Ian Buruma - about Edo

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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
. Famous Persons and People of Edo .
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Ian Buruma

The New York Review of Books - Editor



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Ian Buruma (born December 28, 1951) is a Dutch writer, editor and historian who lives and works in the United States. In May 2017, he was named editor of The New York Review of Books.[1] Much of his writing focuses on the culture of Asia, particularly that of China and 20th-century Japan. He has been the Paul W. Williams Professor of Human Rights and Journalism at Bard College since 2003.

- - - - - Works
The Japanese Tattoo. Weatherhill. 1980. ISBN 978-0834801493. with Donald Richie
Behind the Mask: On Sexual Demons, Sacred Mothers, Transvestites, Gangsters, Drifters, and Other Japanese Cultural Heroes. New American Library. 1983. ISBN 978-0452010543.
A Japanese Mirror: Heroes and Villains of Japanese Culture. London: Jonathan Cape. 1984. ISBN 978-0224020497.
Tokyo: Form and Spirit (1986) with James Brandon, Kenneth Frampton, Martin Friedman, Donald Richie ISBN 978-0-8109-1690-6
God's Dust: A Modern Asian Journey (1989) ISBN 978-0-7538-1089-7
Great Cities of the World: Hong Kong (1991)
Playing the Game (1991) novel ISBN 978-0-374-52633-7
The Wages of Guilt: Memories of War in Germany and in Japan (1994) ISBN 978-0-452-01156-4
Introduction for Geisha: The Life, the Voices, the Art (1998) by Jodi Cobb ISBN 978-0-375-70180-1
Voltaire's Coconuts, or Anglomania in Europe (UK title) (1998) or Anglomania: a European Love Affair (US title) (1999) ISBN 978-0-7538-0954-9
The Missionary and the Libertine: Love and War in East and West (2000) compilation ISBN 978-0-571-21414-3
De neo-romantiek van schrijvers in exil ("Neoromanticism of writers in exile") (2000) ISBN 90-446-0028-1
Bad Elements: Chinese Rebels from Los Angeles to Beijing (2001) ISBN 978-0-679-78136-3
Inventing Japan: From Empire to Economic Miracle 1853–1964 (2003) ISBN 978-0-679-64085-1
Occidentalism: The West in the Eyes of Its Enemies (2004) with Avishai Margalit ISBN 978-0-14-303487-2
Murder in Amsterdam: The Death of Theo Van Gogh and the Limits of Tolerance (2006) ISBN 978-1-59420-108-0 winner of The Los Angeles Times Book Prize for the Best Current Interest Book.
Conversations with John Schlesinger (2006) ISBN 0-375-75763-5
Commentary on the History of China for the time period of The Last Emperor, The Criterion Collection 2008 DVDs (ASIN: B000ZM1MIW, ISBN 978-1-60465-014-3).
The China Lover (2008) novel ISBN 978-1-59420-194-3
Taming the Gods: Religion and Democracy on Three Continents (2010) ISBN 978-0-691-13489-5, with some historical examples of the value the separation of religion and national governance with the separation of church and state as one example.
Grenzen aan de vrijheid: van De Sade tot Wilders (Limits to Freedom: From De Sade to Wilders) (2010) ISBN 978-90-477-0262-7 – Essay for the Month of Philosophy in the Netherlands.
Year Zero: A History of 1945. New York, NY: The Penguin Press. 2013. ISBN 978-1594204364.
Their Promised Land: My Grandparents in Love and War (2016)

- - - - - Essays
Theater of Cruelty: Art, Film, and the Shadows of War ISBN 978-1590177778
China's class ceiling, published in the Los Angeles Times
The Pilgrimage From Tiananmen Square, published in The New York Times

- source : wikipedia-



The ‘Indescribable Fragrance’ of Youths
A Third Gender: Beautiful Youths in Japanese Edo-Period Prints and Paintings (1600–1868)
- source : nybooks.com/articles ...

Myth-Maker of the Brothel - Utamaro
http://www.nybooks.com/daily/2017/06/29/myth-maker-of-the-brothel-utamaro/

The Sensualist
What makes “The Tale of Genji” so seductive.
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-sensualist-books-buruma

Who Can Put Across Genji?
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2016/01/14/who-can-put-across-genji/

Nymphets in the New Japan
http://www.nybooks.com/articles/2017/06/08/nymphets-in-the-new-japan/


Chinese Shadows
Tokyo Boogie-Woogie
Weeping Tears of Nostalgia

- further reference : nybooks.com/search -

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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !

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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 .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #ianburuma - - - -
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Ushigome

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Ushigome 牛込 Ushigome district, Shinjuku
- former - Ushigome-Ku 牛込区 Ushigome ward
There is also Ushigome in Chiba prefecture.

The area used to be an extensive pasture land for cattle already in the Asuka period around 700, hence the name, "herds of cattle".
A part of it was called Ushigome-mura　牛込村.

On March 15, 1947, the three wards of Yotsuya, Ushigome, and Yodobashi merged to create Shinjuku City.
. Shinjuku　新宿　 .

