. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
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Kohinata Myogadani choo 小日向茗荷谷町 Kohinata Myogadani district
"Myoga Ginger Valley"
文京区 Bunkyo ward, 小日向1丁目と3丁目、4丁目, Kohinata first, third and fourth sub-district.
In former times there was a shallow valley between the higher areas of 小石川 Koishikawa and 小日向 Kohinata.
There were a lot of Myoga fields in the valley, hence the name. Nowadays, there are no more Myoga fields, but in the compound of 拓殖大学文京キャンパス Takushoku University in Bunkyo ward they still harvest Myoga.
Until around 1713, there were farmers in the district, but then it came under the jurisdiction of the Edo City government and some Samurai estates were established here, like 旧大垣野村藩戸田淡路守屋敷,
and the 十二軒屋敷 Juniken Yashiki.
This district used to be part of the former 小石川区 Koishikawa ward, now 文京区 Bunkyo ward.
In 1966, the district became part of the Kohinata area.
At the Myoga Valley, there used to be a stone statue of a small Jizo Bosatsu.
When villagers went get a doctor for a very ill person, they came past this statue. If it was there as usual, the ill person would be all right, but if the stone statue faced the other side, the doctor could not help any more.
. myooga 茗荷 Japanese ginger, Zingiber mioga .
- Introduction -
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shibarare Jizoo 縛られ地蔵 string-bound Jizo
林泉寺 Rinsen-Ji
- reference source : s.webry.info/sp/navalin.at.webry... -
. Shibarare Jizō 縛られ地蔵, String-Bound Jizō .
More statues in Japan.
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There is a train station named
Myogadani eki 茗荷谷駅 Myogadani station
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Myoogadanizaka 茗荷谷坂 / 茗荷坂 Myogazaka slope
3 Chome-4 Kohinata, Bunkyō
. saka, sakamichi 坂道 the slopes of Edo .
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The Name Has Nothing to Do With Ginger
There is another theory.
This one says there was never any myōga growing in the area. Instead this theory claims the name derives from myōga 冥加 a Buddhist term that means divine protection.
On the other side of the tracks from Myōgadani Station
is an area called 小石川 Koishikawa. This area was a very elite area in the Edo Period because the Mito Tokugawa clan had a massive residence here. There were other daimyō residences and samurai residences located in the vicinity. The residence of the tansu bugyō 簞笥奉行 the magistrate of the shōgun’s arsenal was also nearby, as were the barracks his samurai staff.
The idea is
that the samurai who lived in the barracks town of 御箪笥町 Go-Tansu Machi would make offerings at the 稲荷神社 Inari Jinja Inari Shrine at the top of Myōgadani Hill (where the station stands today) and pray for good luck in marksmanship. The shrine was called Myōga Inari Jinja 冥加稲荷神社 Shrine of the Inari of Divine Protection. Since this area was the valley where Myōga Inari Shrine was, the locals called it 冥加谷 Myōgadani.
This theory states
that the Meiji government changed the kanji. After winning the Boshin War against the last Tokugawa supporters, they kicked out all of the samurai and daimyō from the area and began repurposing the land. They hated the association of the name with the Tokugawa Shōgunate and so they changed the kanji from 冥加谷 Myōgadani Valley of Divine Protection to the less “confrontational” 茗荷谷 Myōgadani Valley of Japanese Ginger.
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In nearby Jinkō-ji 深光寺 Jinkō Temple,
the author of Nansō Satomi Hakkenden 南總里見八犬傳 the Tale of Eight Dogs 馬琴 Bakin Bakin is buried. Interestingly, there is a small stone lantern hidden on the side of the temple called the Kirishitan Tōrō 切支丹灯籠 the Christian Lantern. It uses the word Kirishitan which is a direct reference to the Christians of Pre-Modern Japan. I’m not sure if this monument has been commemorating them since the Edo Period or if it’s a recent thing. Judging from pictures, the statue doesn’t seem very old – but it could be a replacement.
Even more curious
is that another nearby temple, 徳雲寺 Toku'un-ji, which seems to make most of its money off funerals, offers a
キリスト教プラン Kiristo-kyō Puran Christian Plan. At first, I thought this was related to the hidden old Kirishitan monument at Jinkō-ji, but then I saw it came under the heading 無宗教・キリスト教のプラン Mushūkyō/Kiristo-kyō Puran non-religious/Christian plan.
- and the connection between the Myōgadani temples and Christianity.
- source : japanthis.com/2014... -
茗荷稲荷神社 Shrine Myoga Inari Jinja
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. Temple 清水山 Seisuizan 専教院 Senkyo-In .
文京区小日向3-6-10 / Bunkyo ward, Kohinata 3-6-10
. Seiganji 清巖寺 Seigan-Ji, Nishi-Sugamo .
It was first built in 1615 in 小日向 Kohinata.
. Legends from Kohinata 小日向 .
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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .
. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
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