and fell to the ground. When he came back to his senses, he felt for the amulet of the Asakusa Kannon, which he had placed into his breast pocket. The imprint of Kannon had disappeared from the paper. Now he knew that Kannon had taken his place and saved his life.
. More Legends about Asakusa Kannon 浅草観音 .
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daija 大蛇 huge serpent
The beautiful daughter of the 禁丹屋 Kintan shop had attracted the attention of the huge serpent in the pond Shinobazu no Ike and disappeared in the pond.
Later when part of the pond was filled with land and water became scarce, one beautiful lady was seen coming out of the pond, taking a ride in a wooden cart all the way to a lake in Chiba. and continued to live there.
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okame おかめの 面 face mask of O-Kame san
Once an 鳴物師 instrument maker picked up the mask of おかめの面 O-Kame san. Since he had picket it up, his family experienced a lot of misfortune. And every time before something bad happened, the mask opened her mouth and laughed. He finally broke the mask and burned it in a fire. But even after everything was reduced to ashes, when he turned around the mask was again sitting on the chest of drawers, with an open mouth, laughing loudly.
. Okame, Okamesan おかめ【お亀/阿亀】O-Kame San .
. Narimono no Kamisama 鳴り物の神様 "Deity of Instruments" - Ebisu .
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Taira no Masakado 将門
After the beheading of Masakado, his head flew to the shrine 鳥越神社 Torigoe Jinja, which is located in 東京都台東区鳥越 Taito ward, Torigoe.
. Taira no Masakado 平将門 (? - 940) .
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yuurei 幽霊 ghost
Around 1884 there lived a monk named 霊瞬 Reishun at 三縁山 Sanenzan. He frequently went to the pleasure quarters of Yoshiwara and eventually fell in love with 琴柱 Lady Kotoji. He told her about his miserable life and how all would change if he had some money to get a better job. So Kotoji gave him all her money, made him promise never to go to Yoshiwara again and committed suicide.
When he went back anyway, the ghost of Kotoji showed up and scolded him severely. Now finallyt he changed his easy-going way and later became a high-ranking priest.
. Yoshiwara 吉原 pleasure quarters of Edo .
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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
. Doing Business in Edo - 商売 - Introduction .
. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .
. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
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