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In an edict during the reign of Monmu Tennō 文武天皇 Emperor Monmu (701-704) a place variously referred to as Kanzaki no Gyūmaki 神崎牛牧 Kanzaki Cattle Ranch and Gyūnyūin 乳牛院“The Milk Institute” was established in the area in the vicinity of Moto-Akagi Jinja 元赤城神社 Old Akagi Shrine.
A branch of the Ōgo Ōgo-shi 大胡氏 Ogo clan from Kōzuke no Kuni 上野国 Kōzuke Province had been living in the Ushigome area since the 1300’s.
- source : japanthis.com/2013 -

- reference source : Akagi Shrine Homepage -





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Ushigome moat, a moat that exists between Iidabashi Station and Ichigaya Station. It forms part of the boundary between Shinjuku and Chiyoda wards.
Ushigome Mitsuke, one of the 36 mitsuke of the Edo Castle, existed on the Chiyoda side of Ushigome bridge.
Ushigome Haraikatamachi 牛込払方町 "district of payment makers"
Ushigome Yanagichō 柳町　- "Cow-Packed Willow Town"
- source : wikipedia

牛込馬場下横町 Ushigome Babashita Yokocho (present 喜久井町 Kikuicho)
Ushigome Go-Tansucho 牛込御箪笥町 "Village of Tansu makers" (see below)


牛込神楽坂 Ushigome Kagurazaka
Utagawa Hiroshige, 1840.


Ushigomebashi 牛込橋 Ushigome Bridge
This bridge led from Kagurazaka to Edo Castle. If you crossed the bridge you would arrive at Ushigome-mitsuke 牛込見附 Ushigome Approach and there you would see the Ushigome go-mon 牛込御門 Ushigome Gate. The bridge spanned Ushigomebori 牛込濠 Ushigome Moat. Today the moat is dammed up under the bridge and the Chūō Line runs under it.



The Weir of the River Kandagawa at Kagurazaka
Edo Meisho Zue 江戸名所図会 「目白下大洗堰」


. Iidamachi, Iida-machi　飯田町 Iidamachi district .
飯田橋 Iidabashi Bridge .

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Bentenchoo 牛込弁天町 Ushigome Bentencho
. 多聞院 Tamon-In .
（新宿区弁天町100） Bentencho, Shinjuku

. Ushigome Iwato cho 牛込岩戸町 Ushigome Iwato district .

. Ushigome Kagurazaka 牛込神楽坂 "Slope of the Music of the Gods" .
軽子坂 Karukozaka　Slope of the light workers"

. Ushigome Yaraicho 矢来町 "Palisade quarter" .

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牛込城　remains of Ushigome Castle

In 1553 a member of the Ōgo-shi 大胡氏 Ōgo clan switched allegiance from the Uesugi to the Hōjō and in return was granted dominion over the area stretching from present day Ushigome to Hibiya (ie; Edo Bay). The lord built a castle (fortified residence) somewhere in that area and took the place name to establish his own branch of the family and thus the Ushigome clan was born, 牛込氏 Ushigome-shi. The area is elevated so it would have been defensible. It also had a view of Edo Bay and so they could keep an eye on who was coming in and out of Edo-wan E江戸湾 do Bay.
... It’s not clear where the castle was located, but there is a tradition at Kōshō-ji 光照寺 Kōshō Temple that says the temple was built on the site of 牛込城 Ushigome Castle.
- source : japanthis.com/2013 -


- CLICK for more photos of the area !

. Ushigome Katsushige 牛込勝重 .
lord of 牛込城　Ushigome Castle.
and more about Tansumachi 箪笥町 / Koishikawa Gotansu Machi 小石川御箪笥町
In 1713, this area was entrusted to a local magistracy and a town was developed. The original name of the town was 牛込御箪笥町 Ushigome go-tansu machi.




Ushigome Go-Tansucho 牛込御箪笥町 "Village of Tansu makers"

春立つやぶらり牛込箪笥町
haru tatsu ya burari Ushigome Tansumachi

spring begins -
I take a leisurely walk in Ushigome
Tansumachi town

赤瀬川昌彦 Akasegawa Masahiko

. tansu 箪笥 / 簞笥 / たんす chest of drawers, Kommode .
箪笥町 Tansumachi, Tansucho


Tansumachi 箪笥町 / Koishikawa Gotansu Machi 小石川御箪笥町



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Ushigome Fukuromachi　江戸牛込袋町

Its northern part borders to Kagurazaka. In 1869 Fukuromachi became Ushigome Fukuromachi.



Part of the 牛込城 Ushigome Castle district in the 戦国時代 Sengoku Period of Warring States (1467 - 1567).
In the early Edo period it was part of 牛込肴町 Ushigome Sakanamachi, and many dealers in straw lived there
(藁店 waradana). They lived mainly on a slope ending at the castle gate 御徒組の門 Okachigumi no mon, thus on a fukurokooji 袋小路 cul-de-sac. This turned to the naming of Fukuromachi.

In 1645 the temple Kooshooji, Kōshōji 光照寺 Kosho-Ji was established and the district flourished in its shadow.
In 1765 the 司天台 government observatory was relocated here, but the many trees in the area were a distraction and the observatory was moved to Asakusa in 1782.
. tenmondai 天文台　Edo observatory - Introduction .

In the late Edo period an entertainment establishment named 藁店亭 Waradana Tei was built and 都々逸坊扇歌 Dodoitsubo Senka the First (1804 - 1852) was active here.
He was a singer- raconteur who scored his greatest triumphs singing dodoitsu and other popular songs.
In the Meiji period, this became the 和良店亭 Waradana Tei, where 夏目漱石 Natsume Soseki used to come visiting.



- reference : Dodoitsubo Senka and the. Yose of Edo -

Dodoitsu (都々逸) is a form of Japanese poetry developed towards the end of the Edo Period.
Often concerning love or work, and usually comical, Dodoitsu poems consist of four lines with the syllabic structure 7-7-7-5 and no rhyme for a total of 26 syllables, making it one of the longer Japanese forms. The form, tone and structure of Dodoitsu derive from Japanese folk song traditions.
. rōsaibushi 弄斎節 rosai-bushi, Rosai comic song .


