. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
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Legends from Chuo ward
. Chūō ku, Chuuoo Ku 中央区 Chuo Ward "Central Ward" .
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. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
中央七不思議 Chuo Nana Fushigi - Seven Wonders of Chuo ward
- - - - - From the Summer of the year 1799.
A man caught a strange animal.
Then a woman gave birth to eggs.
One female dog copulated with two male dogs.
A child drowned in a water bucket.
After a peace treaty, a man had a sword wound.
After a three-day fight for a well started on a 三日月 three-day new moon and ended the next month on the third day.
Kamakura Gongorō Kagemasa 鎌倉権五郎景政 - (1069 - ?) lost his eyesight from an arrow wound.
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. 霊岸島の七不思議 seven wonders of Reiganjima .
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. Edo Nana Fushigi 江戸七不思議 The Seven Wonders of Edo .
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八丁堀七不思議 seven wonders of Hatchobori
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. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .
- - - - - from Fukiyacho
Tengu no misemono 天狗のみせ物 a Tengu show
At a show performance they paraded a "Tengu", with a robe decorated with feathers of an owl painted all red. Sometimes they use the feathers of other birds.
- - - - - from Nihonbashi
A man had been missing suddenly, but later a letter from him arrived, saying it was too difficult for him to come back home.
It must have been a Tengu, people thought.
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The servant of a merchant, about 15 years old, went to the sento 銭湯 public bath. When he came back, he wore traveler's robes and said "I am just home from my family visit!" He even had some presents from home.
But at his family house, they have not seen him. He must have been bewitched by a Tengu, most probably.
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. Fukiyachoo 葺屋町 Fukiyacho district of roof thatchers .
Sugiyama Daimyojin 杉山大明神 Sugiyama Daimyojin deity
In the year 1813 carpenters cut down a shinboku 神木の松 sacred pine tree to built a theater, but the building was cursed and did not prosper.
A few years before that a female servant had been bewitched by a fox and the villagers promised to built a sanctuary, but did not.
Another disaster was the sail of a boat catching fire and the mast cracked broken.
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. Hatchobori 八町堀 Hatchobori district .
The son of a minister 山崎彦左衛門 Yamazaki Hikosaku from lord 松平和泉侯 Matsudaira Izumi, named 山崎彦内 Yamazaki Hikouchi was thrown out of the family and went to Kyoto to become a 陰陽師 Onmyoshi, kind of fortune teller.
But he failed and went back to Edo. He changed his name to 渡部帯刀 Watanabe Tatewaki but was found out and imprisoned.
Then he changed his name to 蒲生左部 Gamo Sabu and lived in Hatchobori.
At that time the lord 神保左京 Jingo Sakyo and his karoo 家老 chief retainer 崎山平内 Sakiyama Heinai became very ill.
They asked Sabu for a purification ritual and after that, they soon recovered.
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kiriotosarete odoru yubi 切り落とされて踊る指 a cut-off finger is dancing
A man named 三次郎 Sanjiro had a lot of debts. To help his master, 八町堀の大工 a carpenter of Hatchobori, he cut off the little finger of his left hand and wanted to sell it to make money
He wanted to put the finger in a box and give it as an offering, then the finger jumped up and away, dancing with joy for a while.
Nobody knows what really happened.
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uba 姥 the old hag
In 江戸八町堀二丁目 the second sub-district of Hachobori in the year 1677 there lived an old hag of about 60 years as a servant. She wanted to let a strange person in, claiming he was the master of the house, but the other servants stopped her. On the evening of the same day the real master of the house lost his mind and died.
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本所 Honjo
. Temple 回向院 Eko-In, Ekoin .
Tokida Kisaburo 時田喜三郎, the fish vendor and a cat.
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. Honryoogaechoo 本両替町 Hon-Ryogaecho district .
Edo Shin-Roygaecho 江戸新両替町
nezumi 鼠 rat
In the year 1666 a man named 香具屋九郎左衛門 Kaguya Kurozaemon had too many rats and mice in his home and asked a servant to kill them.
