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7/30/2016

Kasugacho district

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Lady Kasuga 春日局 Kasuga no Tsubone
(1579 – October 26, 1643)
was from a prominent Japanese samurai family of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. Born Saitō Fuku (斉藤福), she was a daughter of Saitō Toshimitsu (who was a retainer of Akechi Mitsuhide). Her mother's father was Inaba Yoshimichi. Married to Inaba Masanari, she had three sons, including Inaba Masakatsu, and an adopted son, Hotta Masatoshi. She was the wet nurse of the third Tokugawa shogun Iemitsu.
She also established the 大奥 Ōoku, the women's quarters, at Edo Castle.
In 1629, she was granted the title of Kasuga no Tsubone.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

. Tokugawa Iemitsu 徳川家光 Third Tokugawa Shogun .
(1604 – 1651)
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... the little boy needed an immediate training by a governess good in every way. Kasuga, a married woman, the daughter of a well-known warrior of imperial descent who had lost his life in some conspiracy of the previous generation, was chosen by the government for the position. This was, perhaps, as great an honor as could be offered to any lady.
Besides, there was an opportunity to clear the memory of her father. And she begged her husband to divorce her that she might be free to give all her life to this task.
So devoted was she that the boy being at one time at the point of death, she offered herself to the gods for his recovery, vowing never to take any remedy. In her last illness she refused all medicine, and even when Iyémitsŭ — now ruler — begged her to take a commended draught from his hand, she merely, out of politeness, allowed it to moisten her lips, saying that her work was done, that she was ready to die, and that her life had long ago been offered for the master. Nor would she allow the master to indulge her with regard to her own son. He was in exile, deservedly, and the shogun asked her permission to pardon him, in the belief of possible amendment. She refused, bidding Iyémitsŭ to remember his lesson:
that the law of the country was above all things, and that she had never expected such words from him.
Moreover, that had he revoked the law for her, she could not die in peace.
- quote from
AN ARTIST'S LETTERS FROM JAPAN - BY JOHN LA FARGE (1835 – 1910)

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The flat wasteland of this area was uninhabited until 1630, when Kasuga no Tsubone became entitled to the land and had 13 of her retainers live there.
Also called Kasugadono-chō 春日殿町 Lady Kasuga Town.

The main road of this area is now
Kasuga doori, Kasuga Dōri 春日通り Kasuga street

At its beginning of this road is a temple called
Rinshooin 麟祥院　Rinsho-In, Rinshoin.
( 4 Chome-1-8 Yushima, Bunkyo, Tokyo / 東京都文京区湯島4-1-8)
The temple was founded on her request in 1624 by 渭川周瀏 Isen (? - 1642) and first named 報恩山天沢寺.
(Other sources say it was founded in 1634, when her son, 稲葉正勝 Inaba Masakatsu (1597 - 1634) died.)
After her death the name was changed to her 法号 "postuhmous" Buddhist name, Rinsho.
A statue of her is in the temple ground and her grave is at this temple, 天沢山麟祥院.
Now a temple of the Rinzai Zen sect.
It has long been under the protection of the 稲葉家 Inaba and 堀田家 Hotta clan.
Her full posthumous name was 麟祥院殿仁淵了義尼大姉.
麟祥 rinsho is an auspicious name according to Chinese Buddhism.

. Legend about suzume ikusa 雀戦 fight of the sparrows .

春日局墓 - her grave
There is a big hole in the main top stone. She ordered this to be able, even from her new residence in Paradise, to be able to supervise the well-being of the Shogun and the people of Edo.

Around the temple is a "living fence" of the tree karatachi カラタチ, Poncirus trifoliata.
The temple was therefore also called
Karatachidera からたち寺 / 枳殻寺.

- reference -

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source : tokyo-life-gallery.blogspot.jp
Statue at 東京都文京区礫川公園 Park Rekisen Koen

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Kasuga Jinja　春日神社 Kasuga Shrine
3 Chome-2-10 Kasugacho, Nerima, Tokyo

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There is a sushi dish called "sumoshi" すもし
in memory of the famous Kasuga no Tsubone.
春日の局も賞味した湯葉の巻き寿司, Take no ko sumoshi 竹の子すもし（寿司）. She was the wetnurse of the third shogun of Edo, Iemitsu, and a rather determined woman. The dish has been re-enacted now, since it was named in old papers of the temple Sanbo-In 三宝院 in the precincts.

Bamboo Sprout Sushi / sumoshi
This is a simple sushi: fresh bamboo sprouts are wrapped in yuba soy bean milk skin. Sometimes sushi rice is added nowadays.

source : facebook - samurai gourmet

Seven-colored rice dishes of Lady Kasuga consists of:
1. "Nameshi" (rice with leaf vegetables) - contains beta carotene, helps prevent colds
2. "Kuri Meshi" (rice with chestnuts) - contains vitamins B and E, good for anti-aging
3. "Azuki Meshi" (rice with red beans) - anthocyanin in red beans has antioxidyzing effects and helps improve eye fatigue
4. "Mugi Meshi" (rice with barley) - contains vitamin B6, prevents anemia and helps improve blood flow
5. "Yutori Meshi" (twice-boiled rice) - contains much water, good for people with weak digestive system
6. "Hikiwari Meshi" (rice with crushed barley) - easy to digest, good for people with weak digestive system
7. "Hoshi Meshi" (dried rice) - need to chew well, stimulates brain activity and helps improve immunity to diseases

. Washoku - Japanese Food Culture .