. Okachimachi 御徒町 Okachimachi district .

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modern 地蔵坂（藁店）Jizo-saka, Waradana

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itachi no kai 鼬の怪 the monster weasel
In 1821 the daughter of a merchant living in 江戸牛込袋町 Ushigome Fukuromachi had a strange disease of swellings in many parts of her body. Eventually even needles were coming ot of the swellings. At night when she slept, they saw a weasle running around in her bedsheets and under the matress.


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Kōitsu, 土屋光逸　Tsuchiya Koitsu (1870 – 1949)

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Haraikatamachi 牛込払方町 Ushigome Haraikata district
"district of the payment makers"
東京都新宿区



The Bakufu government had created various groups to care for the daily life in Edo castle.
One group was the Nando Dooshin 納戸同心 Nando Doshin - Officials for the store rooms.
Before 1648, there were two 納戸頭 Nando leaders supervising about 50 workers.
In 1648, two more leaders were added and the groups divided into
motokata　元方 and haraikata 払方
The Motokata had to take care to get the provisions, like robes, tools and money for the castle members.
The Haraikata had to take care of the payments of all these things.
- harau 払う to make a payment -

In the beginning, there was the temple 天竜寺 Tenryu-Ji in this area, but it burned down during a fire 19 1683 and later moved to Yotsuya. The Haraikata where then located to this area.
In 1696, the district came under the direct jurisdiction of the Edo Bakufu government.
In 1718, there were four groups and 組頭8人 8 group leaders.


. Edo goyaku　江戸五役　the five official worker groups of Edo castle .


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. Ichigaya 市谷 / 市ヶ谷 / 市ケ谷 "Market Valley" . - Shinjuku

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. Tsukudo, Tsukudo-chō 筑土町 Tsukudo district .

Yochoomachi 牛込余丁町 Ushigome Yochomachi district
No sub-districts.



During the Edo period, this area was part of 大久保村 Okubomura village. Later it became the estate of 旗本 a Hatamoto.
There were four 横町 alleys, so the area was also called 大久保四丁町 Okubo Shichomachi.
In 1872, it became part of 大久保前町 Okubochozencho, but since the number 四 shi has a bad omen, having the same reading SHI as 死 death, it was re-named
大久保余丁町 Okubo Yochomachi.
The number four 四 can also be read YON.
In 1911 it became 余丁町 Yochomachi.




厳嶋神社 - 抜弁天 Itsukushima Jinja Nukebenten Shrine
東京都新宿区余丁町8-5 / 8-5 Yochomachi, Shinjuku, Tokyo

In 1086, when Minamoto no Yoshiie was on his way to Northern Japan, he took residence here, because it was the highest area. Fujisan could be seen clearly in the distance.
To give thanks for his victory （and escape, nuke) he had the shrine built in memory of the Itsukushima Shrine on his way back.
Since the escape road passed straight from South to North through the shrine compound, it was also called Nuke-Benten.
This shrine is one of the six famous Benten in Edo.

. Minamoto no Yoshiie Hachimantaro 源八幡太郎義家 / 源義家 . - (1039 - 1106)

. Edo roku Benten 江戸六弁天 Six famous Benten in Edo .

. Itsukushima Jinja Shrine 厳島神社 .
Miyajima 宮島 Hiroshima　広島県


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- Sub-districts of Ushigome

【牛込①】町名内容現在：1891(明治24)年月日不明　早稲田鶴巻町起立時
001市ヶ谷田町　002市ヶ谷本村町　003市ヶ谷船河原町　004市ヶ谷砂土原町　005市ヶ谷佐内坂町　006市ヶ谷長延寺谷町　007市ヶ谷鷹匠町　008市ヶ谷八幡町　009市ヶ谷加賀町　010市ヶ谷甲良町　011市ヶ谷山伏町　012市ヶ谷柳町　013市ヶ谷薬王寺前町　014市ヶ谷谷町　015市ヶ谷富久町　016市ヶ谷仲之町　017市ヶ谷河田町　018牛込神楽町　019牛込上宮比町　020牛込下宮比町　021牛込揚場町　022牛込津久戸前町　023牛込筑土八幡町　024牛込赤城元町　025牛込赤城下町　026牛込白銀町　027牛込築地町　028牛込肴町　029牛込通寺町　030牛込天神町　031牛込中里町　032牛込榎町　033牛込東榎町　034牛込南榎町　035牛込早稲田町　036牛込早稲田南町　037牛込馬場下町　038牛込細工町　039牛込納戸町　040牛込二十騎町　041牛込南山伏町　042牛込北山伏町　043牛込袋町　044牛込払方町　045牛込南町　046牛込仲町　047牛込北町　048牛込原町　049牛込若松町　050牛込喜久井町　051牛込下戸塚町　052牛込破損町　053牛込高田町　054牛込矢来町　055牛込弁天町　056牛込若宮町　057牛込岩戸町　058牛込箪笥町　059牛込横寺町　060新小川町　061牛込東五軒町　062牛込西五軒町　063牛込改代町　064牛込水道町　065牛込山吹町　066大久保余丁町　067早稲田鶴巻町　068神楽河岸