The servant took pity on the rats and thought of something to spare them. In a dream he saw a child and said if he spared its life it would give him a gold fish with some Sake.
When he woke up he found a gold fish in his mouth. Kurozaemon thought that was quite auspicious and never killed a rat again.
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. Kakigaracho 蛎殻町 / 蠣がら町 .
. kitsune densetsu 狐と伝説 fox legends .
The kujaku 孔雀 peacock which had been kept in a cage at the estate in Kakigaracho was killed and the Samurai was very angry about it. He even destroyed 稲荷の社 the Inari Fox Shrine in the compound. At night a fox appeared in his dream. The fox said he was not responsible for the death and would prove it within three days.
The next day the fox appeared again in his dream and said he had punished the criminal.
When the Samurai stepped out next morning, he found a large old fox lying dead on his doorstep.
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. Kamimakicho 上槇町 .
henshoku suru ishi 変色する石 stone changing color
On the ground somewhere in Kamimakicho there was mass looking like shikui 漆喰 plaster.
The headman sent his manservant to hit it with the ax for splitting wood, but it did not split.
So he gave the servant a genno げんのう hammer and now it split. Out came a stone with a soft touch, never seen before. When the headman looked at it in the evening of the next day, it had changed its color to green like tea. The stone soon became the wonder spot of all the people living around.
. gennoo 玄能 Genno hammer .
The gennoo type is double-faced and has two round sides. It is used to split rocks or to hit the back of a chisle. It is basically a tool for stone workers.
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. Kobikichoo 木挽町 / 木梚町 Kobikicho district .
In Kobikicho there lived a poor merchant with his child. The son was very gentle and obedient. One day the son became very ill. His mother thought if he could get some choosen ninjin 朝鮮人参 Ginseng medicine, he might get better, but she did not have the money to buy this expensive medicien.
So she bought some normal ninjin 人参 carrots at the greengrocer store and gave them to the ill child. The boy thought it was the medicine from the doctor, drunk it all and was soon healed.
. koorai ninjin 高麗人参 "Korean" ginseng .
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. Kodenmacho 小伝馬町 .
oogonkyuu 黄金宮 Ogon-Kyu Golden Hall
The maid servant of 佐久間勘解由 Sakuma Kageyu named 竹 Take was very pious and kind-hearted, she always gave food to the poor. One day she suddenly died, but her body still felt warm and so they kept her in the house to see what was going to happen. Eventually she came back to life. The people asked her about her experience in meidoo 冥途 the other world. She had walked in an endless plain when suddenly she came to a Golden Hall. The Buddha told her that he knew Take was coming. She started praying, but could escape death and came back to life.
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. Yuuten Shoonin 祐天上人 Saint Yuten Shonin .
(1637 - 1718)
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. Kuremasacho 榑正町 .
. iken 異犬 a strange dog .
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. Nihonbashi 日本橋地区 .
. kori 狐狸 fox and Tanuki legends .
In Nihonbashi lived a shin-i 鍼医 acupuncture doctor named 大場検校 Oba Kenkyo. One evening he went to the home of a patient for treatment. When he stroke over his stomach, it felt like fur. Kenkyo was quite surprized and touched the face, which felt like the mouth of an animal. Now he realized that the patient was not a human, but still treated the patient and then went home. Since foxes and Tanuki know a lot about the treatment of acupuncture, they trusted in Kenkyo to help them.
. hari chiryoo 鍼治療 acupuncture treatment .
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rei 霊 spirit
In the first district of Muromachi there lived a merchant. His family cherished two old dolls of the 高砂 Takasago couple.
The former owner of the merchant's home had move out and taken his dolls, but it seemed they wanted to come back to their old home.
日本橋室町 Nihonbashi Muromachi / Murocho
日本橋室町一丁目から日本橋室町四丁目 - from the first to fourth sub-district
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Nihonbashi Fish Market 日本橋魚市 Uo-Ichi
Seafood gathered from the sea near the shore including Edo Bay would reach the people of Edo through intermediaries such as peddlers.