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The monument of Nerima radish
The monument of Nerima radish was built in 1940 on the grounds of Aizen-in Temple in Kasugacho to commemorate the fact that the Nerima radish has been a local specialty since the Edo period and has become well known nationwide.
The stone monument of about 3 meters tall is engraved with “The monument of Nerima radish” in large letters.

It is said that the fifth Shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, of the Edo period ordered the start of cultivation of the Nerima radish when he became sick and visited present-day Nerima for medical treatment. As the cultivation of the Nerima radish gained in popularity, it became an important vegetable to support the Edo residents’ diet.
Around the middle of the Meiji period, the urban areas around the Tokyo metropolitan area also started to grow the Nerima radish, whose production has increased and become known nationwide.
- reference source : nerima-kanko-en.blogspot.jp -

. Nerima daikon 練馬大根 big radish from Nerima .

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. Tenjin Sama - Sugawara Michizane Legends 天神菅原道真伝説 .

ushiishi, ushi-ishi 牛石 "bull stone"
When 源実朝 Minamoto no Sanetomo (1192 - 1219) was making war in the Northern Territories, Sugawara Michizane 菅神 Kanjin appeared in his dream, riding a bull:
"Lord Sanetomo has two parts of good fortune. When the war is over, built a small shrine and venerate there."
When Sanetomo woke up, he found a stone with the imprint of a bull's hooves just as he had seen in his dream.
In this year, his son 源頼家 Minamoto no Yoriie (1182 - 1204) was born and in the following year, Sanetomo was able to fight his enemy.
After winning the battle, he had a shrine erected and made an offering of this "Bull Stone".

牛石 (牛天神北野神社)(東京都文京区春日) Ushi Tenjin Kitano Jinja
1 Chome-5-2 Kasuga, Bunkyō ward

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Kasuga gongen reigenki emaki (Illustrated Scrolls of the Miracles of the Kasuga Deity)
The Illustrated Miracles of the Kasuga Deity, in twenty fascicles, is an illustrated hand scroll that contains depictions of the miracles of the Kasuga Deity, the tutelary god of the Fujiwara clan. The deity was worshipped at the Grand Shrine of Kasuga (Kasuga Taisha), which wielded great political and cultural influence along with Koufukuji with which the shrine was intergrated.
The scolls were completed in 1309 (Enkyou 2), during the late-Kamakura period, by the painter Takashina Takakane.
The set is a rare example of illustrated scroll for which the precise date and creator are known and is thus been recognized as an important historical resource.
- source : nara-wu.ac.jp/aic ... -

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7/22/2016

kirie zu maps

CLICK for more samples !

The first Kirie-zu was printed in 1755 by 吉文字屋　Kichimonjiya.
Until the year 1775 he had produced eight detailed maps.
By 1846, the shop of 近江屋五平 Omiya Gohei sold 31 maps. He produced maps in three colors.

The high times of Kirie-zu was around 1849 until early Meiji, when 尾張屋清七 Owariya Seishichi
produced the 尾張屋版 Owariya Edition (金鱗堂版). He used five colors and the maps looked almost like 錦絵 Nishiki-E prints.

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嘉永・慶応江戸切絵図〈1〉
江戸・東京今昔切絵図散歩尾張屋清七板 Owariya Seishichi Edition

江戸切絵図集―新訂江戸名所図会

嘉永・慶応江戸切絵図

大江戸「古地図」大全
- More books at amazon com :
- source : amazon.co.jp -

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The Landmarks of Edo in Color Woodblock Prints
Find on a detailed map of Edo
Click Blue pin or "Landmark name", and you can see the description and nishiki-e thumbnail page of the place.
Click Yellow pin or "Place name", and you can see nishiki-e thumbnail(s) about the place drawn on nishiki-e.
- source : ndl.go.jp/landmarks/edo

Also available in Japanese.
〔江戸切絵図〕
- reference : National Diet Library -

- reference : edo kirie-zu -

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明暦江戸大絵図 Meireki Edo Dai-Ezu
Tōyō Bunko Digital Online Library 　
. . . CLICK here for more Photos　 !

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. chizu　地図 maps of Edo .

. kiri-e, kirie 切り絵 , kirigami 切り紙 cut-out pictures.

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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 .

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7/10/2016

Hyakunincho district

Today, the fair is held every odd year. Men clad in armor and helmet parade the neighborhood of Hyakunin-cho, test fire matchlock guns and give public demonstrations of battle field exercises.
- source : gotokyo.org/en/kanko/shinjuku

The Koshu Kaido was especially planned by Tokugawa Ieyasu to secure his route to escape Edo in case of an attack.
He had the group of 100 special armed guards live in Shinjuku to help and protect him in case of need.

. Kooshuu Kaidoo, Kōshū Kaidō 甲州街道 Koshu Kaido Road .

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鉄砲組百人隊 Homepage
- source : edo-hinawa.com -

CLICK for more photos of the Teppo-Tai !

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During the Edo period, the villages of 柏木 Kashiwagi and 大久保 Okubo were agricultural districts on either side of Hyakunin-cho where samurai warrior residences were located.
These villages were known as vegetable producing areas. The samurai families cultivated plants and flowers and this a tradition was continued through the Meiji period (1868-1912) even though the samurai class itself had disappeared by then.
The area was particularly famous for its azaleas (tsutsuji).
Since Hyakunin-cho was a residential area of the constables (doshin) belonging to the Hyakunin (hundred-man) brigade of shooters operated by the Bakufu military government during the Edo period. During festivals held at the Kaichu Inari Shrine, they fired ceremonial volleys with firelocks.
- source : kanko-shinjuku.com -

. Ookubo, Ōkubo 大久保 Okubo district, Shinjuku .