【牛込②】
市ヶ谷火之番町　歌坂富士見横町　市ヶ谷坂町　市ヶ谷上寺町　佐内坂上寺町　市ヶ谷元土取場町　市ヶ谷土取場町　大隅町　牛込山伏町　牛込川田ヶ久保町　ヲヤリ町　市ヶ谷南寺町　袋寺町　市ヶ谷鍋釣町　市ヶ谷自證院門前町　四ツ谷久能町　仲ノ町　牛込玉咲町　牛込宮比町　牛込八幡町　筑土下八軒町　津久戸西門前町　津久戸中町　津久戸東門前町　牛込赤城町　牛込赤城明神表町　赤城西町　牛込築地片町　牛込築土片町　片側町　赤城下片町　兵庫町　赤城東町　牛込末寺町　牛込末寺横町　牛込大木町　牛込早稲田北町　牛込八幡町　牛込龍慶町　牛込御細工町　牛込御納戸町　墓町　市ヶ谷平山町　木津屋町　竹町　裏山伏町　牛込御徒町　南御徒町　中御徒町　北御徒町　牛込三十人町　馬場下横町　浄泉寺谷町　牛込供養塚町　牛込馬場下横町　牛込弁財天町　牛込七軒寺町　根来百人町　深川六間堀町代地牛込岩戸町　牛込御箪笥町　牛込朝日町　牛込五軒町　小日向馬場先片町　牛込馬場先片町　馬場七軒町　牛込築地替代町　牛込四軒寺町　牛込二軒寺町　牛込中里村町　大久保四丁町　大久保前町　市ヶ谷七軒町　市ヶ谷片町　本村片町

ー場所未特定ー◉牛込馬場町 (Wikipediaの「牛込」にある)　◉牛込寺町(牛込通寺町のことか　新宿区神楽坂六丁目。代官町の項にある)　◉牛込寺町横町(牛込横寺町のことか)　◉新本村片町(合羽坂近く)
【牛込 横町(横丁)】：歌坂富士見横町、牛込末寺横町、馬場下横町、牛込馬場下横町は【牛込②】へ
へっつい横丁　杉屋横丁　雷横丁　藁店横丁　天神横丁　本多横丁　かくれんぼ横丁　見番横丁　兵庫横丁　柿の木横丁＝渋柿横丁　和泉屋横丁　天神横丁　法光寺横丁(合羽坂付近)
【牛込 新道】 // 【牛込 小路】 // 【牛込 河岸】：神楽河岸は【牛込①】へ // 揚場河岸

- List with hyperlinks -
- reference source : edo.amebaownd.com/posts : 牛込 -


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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Asakusa 浅草

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Tanaka 田中幸右衛門 Tanaka Koemon

Tanaka Koemon lived in Ushigome Yamabushicho. One day he went to Asakusa and on his way back bought
金龍山の餅 special rice cakes from the famous shop Kinryuzan.
When he passed the gate 田安門 Tayasumon, he heard a strange voice call his name. He became afraid and threw the rice cakes in the direction of the voice, coming home empty-handed.

. Asakusa 浅草 district in Edo .
Now 市谷山伏町 Ichigaya Yamabushicho, Shinjuku



金竜山浅草餅本舗 Kinryuzan Mochi Shop in Asakusa, Nakamise
2 Chome-3-1 Asakusa, Taito, Tokyo
The Seikannon Sect of the Asakusa Temple carries the official name of Kinryuzan.



Tayasu-mon, Entrance to 北の丸公園 Kitanomaru Park
Two gated entrances survive from time of Edo Castle the Shimizu-mon and further north the Tayasu-mon.
The Tayasu-mom was the northern most gate of Edo Castle and consists of both a Korai-mon style outer gate and a Yagura-mon style fortified inner gatehouse with highly stacked stone walls forming a narrow defensive courtyard between the two.
An inscription on the outer side of the Tayasu-mon states the gate was constructed in 1685, making it one of the oldest surviving structures of the original castle.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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daihooshi 大法師 The Great Priest

In 牛込山伏町 Yamabushicho, a man named 朝倉八十五郎 Asakura Yasogoro wanted to put up residence. When he came to the Gate, there stood a very large priest. Yasogoro was not afraid and greeted him properly. Suddenly he felt something trying to sneek into his sleeve. When he looked back to the road, the priest had suddenly disapeared.

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dainaru hi 大なる燈 The Great Lantern

Around 1720 there was a Kannon temple called 伝通院 Dentsu-In. On the 25th day of the first lunar there appeared a strange light like a lantern above the temple, slowly moving from North to South. It then moved up to the sky and became a star which glowed and sparkled every night. On the 8th day of the third lunar month there was a large fire, covering the area from Ushigome to 千住 Senju. Later they found the bodies of many people who had died in the garden of this temple.

. 江戸三十三観音霊場 Pilgrimage to 33 Kannon Temples of Edo .
12 伝通院（文京区小石川3-14-6）　Nr. 12 - Dentsu-In

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hikarimono 光り物 great light

At night on the 8th day of the 10th lunar month, a huge stone fell from the sky in Ushigome.
The year before, a similar stone had fallen down in 八王子 Hachioji.
There was thunder in the night and a light like a lightning.

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koku-un 黒雲 black cloud

In the year 1668, on the 6th day of the second lunar month, it suddenly begun to hail with a great thunderstorm.
Someone had died at Ushigome. When the body was brought to the burial ground for burning, a black cloud came down from the sky and covered the bones. From the could the bones of legs were danglilng down. Yes, many people have seen this.