The whole north bank area of Nihonbashi River from Nihonbashi bridge to Edobashi bridge such as
本船町 Honfuna-chō, Anjin-chō and 長浜町 Nagahama-chō was known as the Nihonbashi Fish Market.
There was also salt fish wholesalers who dealt with salted and dried fish in Yokkaichi-chō of the south bank and a fish market called the "New Market" in Honzaimoku-chō.
The bustle and excitement of this market was adopted in many ukiyo-e as a famous place in Edo.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -
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Yokkaichi 四日市
running south of the river between Nihonbashi and Edobashi,
and where a market was held on the 4th, 14th and 24th day of every month.
After the Great Fire of Meireki (1657), the machiya 町屋 (merchants' residences) were relocated,
and dotegura 土手蔵 a stone wall of a height of 7.2-7.8 meters
and length of 272.5 meters was built as a means of fire defense.
Subsequently, the town was called 元四日市町 Moto-Yokkaichi-chō,
the path along the river was called 四日市河岸 Yokkaichi-gashi,
and the area began to flourish with a number of markets.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -
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. Nagahamacho 長浜町 Nagahama town .
. Jikkendana (Jukkendana) 十軒店（じっけんだな） in Muromachi .
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. Odenmacho 大伝馬町 .
. inari 稲荷 と伝説 Inari fox legends .
In the 11th lunar month of 1727, a woman of about 26 years living in Odenmacho became quite crazy and had an exorcist ritual from the priest at the temple 東叡山凌雲院 Toeizan Ryoun-In.
She had been bewitched by a fox and the family built a small Shrine to appease the Inari deity.
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In the year 1820, a girl of 18 years had the rokuji myoogon 六字名号 six ritual words (南無阿弥陀佛 Namu Amida Butsu) written as an amulet by 祐天上人 Saint Yuten Shonin.
But one letter was wrong and a fox could bewitch her. Later they found that the fox was from another home.
In 津幡町 Tsubata town in Ishikawa prefecture, there is a stone memorial with the 6 words
written by 蓮如上人 Saint Rengyo Shonin.
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Reiganjima 霊巌島 / 霊岸島 Island Reiganjima .
. kori 狐狸 fox and Tanuki legends .
At Reiganjima, a child had moved from 伊豆新島 Izu Niijima. She found a sleeping cat on the ground and breathed at it. The cat went crazy.
What happened, the girl was asked. When breathing at something, this had happened 5 times before, they found out. Sometimes foxes and Tanuki use that trick.
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. Ryoogoku, Ryōgoku 両国 Ryogoku district and bridge 両国橋 .
kaen 火焔 ritual flames
On the 13th day of the 7th lunar month month of 1816 someone walked over the Ryogokubashi bridge. Looking down at the water he saw some ritual flames. The look changed to an official on horseback, surrounded by ritual flames.
Two months later there was a strong storm and flooding, so this might have been the premonition of disaster.
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. Tsukiji 築地 .
yuurei 幽霊 ghost
The sukuigoya 救小屋 rescue cabin from Tsukiji was moved to 愛宕 Atago in the middle of the night, to prevent the ghosts of the people who had died in a fire, from showing.
When they saw a shady figure hanging arund, it was not a ghost but a burgler.
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. Yagenbori 薬研堀 .
shikotsu 死骨 bones
Once a man wanted to move to Yagenbori. He had the precincts checked out by a Shaman and was told that there were bones in the ground and everybody living there would also die.
So the man moved somewhere else.
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. Yoshicho 芳町 - the former Yoshiwara .
志計 Shigemaru had seen the ghost of 文作 Bunsaku. He went to the miko 女巫 Shrine Maiden 〔ニョフ〕who was known to use an izuna イヅナ weasel and lived in Yoshicho.
She Maiden asked Shigemaru about many details of Bunsaku, his age and if he had used a green straw hat to scoop water. Then she chanted some jumon 呪文 spells.
Shigemaru called out three times, then the Maiden called out three times with the same voice as Bunsaku. Bunsaku had taken his own life and wanted his friend Shigemaru to perform prayer rituals for him.