. Kashiwagi mura 柏木村 Kashiwagi village, Shinjuku .

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. Kaichuu Inari Jinja　皆中稲荷神社 Kaichu Inari Shrine .
1-11-16 Hyakunin-cho, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo / 新宿区百人町1-11-16

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Star Lanterns at Hyakunincho, Aoyama, Eastern Capital
Utagawa Hiroshige II

. Aoyama 青山 Aoyama district, "Green Mountain" .

At the temple 丸普陀山長楽寺 Choraku-Ji
there is a 鬼形の石 stone in the form of a demon, called
Yashajin 夜叉神 Yasha-jin, the Yasha Deity.
The stone had been in the garden of a member of a family in 青山百人町 Hyakunin-Cho in Aoyama.

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Takano Chooei, Takano Chōei　高野長英 Takano Choei
(1804 - 1850)

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Choei Takano -
Physician and scholar of Western studies. Takano studied Dutch medicine in Nagasaki from a person named Siebold and opened his practice in Edo. He formed the research group of Western studies Shoshikai with Kazan Watanabe and others and delved into the study of Western culture. He was imprisoned for six years for writing “Yume Monogatari” (My Dream Vision), in which he criticized the diplomatic policies of the Shogunate, but he escaped from jail by bribing a prison guard to set fire to the prison. Although he returned to Edo and lived by hiding out in various places, he was eventually arrested and killed.

-- Association with Minato City
He spent his last days of life in his secret hiding place in Aoyama Hyakunin-cho

Choei changed his appearance by burning his face with chemicals and moved around the country, but he eventually returned to Edo in March 1850 and lived in hiding in Aoyama Hyakunin-cho. That area had a concentration of official residences of the Shogun’s foot soldiers and sympathizers, and the grounds of the residence of a foot soldier named Kojima contained a pawnbroker’s annex. Choei ran a medical practice on that premises under the false name of Sanpaku Sawa.

However, on the last day of October in the same year, he was attacked by a Shogunate official in an alley on his return home, arrested, and killed. A stone monument, inscribed with “The hiding place of Doctor Choei Takano,” stands where he died in what we know as Minamiaoyama. It was 48 years after his death before his honor was restored, and a commemorative monument inscribed with Kaishu Katsu’s composition was erected in Zenko Temple in Kita-Aoyama after he was posthumously bestowed the title of Lord.
In 1837, he wrote Yumemonogatari (My Dream Vision), which stressed the need to open Japan to the world after the 1837 attack on an American ship, the Morrison. He continued to translate Western books while on the run and translated such books as Iryo Suyo (Fundamentals of Medical Care). Although he was a brilliant scholar of Western studies and a pioneer in medicine, he had a rather unfortunate life.
- source : lib.city.minato.tokyo.jp -

. Medicine in Edo .

- reference : Takano Choei -

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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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6/16/2016

Iwamotocho district

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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Iwamotochoo, Iwamotochō 岩本町 Iwamotocho
Benkeibashi 弁慶橋 Benkeibashi bridge
Aizomegawa 藍染川 river Aizomegawa

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Iwamotochō (岩本町) is a district of Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan.
It consists of 3 chōme.
This article also deals with Kanda-Iwamotochō (神田岩本町). As of April 1, 2007, the total population of the two districts is 1,989.

Iwamotochō is located on the northeastern part of Chiyoda. The area consisting of both Iwamotochō and Kanda-Iwamotochō borders Kanda-Sakumakaji and Kanda-Sakumachō to the north; Higashi-Kanda to the east; Nihonbashi-Kodenmachō and Nihonbashi-Honchō, Chūō to the south; and Kanda-Sudachō, Kanda-Higashimatsushitachō, Kanda-Higashikonyachō, Kanda-Konyachō, Kanda-Nishifukudachō and Kanda-Mikurachō to the west.

Showa-Dori Avenue runs between Iwamotochō and Kanda-Iwamotochō. Iwamotochō, located east to the avenue, has already undergone modernization of the addressing system while, in Kanda-Iwamotochō, located west to the avenue, the modernization has not been enforced yet. In Chiyoda, many districts in the Kanda area has the prefix Kanda-; the addressing system modernization has not been enforced in such districts.
- source : wikipedia

During the early Edo period, this area was quite a swamp and unfit for human population. There was a cliff that looked almost like a goose, Iwapuchi　岩淵 and a lot of 笹 Sasa reeds grew here.
In the middle of the Edo period the area was dried and Samurai begun to build their estates here. A lot of the area was kept empty for fire protection purposes 火除明地.
The name Iwamoto begun to be used at the time, meaning "below the cliff/rock" 岩の根元.
Now there are many shops selling cloths and tailors have their ateliers there.

The bridge 弁慶橋 Benkeibashi crossed the river 藍染川 Aizomegawa here.

. Higashi-Ryukancho　東龍閑町 Higashi-Ryūkanchō .
Now Chioda ward, Iwamoto district and Kanda Iwamoto district and Higashi-Kanda.