寛文７年閏２月６日、急に雹が降り雷が鳴った時に牛込で人が死んだ。火葬場に送ったところ黒雲が舞い下り死骸を覆った。雲から死骸の足が垂れ下がり多くの人がそれを見た。


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kuruiji 狂い死 a mad death

In Ushigome there was a female doctor, who suddenly fell down with great pain and begun to cry and shout in the voice of a child in pain. Then the pain was like splitting the skull and tearing her heart and stomach open. She even tried to murder some children in her hospital and after three days of mad behavior she finally died. This doctor had often given medicine and help for abortions, and this was the revenge for her cruel deeds.


.......................................................................
neko Jizo 猫地蔵 Jizo and the Cat
Once in Edo there lived a man in Ushigome. He had a beloved cat, but the animal died and he was very sad.
Jizo Bosatsu appeared in his dream and advised him to go to the temple Jishoo-In 自性院 Jisho-In to see the high priest 鑑秀上人. He told him to have the statue of a cat erected.
This is now the Migawari Jizo, which takes on our illness and problems.
. neko Jizoo 猫地蔵 Neko Jizo. "Jizo with Cat" .


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Sarayashiki 皿屋敷 The Dish Mansion

Banchō Sarayashiki 番町皿屋敷 The Dish Mansion at Banchō
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

The story of the Sarayashiki is located in three places of Edo, one of them is 江戸牛込御門 Ushigome Gomon Gate.
The other is the Mansion of the lord of the domain of 雲州松江 Unshu Matsue and even 播州 Harima.

.......................................................................
Haraikatacho 払方町 Haraikata district

On a rainy night 忠兵衛 Chubei was walking along with a friend. When they passed through Haraikata, the strap of his Geta sandal broke and he asked his friend to go on alone.
When he sat down at the well, he saw a strange man with a black Haori coat, a special hasami-obi はさみ帯 belt, an amigasa 網笠 braided straw hat and special nakanuki zoori 中抜き草履 Zori sandals walk around the well. His friend had not seen this person - how strange.

中貫(なかぬき)草履 / 中貫草履 nakanuki zori sandals


. waraji - zoori 草鞋- 履 と伝説 Legends about straw sandals .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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

牛込に古き弓師や軒しやうぶ
Ushigome ni furuki yumishi ya noki shoobu

this old bow maker
at Ushigome -
iris under the eaves
Tr. Gabi Greve

中村吉右衛門 Nakamura Kichiemon


. WKD : noki shoobu 軒菖蒲 iris under the eaves" .
noki ayame 軒あやめ "iris under the eaves"
- - kigo for mid-summer - -

In 1689 Matsuo Basho (松尾芭蕉) crossed the Natori River and entered Sendai, Miyagi on The Narrow Road to Oku.’
It was the day they celebrate by converting their roofs with ‘Sweet flags’, or Calami’ (あやめ). He visited there around the time of the Sweet Flags Festival (あやめの節句) (5th day of Fifth Month, also called the Boy’s Festival), when sweet flags were displayed on the eaves of houses to drive away evil spirits, or they took “Shobuyu, or 菖蒲湯 (bath with floating sweet flag leaves)” baths. The leaves keep mosquitoes and snakes away with strong fragrance.




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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 .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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Edo Anthology Book

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. 　Reference and LINKS - Books .
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An Edo Anthology:
Literature from Japan’s Mega-City, 1750-1850
Editor: Jones, Sumie; Watanabe, Kenji
University of Hawaii Press



During the eighteenth century, Edo (today’s Tokyo) became the world’s largest city, quickly surpassing London and Paris. Its rapidly expanding population and flourishing economy encouraged the development of a thriving popular culture. Innovative and ambitious young authors and artists soon began to look beyond the established categories of poetry, drama, and prose, banding together to invent completely new literary forms that focused on the fun and charm of Edo. Their writings were sometimes witty, wild, and bawdy, and other times sensitive, wise, and polished. Now some of these high spirited works, celebrating the rapid changes, extraordinary events, and scandalous news of the day, have been collected in an accessible volume highlighting the city life of Edo.

Edo’s urban consumers
demanded visual presentations and performances in all genres. Novelties such as books with text and art on the same page were highly sought after, as were kabuki plays and the polychrome prints that often shared the same themes, characters, and even jokes. Popular interest in sex and entertainment focused attention on the theatre district and “pleasure quarters,” which became the chief backdrops for the literature and arts of the period. Gesaku, or “playful writing,” invented in the mid-eighteenth century, satirized the government and samurai behavior while parodying the classics. These entertaining new styles bred genres that appealed to the masses.
Among the bestsellers were lengthy serialized heroic epics, revenge dramas, ghost and monster stories, romantic melodramas, and comedies that featured common folk.
source : www.uhpress.hawaii.edu


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- source : Kinokuniya Webstore -



Some of the translations presented here are the first available in English and many are based on first editions.

Table of Contents
Preface
Introduction: The Production and Consumption of Literature in a Flourishing Metropolis
Notes for the Reader

I Playboys, Prostitutes, and Lovers
Seki the Night Hawk, 1753
Yamaoka Matsuake / Robert Campbell

"A Lousy Journey of Love: Two Sweethearts Won't Back Down" 1783
Hiraga Gennai / Timon Screech

At a Fork on the Road to Hiring a Hooker, 1798 (Sara Langer, Trans)
Umebori Kokuga

Intimations of Spring: The Plum Calendar, 1832-1833.
Illustrated by Yanagawa Shigenobu and Yanagawa Jusan (Shigenobu II)
Tamenaga Shunsui / Valerie L. Durham


II Ghosts, Monsters, and Deities
One Hundred Monsters in Edo of Our Time, 1758
Baba Bunko / William J. Farge