A while later they found out that Bunsaku was still alive.
. jumon 呪文 と伝説 Legends about magic spells .
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. hebi 蛇と伝説 Legends about snakes and serpents .
A very stingy man was dying and asked that all his money be placed before the Buddhist house altar. When he was almost dead, a belt he had kept at his pillow turned into a serpent.
When he was dead, the belt-serpent came to wrap around his hips.
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deishuu 出居衆 Deishu, special servants
The special servant 才覚 Saikaku had been bothered day and night by the jealous wife of his master.
After the master had calmed down his wife, the spooks stopped.
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kanban 看板 shop sign
On the 21st day of the third lunar month, there was a huge fire. But the shop sign of a store had survived.
There was also a small hot not affected by the fire, although it was quite close to the origin of the fire.
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. Masakado 将門 Taira no Masakado .
His head is buried in a place now called Koosan 甲山 Kosan, "Mount Helmet" / Kozuka 甲塚 Mound Helmet.
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. Amida Nyorai 阿弥陀如来 .
migawari Nyorai 身代り如来 Amida Nyorai as substitute
In the autumn of 1824, a man in a group of people was about to fall down and a Samurai behind him was also falling, hitting another person. Falling down his wakizashi 脇差 short sword came out, but only cut a furoshiki 風呂敷 cloth wrapper. When the man came home he found the statue of Amida Nyorai in his home had fallen down and had a would in the shoulder with blood dripping from it.
. migawari 身代わり the deities substitute for us .
. wakizashi 脇差と伝説 Legends about the short sword .
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. ushi 牛と伝説 Legends about ox, bull, cow . . .
Once there was a wicked man showing a "Tiger" for money, but it was in fact a bull he had wrapped the skin of a tora 虎 tiger around and sewed int mouth so it could not call out.
Since the mouth was stitched close, the animal could not eat and died within six days. He just went and got the next animal and did the same thing. Since the sixth bull had died, the man became crazy, mooing like a bull and died soon afterwards.
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. Onipedia - 鬼ペディア the Demons of Japan .
A woman like a Demon
In the 中橋 Nakabashi district there lived a woman who had become ill because of her jealousy for her husband. One night she jumped out of bed, said she was very angry and tore her mouth open to the ears, then she attacked and killed her husband. Next day she brought the body to the temple for a funeral. But soon after she became crazy and died 100 days after her husband.
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Sendai tsuuhoo 仙台通宝 iron coins from Sendai
Once a man went to the Shrine 高尾稲荷 Takao Inari at the bridge 永代橋 Eitaibashi to pray.
He wanted to give some money offering and put his hand in the purse, when he felt his hand getting numb. He thought this was strange and looked inside his purse.
There was one coin from Sendai.
He knew that the actress 高尾太夫 Takao Taiyu had been killed by the Daimyo of Sendai and wanted revenge.
高尾稲荷 Takao Inari
Chuo City, Nihonbashi Hakozakicho
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tamashi 魂 the soul
On the third day of the fifth lunar month in 1683, a very pious woman died.
The next year on the third day of the third lunar month the dead woman appeared in a dream of her sister.
She told her to be pious, recite the prayers of 光明真言 Komyo Shingon and the Nenbutsu prayer to make sure she goes to the Buddhist paradise.
. nenbutsu 念仏 Nembutsu Amida prayer - legends .
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. umeboshi 梅干と伝説 Legends about dried pickled plums .
To prevent motion sickness, one has to peel one Umeboshi and stick it to the navel.
This helps especially when travelling in a palanquin in the Edo period.
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. yomogi 艾 / ヨモギ mugwort, Artemisia princeps .
An old man was growing kiku 菊 chrysanthemums and tried to make them grow higher and higher every year, but cutting them down before they flowered.
After three years, the plant had transformed into mugwort, which is also called
too mogusa, kara yomogi 唐艾 Chinese mugwort
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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
. Edo, Tokyo 江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .
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. Chūō ku, Chuuoo Ku 中央区 Chuo Ward .
. 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 .
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
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