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岩本町の歴史
家康入府の後、江戸の発展にともない、火災や洪水の防止と物流の大動脈として神田川が掘割されました。（万治4年、1661年）
その時、掘り出された土が川の両側に土手の様に積み上げられ、そこに柳の木が植えられた事からこのたり一帯を「柳原土手通り」と言います。

その土手にそった現在の岩本町・東神田地区はその頃より商人と職人の町、庶民の町として栄え、特に文明開化以後は「洋服」の街として東京の衣料の中心地として発展してきました。
- source : millionarrow.co.jp/history -

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藍染川 river Aizomegawa, Aizome-gawa, Aisomegawa

This river flowed in the Shinobazunoike 不忍池 Shinobazu pond.

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Kon'ya-cho 紺屋町　
This was a town ruled by the dyer 土屋五郎右衛門 Tsuchiya Goroemon who was allowed by Tokugawa Ieyasu to purchase Japanese indigo plants from the Kanto Region and Izu from the Keicho Era (1596-1615), where many indigo dyers lived together.
The river (channel) that flowed nearby was called the Aizome-gawa River (indigo dyed river).
The ruins of the small shrine called 於玉稲荷 Otamainari and the ruins of the 於玉が池 Otamagaike reservoir are located in the north of the town and it is associated with the following legend. During the middle ages, this area was along the highway to Oshu, and there was a beautiful woman named Tama who served tea to travelers near the reservoir. 2 men proposed marriage to Tama, however she could not decide between them and drowned herself in the reservoir.
It is said the village people dedicated the small shrine to Tama's spirit.
- source : ndl.go.jp/landmarks/e/sights -

. Konyachō 神田紺屋町 Konya-Cho .
- Introduction -

. 駒込千駄木町 Komagome Sendagi .
文京区 Bunkyo ward

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- reference : aizome-gawa -
"Aizome Gawa" (The Resurrection of a Woman at Aizome-gawa River), Noh Drama

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Benkeibashi 弁慶橋 Benkeibashi bridge

The bridge is rather steep and once you are on the top, there are two exits, one to the right and one to the left.
A text from 1732 mentions the difficult construction of this bridge, by the master carpenter named
Benkei Kozaemon 棟梁弁慶小左衛門.
The bridge spans over the Benkeigoo 弁慶濠 Benkei Moat, in 赤坂見附 Akasaka Mitsuke.

The bridge also connects to 紀尾井町 Kioicho, the area with the estates of the Kishu Tokugawa, Owari Tokugawa and Ii from Hakone were located.
「紀州徳川家」--「尾張徳川家」--「井伊家（彦根藩）」

source : yasuda.iobb.net/wp-googleearth

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Benkei Bashi Bridge
At first, a Kyoto Style wooden bridge Benkeibashi was built at the outer moat of Akasakamitsuke in 1888. The name Benkeibashi was named after another bridge across the Aizome River near the Otamaike pond in Kanda, (Kanda Matsued-cho, currently Iwamoto-cho). Due to reclamation work on the river the old bridge was dismantled and what materials remained were reused in the building of the new Benkeibashi bridge.
The original ”Benkeibashi” was built by the master carpenter “Daiku Benkei Kozaemon,” who was in the service of the Edo Shogunate. The name of the bridge comes from that man’s name.
The bridge was fully reconstructed in 1985 and careful consideration was given to its setting and historical nature. The construction began in October 1983 and was completed in December 1985. The opening ceremony was held on December 18, 1985 with many guests related to the construction in attendance.
- source : koujimachi.net/newtown -

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Benkeibashi [Strong man bridge] spanned the moat protecting the Fukiage approach into the Edo Castle (and, later, the Imperial Palace) grounds from Akasaka Mitsuke. Fukiage comprised the western area of the castle grounds made into a firebreak after the great Meireki fire of 1657. (A 10-acre section of the grounds was also turned into a garden, now within the grounds of the New Otani hotel.) The bridge as seen in these images was constructed in 1889. Sadly, as with Nihonbashi, an elevated expressway now almost completely obscures from aerial view the present-day Benkeibashi.

“There used to be parsley and shepherds-purse growing in spring on the banks of the Tamaike reservoir, and families used to got there to pick them. The flowers alongside the outer moat here were indeed so splendid that they would now be thought of as one of the sights of Tokyo. The green of the willows of Benkeibashi, too – especially in the haze of rain on a spring morning – were just indescribable.”
— Thirty Years in Tokyo, Tayama Katai, 1917

- Look at more photos here:
- reference source : oldtokyo.com/benkeibashi-akasaka-mitsuke -

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- source : yasuda.iobb.net -

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Lafcadio Hearn in Japan
The scene viewed from Benkeibashi Bridge near Hotel New Otani in Akasaka,Tokyo. This place around the exterior moat of Edo Castle is now heavy traffic,but only a few passengers passed at the time of Edo period.
The left picture shows around the scene of Kinokunizaka Slope,the stage of the novel titled "Mujina".
In the beginning of the novel, there are passages as follows,

"On the Akasaka Road,in Tokyo,there is a slope called Kii-no-kuni-zaka-which means the Slope of the Province of Kii. I do not know why it is called the Slope of the Province of Kii. On one side of this slope you see an ancient moat, deep and very wide, with high green banks rising up to some place of gardens."
- source : bekkoame.ne.jp/~gensei -

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Benkei Bridge - Sekino Jun'ichirō, 1945
..... His subject in this print is Benkei Bridge, which crosses the outer moat of Edo Castle on the north side. Named for a legendary monk-warrior of the twelfth century, it still stands today.

- source : myjapanesehanga.com -

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The old bridge is now gone and only a marker 弁慶橋跡　reminds of its presence.

- reference source -

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. Musashibo Benkei 武蔵坊弁慶 (? - 1189) .