Rootless Grass, 1763, 1769
Hiraga Gennai /David Sitkin

Thousand Arms of Goddess, Julienned: The Secret Recipe of Our Handmade Soup Stock,
1785. Illustrated by Kitao Masanobu -- (Santo Kyoden)
Shiba Zenko /Adam L. Kern

The Monster Takes a Bride, 1807. Illustrated by Katsukawa Shun'ei
Jippensha Ikku /Adam Kern

Epic Yotsuya Ghost Tale, 1825
Tsuruya Nanboku IV / Faith Bach


III Heroes, Rogues, and Fools
Playboy, Grilled Edo Style, 1785. Illustrated by Kitao Masanobu
Santo Kyoden / Sumie Jones

Osome and Hisamatsu: Their Amorous History---Read All About It!, 1813 219(28)
Tsuruya Nanboku IV / Sakurada Jisuke II / Caryn Callahan

Opening section from The Tale of the Eight Dog Warriors of the Satomi Clan,
1814-1842. Illustrated chiefly by Yanagawa Shigenobu and Keisai Eisen
Kyokutei Bakin / Ellen Widmer

Funamushi episodes from The Tale of the Eight Dog Warriors of the Satomi Clan, 1814-1842.
Illustrated chiefly by Yanagawa Shigenobu and Keisai Eisen
Kyokutei Bakin / Valerie L. Durham

Eight Footloose Fools: A Flower Almanac, written in 1820, published in 1849.
Illustrated chiefly by Keisai Eisen, Utagawa Kuninao, and Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Ryutei Rijo / Dylan Mcgee / Christopher Robins

Benten the Thief, 1862
Kawatake Mokuami / Alan Cummings


IV City and Country Folks
Mr. Senryu's Barrel of Laughs, Edo Haikai Style, 1765-1838
Karai Senryu / Jason Webb

"The Housemaid's Ballad" and Other Poems, 1769
Domyaku Sensei /Andrew Markus - In the World of Men, Nothing But Lies, 1812. Illustrated by Utagawa Kuninao
Shikitei Sanba / Joel Cohn

The Floating World Barbershop, 1813-1814. Illustrated by Utagawa Kuninao
Shikitei Sanba /Charles Vilnis

Tales from the North, 1818
Tadano Makuzu / Bettina Gramlich-Oka


V Artists and Poets
On Farting, c. 1774, c. 1777
Hiraga Gennai / William F. Sibley

The "Peony Petals" Sequence, 1780
Yosa Buson / Takai Kito / Chris Drake

Peasants, Peddlers, And Paramours: Waka Selections
Roger K. Thomas

Icicle Teardrops and Butterfly Wings: Popular Love Songs
John Solt


VI Tourists and Onlookers
Comparisons of Cities-
(1) Anonymous,
"What They Think Good about Kyo and Edo,"
c. 1820,
(2) Shiba Kokan, "On Good and Bad Things about Kyo and Edo" (A Letter
to Yamaryo Kazuma), 1813, and
(3) Kimuro Boun, Tales of the Kyo I Have Seen, 1780
Timon Screech

Songs of the Northern Quarter, 1786
Ichikawa Kansai / Mark Borer

Outlandish Nonsense: Verses on Western Themes
Timon Screech

An Account of the Prosperity of Edo, 1832: "Urban Chivalry" and "Honjo District"
Terakado Seiken / Andrew Markus


Source Texts and Modern Editions
List of Contributors
Permissions
Index of Names
Subject Index


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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 .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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inro pillbox

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. Edo shokunin　江戸の職人 Craftsmen of Edo .
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inroo, inrō 印籠 / 印篭 / いんろう Inro, pillbox, pill box, Pillenschachtel

A case for holding small objects, suspended from the belt. The Inro usually contained medicine. It was fixed on the belt with the help of a small figure on a strip, called

. Netsuke 根付 .
- Introduction -


source :　tukubaskecth.tsukuba.ch

The famous inro of Mito Komon occupied by manekineko !

- quote
The term inrō derives from the Sino-Japanese roots in (from Middle Chinese 'jin 印 "printed") and rō ( 籠 "cage"). Because traditional Japanese robes lacked pockets, objects were often carried by hanging them from the obi, or sash, in containers known as sagemono (a Japanese generic term for a hanging object attached to a sash). Most sagemono were created for specialized contents, such as tobacco, pipes, writing brush and ink, but the type known as inrō was suitable for carrying anything small.

Consisting of a stack of tiny, nested boxes, inrō were most commonly used to carry identity seals and medicine. The stack of boxes is held together by a cord that is laced through cord runners down one side, under the bottom, and up the opposite side. The ends of the cord are secured to a netsuke, a kind of toggle that is passed between the sash and pants and then hooked over the top of the sash to suspend the inrō. An ojime, or bead, is provided on the cords between the inrō and netsuke to hold the boxes together. This bead is slid down the two suspension cords to the top of the inrō to hold the stack together while the inrō is worn, and slid up to the netsuke when the boxes need to be unstacked to access their contents. Inrō were made of a variety of materials, including wood, ivory, bone, and lacquer. Lacquer was also used to decorate inro made of other materials.



Inrō, like the ojime and netsuke they were associated with, evolved over time from strictly utilitarian articles into objects of high art and immense craftsmanship.
- source : MORE in the wikipedia


. zooge 象牙 ivory, Elfenbein .

