Asagaya district Suginami

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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Asagaya 阿佐ヶ谷 / 阿佐谷
Suginami ward, 杉並区阿佐ヶ谷北, Asagaya-kita North and 阿佐谷南 Asagaya-Minami South.

The first two Chinese characters do not express any meaning, they only express the pronounciation of the area name.
The name comes from the expression asai mizu no tani 浅い水の谷 a valley with shallow water.

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..... At present the Asagaya area is divided latitudinally into North (阿佐ヶ谷北, Asagaya-kita) and South (阿佐谷南, Asagaya-Minami) by the Chūō-Sōbu Line.
Boundaries for this area are roughly the same as those for Asagaya Village (阿佐ヶ谷村 Asagaya-mura), dating back to the Edo Period. Longitudinally, the Japanese Zelkova serrata tree-lined boulevard, Nakasugi-dōri (中杉通り), divides Asagaya, running from Ome-kaido in the south to Waseda-dōri in the north.
From around the Taishō period people began moving from the Yamanote area (central Tokyo) into the suburbs including Asagaya. At present, the area around the station is considered upper-level Tokyo suburban housing due to its space, greenery, convenience to central Tokyo—and numerous Shōtengai, the largest of which originates from the South exit of Asagaya Station.
The origin of the area name "Asagaya"
comes from the combination of two words, the adjective "asai" meaning "shallow" and the geographical noun "yachi" (谷地) meaning "marsh" or low wetlands.
In 1921 a stop was created on the Sōbū streetcar line running on Ome-kaido from Shinjuku to Ogikubo, which later became the Tōden Suginami (都電杉並線) streetcar line, then the present subway Marunouchi line. Service on the Tōden Suginami streetcar ended in 1961.
Asagaya Station was built and added to the Kōbu railway line (built 1884; Kōbu-tetsudo (甲武鉄道) in 1924, which later became the Chūō Main Line.
After the exodus from central Tokyo
following the Kantō Earthquake of 1923, Asagaya became the home to a literature community beginning with Ibuse Masuji, and eventually including Yosano Akiko, Dazai Osamu, Aoyagi Mizuho, Iba Harube, Miyoshi Tatsuji, Hino Ashihei, Taki Huang-Murao, Masami Murao and Tokugawa Musei.
Because of this history Asagaya is also known as "Literary Town Asagaya".
- Theater
Asagaya is home to three theater spaces, Hitsuji-za, Theater Shine, and Zamuza,
- Shopping
The covered shopping street (shōtengai) Pearl Center, located on the south side of JR Asagaya station, is the largest in the area, though, smaller uncovered shōtengai also run to the north of the station
- Festivals
Asagaya has two large festivals each year.
The Tanabata (七夕祭り) is held annually during the first week of August. The Tanabata festival is known for its assortment of hanging papermache characters that adorn the Pearl Road.
Asagaya is also known for its jazz festival,
Asagaya Jazz Streets, held over the last weekend in October. This jazz festival is one of the largest in the city with musicians playing an assortment of venues.
- source : wikipedia

keyaki namiki 阿佐ヶ谷のけやき並木 Zelkova row of roadside trees

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The place name must already have been established by the 14th century because that’s when the name first shows up in the records. In the 1300’s, a noble family was granted control of the area and assumed the name of their fief, thus becoming the Asagaya-shi 阿佐ヶ谷氏 Asagaya Clan.

..... After the 関東大震災 the Great Kantō Earfquake of 1923, many artists fled　from the crowded 下町 shitamachi low city to Asagaya because rent and land was cheap and there area was still connected to the center of town. The 山手 yamanote high city also lost its fair share of artists to the Asagaya area. Many were unrecognized writers in their own day – though most of them are widely respected today – they congregated in the area.
- source : japanthis.com/2015... -

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阿佐谷神明宮 Asagaya Shinmeigu Shrine
Suginami, Asagayakita, 1−25-5

It was founded around 114 as a branch of the Great Shrine at Ise, Mie prefecture.
It has a large Noh stage.

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This shrine has a long 1700 years of history, and is known for warding off evil.
In late March when the cherry blossoms are in full bloom, Kan-okai, a special event to appreciate the blossoms of the shrine, is held. Dances and songs to the God are performed by the shrine maidens and also a party is held under the cherry trees in the compound. This cherry blossom party is open to anybody and free sake and food is served. The date of the party is decided depending on when the cherry blossoms bloom, and may vary year to year. However, cherry blossom season in Tokyo area is typically late March – early April.
- source : experience-suginami.tokyo/2015... -

o-mamori お守り amulets to ward off evil
hachinanyoke, hachinan yoke 八難除 avoiding the eight disasters
eight here stands for many, there is a long list below.

八難除
前厄除・本厄除・大厄除・後厄除・八方除・鬼門除・地相災除・家相災除・災難除・火難除・水難除・盗難除・係争除・因縁災除・墓相災除・霊碍除（悪霊退散）・移転方除・新築方除・改築方除・増築方除・改修方除・旅行方除・出張方除・転勤方除・建築方除・庭造方除・車庫方除・結婚方除・移転方災除・新築方災除・改築方災除・増築方災除・改修方災除・旅行方災除・出張方災除・転勤方災除・建築方災除・庭造方災除・車庫方災除・結婚方災除

This shrine is the only one to provide this kind of prayer ritual to ward off calamities coming with age, with directions, from water or fire and many others.
These rituals are very old and relate to the Shinto deity 天照大御神 Amaterasu Omikami.

Taking part of these rituals was also called
shoogoku mairi 正五九参り Shogoku mairi and had to be performed with Shrine visits daily for 4 months.
To avoid disaster of fire, people had to come three times a year for three years in a row, 九重参り.

- HP of the shrine
- shinmeiguu.com...-

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Asagaya Keyaki Yashiki 阿佐谷けやき屋敷 / 欅屋敷 Asagaya Zelkova Mansion
Some of the 20 trees still there are older than 400 years and about 40 m high, an amazing sight in a big city like Tokyo.
This is the remains of the estate of the "estate forest" 屋敷森 of about 50 zelkova trees of the 相沢家 Aizawa family, the headman of the old Asagaya village.
The house was destroyed and has been rebuilt after the war.

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Welcome to Tokyo's 'Little Nepal': A microcosm of Japan's evolving identity
Here in “Little Nepal,” Nepalese families shop for their groceries at supermarkets, Nepalese business owners operate curry and spice shops, and Nepalese children in distinctively logoed uniforms commute to and from school or play with their friends in the vicinity of Asagaya Station.
... When the Everest International School, Japan (EISJ) was established in Asagaya in 2013, Nepalese families began flocking to the area.
- source : More in the Japan Times July 2019 -

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Edo - the EDOPEDIA -

6/20/2018

Asagaya district Suginami

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