- reference : Benkeibashi Edo -

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. 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 .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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5/06/2016

Yurakucho district

- quote
Yūrakuchō (有楽町) is a neighborhood of Chiyoda, Tokyo, situated in between the Ginza and Hibiya Park, near the neighborhood of Shinbashi. Unlike its tonier neighbor Ginza, Yūrakuchō provides a glimpse of Japanese life from the early postwar period, with its many izakaya (Japanese-style bars, denoted by their red lanterns known as akachochin) and outdoor yakitori restaurants, many of which are located under the train tracks serving Tokyo's JR Yamanote Line. Because of its many traditional Japanese-style eating establishments, as well as its location on the Yamanote Line with easy access to Tokyo Station, Yūrakuchō is a favorite drinking spot for businessmen on their way home from work.

Yūrakuchō is served by several train and subway stations, including Yūrakuchō Station on the JR Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tōhoku Line, and Yūrakuchō Station on the Yūrakuchō subway line.

The neighborhood takes its name from Oda Nagamasu (or Urakusai, 1547–1622), younger brother of Oda Nobunaga. Nagamasu built his mansion here on land near the Sukiya-bashi Gate of Edo Castle granted by Tokugawa Ieyasu.

In 1707, the Tokugawa shogunate established the Minami-machi Bugyō-sho, the office of one of the magistrates of Edo, in this area.

The place name dates from the Meiji period. It arises from an altered pronunciation of Urakusai.
- source : wikipedia

. Sukiyabashi 数奇屋橋 Sukiyabashi Bridge "tea room bridge".
Moto-Sukiya cho 元数奇屋町 Moto-Sukiya district, Chuo ward 中央区銀座五丁目 Ginza 5th district

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Edomaejima, Edo Maejima 江戸前島　

- quote -
Long ago, reed beds, tidal flats, and shallow sea stretched across the area surrounding Edo Castle, and there was little even ground for people to live on; the area from today’s Hibiya to Otemachi was once known as Hibiya Bay,
while what is now the land from Nihonbashi to Yurakucho was a sandbar called Edomaejima.
When he moved to Edo in 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu immediately set about filling in the tidal flats and shallow sea of Edo Bay and engaged in urban development focused on the use of waterways for transportation. The land reclamation conducted during the Edo period crossed over the Sumida River to reach 2,700 hectares of land. This is equal to the total area of the Shibuya and Chiyoda cities. Channels for rivers and canals were built to smoothly transport goods over water, resulting in the rapid growth of Edo to become one of the largest cities in the world with one million residents living inside its borders by the end of the Tokugawa shogunate government.
- source : botanicallegacy/en/tokyo/waterside... -

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Oda Urakusai Nagamasu 織田有楽斎長益
(1547 - 1621）

- quote -
Oda Nagamasu 織田長益
(1548 – January 24, 1622) was a Japanese daimyo who lived from the late Sengoku period through the early Edo period. Also known as Urakusai (有楽斎), he was a brother of Oda Nobunaga.
Nagamasu converted to Christianity in 1588 and took the baptismal name of John.

Nagamasu
was an accomplished practitioner of the tea ceremony, which he studied under the master, Sen no Rikyū. He eventually started his own school of the tea ceremony.

Nagamasu
divided his fief between his sons Nagamasa and Hisanaga. Nagamasa founded the Kaijū-Shibamura Domain, while Hisanaga became lord of the Yanagimoto Domain.
- source : wikipedia -

Urakubara 有楽原 Urakubara district
This was the old name of part of the Yurakucho district, renamed in 1872.

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There is also a camellia plant named after Urakusai.
Uraku Tsubaki 有楽椿（ウラクツバキ）
He liked this plant very much for his tea room decoration.

In Tokyo this Camellia is called
Taroo Kaja 太郎冠者（たろうかじゃ) Taro Kaja

- reference : geocities.jp/tknrjpn -

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Uraku-En 有楽苑 Uraku-En Park and Jo-An 如庵
one of the famous gardens in Japan.

Jo-an (如庵) is a seventeenth-century teahouse in Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Said to be one of the three finest teahouses in the country, in 1951 it was designated a National Treasure.

Jo-an was originally built c.1618 in Kennin-ji, Kyoto by Oda Urakusai, younger brother of Oda Nobunaga and disciple of Sen no Rikyū. Relocated a number of times, since 1972 it has formed part of the Urakuen gardens in Inuyama.
- source : wikipedia -

愛知県犬山市大字犬山字御門先6
Meitetsu Inuyama Hotel Urakuen / Joan - HP
- reference : m-inuyama-h.co.jp/urakuen -

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

薫風や鼻緒のゆるき有楽苑
kunpuu ya hanao no yuruki yuurakuen

this fragrant breeze -
the loose string of my sandal
at Yuraku-En
Tr. Gabi Greve

Satoo Mieko 佐藤美恵子 Sato Mieko

. kunpuu　薫風、kaze kaoru　風薫 scented breeze .
- - kigo for summer - -

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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]- - - - - #yurakucho #urakusai - - - -
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3/26/2016

Sekigahara

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .
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Sakigahara　関が原 / 関ケ原 / 関ヶ原

The village of Sekigahara 関ケ原町 Sekigahara-cho is located in the Fuwa District of Gifu.
In 1600, the Battle of Sekigahara took place here.