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source : v


- quote -
The Edo samurai knew how to look sharp
‘The World of Edo Dandyism: From Swords to Inro”
at the Nezu Museum is a splendid collection of Edo Period (1603-1868) swords and sword accessories that includes blades, scabbards and metal fittings, as well as decorative sets of inrō (pill boxes) and netsuke (carved toggles). The exhibition looks back to a fascinating period of Edo history when prosperous samurai and merchants sought out the most stylish outfits and accessories that would establish them as refined men.
- snip -
The exhibition provides a glimpse of these unique characteristics of the Edo gentleman’s wardrobe. Visitors are first met with a dazzling display of swords, which is specially lit to allow close viewing of the blades’ fine metalwork, engraving and patterning.
- snip -
Another highlight of the exhibition is the collection of tsuba (sword guards), the metal fittings attached between hilts and sword blades to prevent the grip from slipping onto the blades.
- snip -



Perhaps the most famous accoutrements of the Edo gentleman, aside from his sword, were the inrō and netsuke. The inrō, a lacquered pill box small enough to fit into the palm of the hand, would be paired with a decorative netsuke toggle. On display at the exhibition is a beautiful 18th-century inrō stand that demands attention. A dizzying assortment of inrō hang from it, replicating how it would have originally looked in the gentleman’s home. Clearly the owner of this stand must have enjoyed displaying his prized inrō collection.
The spectacular inrō in this exhibition
include one by Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891) that depicts the Chinese tale of “Zhong Kui the Demon Queller,” who, according to legend, was so powerful that he was able to capture a demon. The inrō, which has Zhong Kui standing victorious on one side and the demon on its reverse, is enclosed in a case the shape of a cage. The bamboo bars of the cage are made of mother of pearl and the rest of it is lacquered to have the appearance of rusted iron. When inside the case, the demon on the inrō is seen trapped behind bars. The artist’s playful spirit, skill of execution and ability to illustrate the narrative in such a clever manner make this a remarkable piece. ...
- source : japantimes.co.jp/culture - Yoko Haruhara -


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- quote -
Turtle-shell "Inro" pocket watch
Late Edo Period. Japanese-version of a portable compact watch in a casing resembling a pillbox.



The dial rotates to keep time. The case is made entirely of turtle shell and covered completely in lacquer. This splendid clock has a sundial and compass in the lid.
According to writing on the box, the clock belonged to Nariaki Tokugawa (whose posthumous name is Rekko) of the Mito domain.
(Machine height: 5.3 cm; width: 4.5 cm; thickness: 2.5 cm)
- source : jcwa.or.jp/en wadokei -

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inrooshi, inroo shi 印籠師 Inro maker


- reference : japanese-inro.jyuluck-do.com -

Inro were first used to store the
. inkan 印鑑 seal .
For medicine there were at least three different boxes to store different kinds of pills and drugs. To keep out moisture the aikuchi 合口 opening between two boxes had to be especially tight. This was one part of an Inro where the craftsman had to show his skill. The form of these boxes changed with time from simple containers to refined pieces of accessories for the rich.

Techniques used to decorate an Inro

chinkin 沈金 gold or silver inlay in scratch marks of laquer

. makie, maki-e 蒔絵 "sprinkled picture" .

nashiji, nashi ji 梨地 - Nashiji, also called Aventurine ...
The name nashiji is thought to have originated in the resemblance that the lacquer bears to the skin of a Japanese pear, 梨 nashi. ...
- source : global.britannica.com-


. raden 螺鈿 mother-of-pearl - inlay .


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source : torinakukoesu.cocolog-nifty.com


. Tôshûsai Sharaku 東洲斎写楽 (active 1794 - 1795).

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- - - long list of books about Inro and Netsuke
- source : www5d.biglobe.ne.jp/~mystudy -

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

ころもがへ印籠買ひに所化（しょげ）二人
koromogae inroo kai ni shoge futari
koromogae inroo kai ni shoke futari

For the new wardrobe
To buy a seal-case
Two monks have come!
Tr.Thomas McAuley

. Yosa Buson 与謝蕪村 in Edo .

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阿波踊腰の印籠地を擦れり
awa odori koshi no inro ji o kesuru

Awa Dance !
the pill box on his belt
rubs on the ground
Tr. Gabi Greve

Saitoo Inao 伊藤伊那男 Saito Inao (1949 - )



. WKD : 阿波踊り Awa odori dance .
- - kigo for autumn -
This is a special dance that originated in Tokushima (Shikoku) more than 400 years ago.
It is performed during the days of the Bon Festival (o-bon) in many parts of Japan nowadays. The Inro of many dancers have an extra-long string.

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印籠の蒔絵の金や夏羽織
inro no makie no kin ya natsubaori

gold decoration
on the lacquer of this Inro -
light summer robe

Nomura Kishuu 野村喜舟 Nomura Kishu (1886 - 1983)

. WKD : natsubaori 夏羽織 light summer coat.


CLICK for more Inro with Maki-e decoration !

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. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. 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 .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]- - - - - #inro #inroo #pillbox #medicinebox - - - -
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geta wooden clogs

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. Edo shokunin　江戸の職人 Craftsmen of Edo .
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geta 下駄　ashida 足駄 Geta wooden clogs

. Geta 下駄 Wooden Sandals, Clogs .
- Introduction and Haiku -
Geta with only one "tooth" to balance on 一本歯の下駄
Often worn by Tengu 天狗.



Utagawa Toyokuni III (Kunisada)

- quote
Geta (下駄) are a form of traditional Chinese-Japanese footwear that resemble both clogs and flip-flops. Geta were invented by the Chinese and then introduced to Japan from China. They are a kind of sandal with an elevated wooden base held onto the foot with a fabric thong to keep the foot well above the ground. . . . . .
According to Japanese superstition, breaking the thong on one's geta is considered very unlucky.
- source : wikipedia

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yukigeta, yuki geta 雪下駄 Geta for snow




source : xadachi-hanga.com/ukiyo-e

蒲原 Kanbara juku (Tokaido) 夜之雪 Night with snow
歌川広重 Hiroshige

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Look at the toes holding these high Geta!