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- quote
The Battle of Sekigahara
(関ヶ原の戦い/ 關ヶ原の戰い Sekigahara no Tatakai)
was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) that preceded the establishment of the Tokugawa shogunate.
Tokugawa Ieyasu
took three more years to consolidate his position of power over the Toyotomi clan and the daimyo, but Sekigahara is widely considered to be the unofficial beginning of the Tokugawa bakufu, the last shogunate to control Japan. Japan had a long period of peace after the battle.
- snip -
- - - - - Seeds of dissent from Sekigahara
While most clans were content with their new status, there were many clans, especially those on the western side, who became bitter about their displacement or what they saw as a dishonorable defeat or punishment. Three clans in particular did not take the aftermath of Sekigahara lightly:
The Mōri clan,
headed by Mōri Terumoto (Mori Terumoto), remained angry toward the Tokugawa shogunate for being displaced from their fief, Aki, and being relocated to the Chōshū Domain, even though the clan did not take part in the battle at all.
The Shimazu clan,
headed by Shimazu Yoshihiro, blamed the defeat on its poor intelligence-gathering, and while they were not displaced from their home province of Satsuma, they did not become completely loyal to the Tokugawa shogunate either. Taking advantage of its large distance between Edo and the island of Kyūshū as well as its improved espionage, the Shimazu clan demonstrated that it was virtually an autonomous kingdom independent from the Tokugawa shogunate during its last days.
The Chōsokabe clan,
headed by Chōsokabe Morichika, was stripped of its title and domain of Tosa and sent into exile. Former Chōsokabe retainers never quite came to terms with the new ruling family, the Yamauchi clan, which made a distinction between its own retainers and former Chōsokabe retainers, giving them lesser status as well as discriminatory treatment. This class distinction continued even generations after the fall of the Chōsokabe clan.
The descendants of these three clans would in two centuries collaborate to bring down the Tokugawa shogunate, leading to the Meiji Restoration.
- - - More details in the WIKIPEDIA !

Sekigahara Kassen Byōbu (『関ヶ原合戦屏風』),
Japanese screen depicting the Battle of Sekigahara (関ヶ原の戦い).
This 1854 replica recreates the original Hikone-jō Bon Sekigahara Kassen Byōbu (彦根城本『関ヶ原合戦屏風』 by Sadanobu Kanō (狩野貞信) from the 1620s and was a treasure of the Lord Ii of Hikone (彦根藩井伊家) thereinafter.
However, it is not a faithful rendition of the original, with some noticeable omissions and design alterations throughout the layout. Collection of The Town of Sekigahara Archive of History and Cultural Anthropology (関ヶ原町歴史民俗資料館所蔵), found in a private collection of a long-term resident of Ōgaki, near Sekigahara.
- source : commons.wikimedia.org -

. Mori Terumoto about winning a battle .
"The Mori Clan should never be involved in a battle!".

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. Nakasendoo　中山道 Nakasendo Road .

58. Sekigahara-juku 関ヶ原宿

Hiroshige print

- quote -
Sekigahara-juku is convenient because it is located at the intersection of many roads. In addition to being part of the Nakasendō, it also is connected to the Hokkoku Kaidō and the Ise Kaidō. However, its location has also been the site of many battles, including the Jinshin War and the Battle of Sekigahara.
In 1843,
the post station had 1,389 residents and 269 buildings. Among the buildings, there was one honjin, one sub-honjin, and 33 hatago.
As the area around the former Sekigahara-juku remains a convenient and popular transportation hub, there are no ruins of the former post town to be found. However, because of all the battles in their area, there are many other ruins that can be seen.
- source : wikipedia -

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- quote - Japan Times -
Battle of Sekigahara: a war set in stone
by Stephen Mansfield
They were selling steamed buns and mugwort ice cream to a handful of history buffs when I arrived at the entrance to War Land, or to use its full name, The Immersion Museum — Sekigahara War Land.
- snip -
The open valley basins of Gifu Prefecture at the very center of Honshu, where the town of Sekigahara lies, were easily co-opted as theaters of war. It’s no coincidence, given the martial history of the region, that the prefectural town of Seki, sitting on the Nakasendo trunk road connecting Tokyo (then Edo) and Kyoto, was once known as the premier sword-making spot in the country.

CLICK for more photos !

Sekigahara was second only to the Battle of Okinawa in being the largest armed conflict between two opposing armies to take place on Japanese soil. It was unquestionably the foremost confrontation between two Japanese forces. In terms of Japanese history, the battle altering the future course of the nation might be compared to Gettysburg.
- snip -
- source : japantimes.co.jp/life/2016/03/19-

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- quote -
In 1600, Sekigahara, the dividing point between eastern and western Japan, was the scene of a decisive battle fought between the Eastern Army led by Tokugawa Ieyasu who aimed to unite Japan under his rule, and the Western Army formed to fight the Tokugawa forces under the command of Ishida Mitsunari.
Although the Western Army had a slight upper hand at first, the situation reversed when Kobayakawa Hideaki defected to the Eastern Army resulting in its victory.

The Battle of Sekigahara, regarded as one of the largest pivotal conflicts in Japanese history, lasted only six hours. Three years later, Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate at Edo (present-day Tokyo) and took over the rule of Japan. The town of Sekigahara which served as the battlefield of this massive battle abounds today with historic battle-related landmarks. We invite you to come and explore the army base camps and historic landmarks of the Battle of Sekigahara which will take you back to the time of this historic battle. You can also enjoy the beautiful natural surroundings as you stroll around the town of Sekigahara.
- source : kanko-sekigahara.jp -

- further reference -

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やぎ乳アイス Ice cream from Goat's milk
笹尾山麓で関ヶ原名物 - speciality from Sekigahara

. aisukuriimu アイスクリーム ice cream .

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shigure hamaguri 時雨蛤 clamshells in sweet syrup
This refers back to the famous battle of Sekigahara (1600), near Ogaki castle, where the fishermen of Kuwana gave some clams to Tokugawa Ieyasu.
The clams are harvested out of the sand and then left for a while in a bucket of plain water to spit out the sand they still have in their body. They are then boiled in this water with shredded ginger roots and then cooled. Next they are simmered in special soy sauce from Ise (tamari shoyu たまり醤油) and flavored with sweet mizuame syrup.

. WASHOKU - clamshell, hamaguri 蛤 (はまぐり) .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

Yamabushi 山伏 mountain priest
During the Battle of Sekigahara, a Samurai cut off the legs of a mountain priest and took away all his food. The Yamabushi cursed him until the seventh generation and then died.
Since then, if a Head of this Samurai family inherits the name, he will suffer from heavy pain in his legs. If he passes on the Headship, he will be healed.

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Ehime 愛媛県砥部町 Tobe

mekura hebi メクラヘビ the blind snake
Once upon a time
in the 芳賀家 Haga famili, which served as village head, there was a very special woman. She had been to the Battle of Sekigahara and came back. But the family thought of her as a shame and killed her.
Since then there roamed a blind snake in 猿谷 Saruya and got killed, but was later venerated in a Shinto shrine.
She became the deity 芳賀大明神 Haga Daimyojin.

and not related another legend from Matsuyama
八股榎お袖大明神（やつまたえのきおそでだいみょうじん）
Yatsumata Enoki O-Sode Daimyojin
- source : wikipedia -

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Gifu 岐阜県

Nagaragawa no kajika 長良川の河鹿 the Kajika frogs of Nagaragawa
The he lost the battle, female attendants of Oda Hidenobu 織田秀信 (1580 - 1605) threw themselves in the river Nagaragawa and died. Their souls became the Kajika frogs.

. kajikagaeru　河鹿蛙 Polypedates buergeri, river frog .

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Mie 三重県松坂市 Matsuzaka

Kawakami Hachimangu 川上八幡宮　Shrine
At the battle of Sekigaraha, the head of 大谷刑部 Otani Gyobu (Otani Yoshitsugu, 1559 - 1600) was burried at the roots of some 菖蒲 Japanese Iris by a vassal. A wandering priest observed this, and told Tokugawa Ieyasu that he had cut off the head. Later he became the first Lord of the Todo Clan of Ise 伊勢の藤堂家.
The head of Gyobu was burried at the Shrine Kawakami Hachimangu, but it brought a curse with it.
So the Head of the Todo clan cound never visit this shrine.

川上八幡宮　-　三重県津市美杉町川上3498
3498 Misugicho Kawakami, Tsu, Mie - - - HP of the shrine S
- reference : wakamiya.info-

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Shiga 滋賀県

At the battle of Sekigahara, the leader of the loosing Western Army pleaded for its soldiers not to be beheaded,
but the Eastern Army, in its frenzy of victory, beheaded them all. A serpent living in the weeds there was all washed in blood and became blind and all white.
The souls of the dead slipped into its body and to our day a white serpent lingers on the mountain roads of the region.

When Ishida Mitsunari 石田三成 lost the battle of Sekigahara, his wife and her attendants threw themselves into the ponds 千貫池 Senkan-Ike and 万貫池 Mankan-Ike. Their curse stayed with the ponds and during a great rainfall at night people hear their crying and sniffing voices to our day.

. Ishida Mitsunari 石田三成 (1560 - 1600) .

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Shizuoka 静岡県

Otoragitsune, O-Tora-Gitsune お寅狐 the Fox named Tora (Tiger)
In this area, there are many stories about people being bewitched by a special fox, the
Toragitsune.
When he heard the sound of guns during the Battle of Sekigahara, he run away and became lame on one leg. People who are bewitched by this fox become lame, but also begin to talk about war strategy.

関が原の戦いで鉄砲の音がしてから逃げたらビッコになったという。
. Otoragitsune, O-Tora-Gitsune お寅狐 The Fox named Tora (Tiger) .
and the Battle of Nagashino (長篠の戦い).

- LINK to many ema 絵馬 votive tablets with O-Toragitsune:
- source : youkaiodaie.blog.fc2.com -

This seems a mix-up with the name of the battle of Nagashino,
Nagashino Shitaragahara　長篠設楽原　(ながしのしたらがはら).

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- - - - - H A I K U and S E N R Y U - - - - -

関ヶ原畦一筋の野火走る
Sekigahara aze hitosuji no nobi hashiru

Sekigahara -
burning the small paths
between the withered fields
Tr. Gabi Greve

山本悦子 Yamamoto Etsuko

. WKD : nobi 野火（のび）fire of the withered fields .
noyaki 野焼 (のやき) burning the withered fields
- - kigo for spring - -

source : momotaro.naganoblog.jp

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蚊柱のさまよい歩く関が原
岩下四十雀

あらたまの虹かかりゐる関ケ原
鈴木恵美子

胴赤き蟻のさまよふ関ケ原
荒島禾生

古藁塚は伏兵霧の関ヶ原
柴田奈美

- source : haikureiku 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 .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]- - - - - #sekigahara - - - -
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3/06/2016

Yayosugashi district

source : rootsdiscovery/yaesu3

A map from 1865. The letters 「八代洲（やよす）川岸」 can be seen beside the gate 和田倉門前.
Jan Joosten presented Tokugawa Ieyasu with 24 lion cubs 虎の子.
In 1872 this area became 八重洲町 Yaesu and in 1929 part of Marunouchi 丸の内.
The district was named 中央区八重洲 in 1954.
Yaesu Avenue has a monument dedicated to Jan Joosten and his life after his arrival in Japan on the Liefde with William Adams.