- Look at more photos of feet on Ukiyo-E here:
- source : みさと接骨院 -

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下駄　浮世絵 Geta with Ukiyo-E patterns are also popular !
Click on the photo for more samples !



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getaya 下駄屋 craftsman making Geta

Since the middle of the Edo period, Geta had made their way into the city not only as an item of every-day use but also an item of fashion.
The much cheaper straw sandals were used for every-day walking, especially by the 長屋　Nagaya population living in cheap quarters.


source : blog.goo.ne.jp/yousan02 - 『七十一番職人歌合』
A craftsman is just about to put a whole into the wood for the Hanao.
First the hole is made with a drill, and the wood standing up is then burned down with metal chopsticks
that can be heated in fire.

Geta New Road 下駄新道 Geta Shinmichi
Situated around what is now JR Kanda Railway Station, during Edo times
there were many manufacturers of wooden clogs ("geta" in Japanese) along the back alleys
at the western end of Kaji-chō 2-chōme.
This led to the area being known as Geta Shinmichi (literally "Geta New Road").
- source - Tokyo Metropolitan Museum -


komageta 駒下駄 Komageta, the wooden parts are made of one piece.

- quote -
Geta are made of one piece of solid wood forming the sole and two wooden blocks underneath. These blocks may have a metal plate on the section that touches the ground in order to lengthen the life span of the Geta. A V-shaped thong of cloth forms the upper part of the sandal.
The dai (台, stand)
may vary in shape: oval ("more feminine") to rectangular ("more masculine") and color (natural, lacquered, or stained). The ha (歯, teeth) may also vary in style; for example, tengu-geta have only a single centered "tooth". There are also less common geta with three teeth. Merchants use(d) very high geta (two long teeth) to keep the feet well above the seafood scraps on the floor. The teeth are usually not separate, instead, the geta is carved from one block of wood. The tengu tooth is, however, strengthened by a special attachment. The teeth of any geta may have harder wood drilled into the bottom to avoid splitting, and the soles of the teeth may have rubber soles glued onto them.
The hanao 鼻緒, cloth thong)
can be wide and padded, or narrow and hard, and it can be made with many sorts of fabric. Printed cotton with traditional Japanese motifs is popular, but there are also geta with vinyl and leather hanao. Inside the hanao is a cord (recently synthetic, but traditionally hemp) that is knotted in a special way to the three holes of the dai. In the wide hanao there is some padding as well. The hanao are replaceable. It sits between the two first toes because having the thong of rectangular geta anywhere but the middle would result in the inner back corners of the geta colliding when walking.
- source : wikipedia -

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目のゆがみたるから、心地あしや








using extra high Geta for the toilet

- Look at more illustrations here:
source : miyuki-honpo/getanorekisi


- - - Different kinds of Geta


- reference : miyuki-honpo/getanosyurui -

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両国に古りし下駄屋や冬の雨
ryoogoku ni furishi getaya ya fuyu no ame

at Ryogoku
there is an old Geta shop -
rain in winter

Katsumata Itto 勝又一透 (1907 - 1999)

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source : blog.goo.ne.jp/aboo-kai/e

getaya no teishu 下駄屋の亭主 Getaya the Husband

女房逃げ亭主呆けて春の雨

his wife left him -
the husband is at a loss
in the spring rain

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夫婦喧嘩下駄を履くまで終わらない
fuufugenka geta o haku made owaranai

a fighting couple
will not give up
until one slips into the Geta

One partner is at the entrance hall and all ready to leave the home now in anger . . . but well, the good couple comes back to its sense and all is well again.

- reference : senryu about geta -

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geta no haire, geta ha-ire 下駄歯入れ repairing wooden geta clogs


geta haireya　下駄歯入れ屋 Geta repairman

This was a job for a repairman walking along the streets of Edo.

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source : blog.goo.ne.jp/s10683726/e ...
getaya no kanban 下駄屋の看板 shop sign of a Geta store


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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Miyagi 宮城県
蔵王町 Zao

furugeta no urami 古下駄の怨 the grudge of the old Geta
In the early Meiji period the region of 自由ヶ丘公園 Jiyugaoka Park was still a quiet Pine grove. The decided to build a 寺子屋 Terakoya school there. During the construction someone threw an old pair of geta in the fundament without much thought. Eventually the building was finished, but every night there was the sound of wooden Geta walking around and a hig-pitched whailing and crying: "This heavy stone is hurting by broken back!"
When they opened the fundament to have a look, they found the pair of Geta and took it out. Now all was quiet.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
117 to explore (01)

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Nozarashi Gosuke 野晒五助

Gosuke wears a robe with a skull pattern. From the sword on his back hangs a Geta with marks in the form of a skull too.
He is the henchman for the robber chief 日本駄右衛門 Nippon Daemon. He is known as a street knight (otokodate). They lived by a strict code of honor which dictated that they always have to assist people in need. It is also the theme of a popular kabuki play.





Kuniyoshi moyo shofuda tsuketari genkin otoko 国芳もよう正札附現金男
(Men of Ready Money with True Labels Attached, Kuniyoshi Style)
source and reference

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source : edokurashi.hatenablog.com/entry - 渡辺京二

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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !

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. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .


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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]- - - - - ##geta #clogsgeta #getaya - - - -
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