. William Adams - Miura Anjin 三浦按針 .
(1564 - 1620)

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- quote
Nihonbashi, Yaesu-dōri / Chūō-dōri
Joosten was born in Delft 1556 and died in the South Chinese Sea 1623.

The monument is located in the middle of the Yaesu-dōri (= Jan Joosten Avenue) on the intersection with the Chūō-dōri (Chuo Avenue).

Bronze plaque with two rings, which are shaped as navigtational instruments. The left is dedicated to Jan Joosten van Lodensteyn, includes a copy of the Jan Joosten bust made by L. Braat, which is found a couple of hundred meters further in the Yaesu Shopping Mall. The right ring is dedicated to the ship De Liefde. Both halves contain a long explanation in Japanese and Dutch.

- source : vanderkrogt.net/statues

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- quote -
Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn
(c. 1560 – 1623), or simply Jan Joosten, was a native of Delft and one of the first Dutchmen in Japan, arriving as one of William Adams's shipmates (the second mate) on the De Liefde, which was disabled on the coast of Kyūshū in 1600.
- - - - - Early life in Japan
The De Liefde departed Rotterdam in 1598, on a trading voyage and attempted a circumnavigation of the globe. It was wrecked in Japan in 1600. The 24 survivors were received by future Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who questioned them at length on European politics and foreign affairs. As with William Adams, Joosten was selected to be a confidant of the Shogun on foreign and military affairs, and he contributed to the development of relations between the Netherlands and Japan, thereby weakening the influence of Portugal and Spain.

For his services, Jan Joosten was granted a house in Edo (now Tokyo) in a part of the city that came to be called "Yayosu Quay" after him — his name was pronounced yan yōsuten in Japanese (short: Yayōsu (耶楊子)) — and the name exists in the name of Yaesu side of Tokyo Station. Although not allowed to return to the Netherlands, Joosten was allowed to take a Japanese wife and was given a permit to engage in foreign trade. He was privileged to wear the two swords of the samurai and received an annual stipend which placed him (along with Adams) among the ranks of the hatamoto or direct retainers of the Shogun. Joosten was said to be a drunk with a choleric temperament, and at one point was not welcome at Ieyasu's court.

Joosten is reported to have made a fortune in trade between Japan and Southeast Asia, chartering several Red Seal Ships under license from Tokugawa Ieyasu.
After the establishment of the Dutch Factory in Hirado, he became a middleman between Dutch merchants and the Shogunate.
He is also said to have been to Siam on one of his ships, with the Japanese adventurer and author Tenjiku Tokubei. Later, he attempted to return to the Netherlands, but after reaching Batavia, he was denied permission by Dutch authorities to proceed further.
He drowned in the South China Sea in 1623 when his ship sank as he was returning to Japan.
- - - source : WIKIPEDIA

Tenjiku Tokubei 天竺徳兵衛 (1612 - c. 1692)
a Japanese adventurer and writer of the early 17th century. He traveled to Southeast and South Asia, hence his "Tenjiku" (Japanese: 天竺, East Asian name of "India") nickname.
He was born in Sendo-machi, Takasago-cho, in today's Hyōgo Prefecture in 1612. His father was a salt wholesaler.
At the age of fifteen, in 1626, Tokubei was hired by a trading company in Kyoto. He pursued commercial activities aboard Japanese Red Seal Ships.
In 1627, Tokubei visited China, Vietnam and Siam (modern Thailand) on board a Japanese Red Seal ship. He would stay for some time in Siam and again visit the country on board one of the ships of the Dutch adventurer Jan Joosten van Lodensteijn. He also sailed to India, to the source of the Ganges, and the country of Magadha, and returned with great wealth and numerous stories to tell.
Upon his return to Japan,
and after the introduction of the Seclusion policy (Sakoku), Tokubei wrote an essay titled "Tenjiku Tokai Monogatari" (天竺渡海物語, "Relations of sea travels to India") on his adventures in foreign countries, which became very popular in Japan.

彩入御伽草 Eiri Otogi Zôshi - Kabuki actor 尾上松助 Onoe Matsusuke
Utagawa Toyokuni 歌川豊国

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Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)
Utagawa Hiroshige was born in 1797 in the Yayosugashi district of Edo, the son of Ando Genemon, a member of the fire-fighting brigade maintained by the Tokugawa Shogunate. At the time, Kitagawa Utamaro and Toshusai Sharaku were at their prime as ukiyo-e artists. Ukiyo-e, which means art of the floating world, refers to the impermanence of life and the enjoyment of pleasure free of mundane concerns. ...
After the death of his parents in 1809, Andō Tokutarō (Hiroshige) took over his father's place as a firefighter.
- source : bk.mufg.jp/global/newsroom -

江戸の八代洲河岸（やよすがし）定火消屋敷の同心、安藤源右衛門の子.
. Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重 .

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八重洲大路ふと秋風に出遇ひけり
Yaesu ooji futo akikaze ni deai keri

at Yaesu Road
I come to meet a bout
of autumn wind . . .
Tr. Gabi Greve

Sutoo Shooko 須藤省子 Suto Shoko (1923 - )

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .

. Persons and People of Edo - Personen .

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