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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
Warabi, Saitama, see below
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Itabashi ku 板橋区 Itabashi ward
itabashi 板橋 "plank bridge"
板橋区板橋, Kami 上板橋, Naka 中板橋, Nakajuku 中宿
Former 旧武蔵国豊嶋郡 Musashi no Kuni - Toshima district
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... it calls itself
Itabashi City.
Itabashi lies on the Kantō plain. The Arakawa River, a major river, forms part of the boundary with Saitama Prefecture. Surrounding the ward are, in Saitama, the cities of Wakō and Toda; and in Tokyo, the wards of Nerima, Toshima, and Kita.
- History
The name of the ward means "plank bridge" and derives from the wooden span over the
Shakujii River that dates from the Heian period. Such a bridge was remarkable at the time, and the name has lasted since. In the Edo period, the Nakasendō crossed the nearby Shimo Itabashi, and the name came to apply to that area as well. Itabashi was one of the four Edo Post Towns, and travellers first lodged there after leaving the shogunal capital.
Kaga Domain had a mansion there.
The shogunate maintained the Itabashi execution grounds at Itabashi.
On October 1, 1932,
nine towns and villages of Kita-Toshima District were merged and became part of Tokyo City as Itabashi Ward. It became a special ward May 3, 1947. On August 1 of that year, the localities of Nerima, Kami-Nerima, Naka-Arai, Shakujii and Ōizumi were split off from Itabashi to create Nerima Ward.
- source : wikipedia
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. 中山道 The Nakasendo Highway .
1. Itabashi-shuku 板橋宿 (Itabashi)
Divided from North to South into
Kami-Shuku 上宿 Kamishuku (now 現在の本町) - Upper
Naka-Shuku 仲宿 / 中宿 - Middle
Hirao-Shuku 平尾宿 - Hirao
Shimo-Shuku 下宿 - Lower
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA - 板橋宿 !
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Shimizu-zaka slope
Shimizu-zaka slope is the first difficult pass on the
Nakasendō Highway.
It was, however, the only place in the highway from which a panoramic view of Mt. Fuji could be seen. There was an intersecting station (ai-no-shuku) under the slope that connected two stations of
Itabashi and Warabi.
This intersection was used for resting or even as an alternative station when small river boats from Toda could not be used due to the swelling of the river.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Museum -
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Warabi (蕨市, Warabi-shi)
is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
Warabi has the smallest area of any municipality in Japan, and highest population density outside of the special wards of Tokyo.
- more in the wikipedia -
Inuyama Dôsetsu 犬山道節 Inuyama Dosetsu
Utagawa Kuniyoshi 歌川国芳 (1797–1861)
In this mystical design, Kuniyoshi portrays the hero Inuyama Dosetsu
from the
Tale of Eight Dogs 八犬伝 Hakkenden).
. Nakasendoo 中山道 Nakasendo Highway .
2.
Warabi-shuku 蕨宿 (Warabi)
warabi means bracken, fern, Pteridium aquilinum var. latiusclum
渓斎英泉 Keisai Eisen
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Itabashi Honchoo 本町 Honcho district- see below
. Itabashi 板橋区 Kaga district 加賀 .
Itabashi Narimasu 成増 Narimasu district - see below
. Shakujii Kōen 石神井公園 Shakuji River Park .
Nerima ward
Tokiwadai 常盤台
Tokiwadai district -
see below
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In 1180
Minamoto Yoritomo is recorded having temporarily stationed his army near a bridge called 板橋 Itabashi “the plank bridge” on the upper Takinogawa 滝野川 Takino River in the Toshima-gun 豊島郡 Toshima District of Musashino no Kuni 武蔵国 Musashi Province. There was no road by the name at the time, but it is believed that this bridge is where the 中仙道 Nakasendō crossed the Takino River.
Today
there is still a bridge called Itabashi where the Nakajuku Shōtengai 仲宿商店街 Nakajuku Shopping Arcade crosses the 石神井川 Shakujii River. And it’s generally agreed that this is the same bridge. The arcade street is actually the Old Nakasendo highway and the name refers to the fact that it cuts through (仲) the post town (宿).
By the Edo Period,
a major shukuba 宿場 post town had grown up around the bridge and the area was well known as 板橋宿
Itabashi-shuku. The town was a major stopping point for daimyō processions after the 1630’s. The town prospered under the sankin-kōtai edict until 1862 when the requirement was suspended in the crisis of the bakumatsu. Itabashi-shuku was a 3-4 hour walk from Nagareyama and it was also the starting point of the
Kawagoe kaidō 川越街道
Kawagoe Highway.
... Why “Plank Bridge?”
The prevailing theory seems to be that in the late Heian Period in a backwater area far from Kyōto, the presence of an elegant and smooth plank bridge would have been something unique — as opposed to a bridge thrown together with a bunch of crappy logs of various shapes and sizes. The fact that a bridge was even mentioned in the same sentence as Minamoto Yoritomo is held up as corroborating evidence . . . or that’s what people say.
Itabashi-shuku’s big claim to fame
is a bit more nefarious than just being a convenient post town with a smooth bridge. As the area was well outside of central Edo and on a major road, it was also the site of a prison and execution ground during the Edo Period. In 1868 as the Imperial Army was taking possession of the city and its infrastructure, they used the prison and execution grounds to detain and eventually execute Kondō Isami. Nothing remains of the execution grounds or the prison except for a quiet plot of land purchased by Nagakura Shinpachi to build graves for Kondo and Hijikata Toshizō and all the other dead members of Shinsengumi. Definitely a must-see spot if you’re a Shinsengumi fan like me.
- source : japanthis marky star -
Itabashi eki 板橋駅 - Edo Meisho Zue
source : Itabashi Historical Museum
板橋区赤塚5-35-25
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. Itabashi keijō 板橋刑場 Itabashi Keijo, execution grounds .
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赤塚エリア Akazuka area
板橋エリア Itabashi area
志村エリア Shimura area
高島平エリア Takashimadaira area
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Itabashi Jukkei 板橋十景 10 special viewpoints
To celebrate 70 years of the existence of Itabashi, 10 special places and events had been selected to promote the ward.
. 赤塚溜池公園周辺 - Akatsuka Tameike Pond Park .
. 板橋（区名由来の橋）- The original Itabashi .
. いたばし花火大会 - Fireworks at Itabashi .
. 志村一里塚 - Shimura Ichirizuka milestone .
. 石神井川の桜並木 - Cherry blossoms along river Shakujigawa .
. 松月院 - Shogetsu-In temple - see below .
. 田遊び（徳丸・赤塚）- Ta-asobi ritual of the fields .
. 高島平団地とけやき並木 - Keyaki zelkova trees at Takashimadaira .
. Tokyo Daibutsu 東京大仏 Big Buddha of Tokyo, 乗蓮寺 Temple Joren-Ji .
. Nanzooin 南蔵院 Temple Nanzo-In - cherry blossoms .
板橋区蓮沼町４８－８ // Itabashi, Hasunumacho 48-8
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Shōgetsu-in Temple Taidō 松月院 大堂 Shogetsu-In Taido
Taidō became a thatched temple only with its form in the Edo period.
The name "Taidō" was said to be derived from its large scale with seven temple buildings (shichidō-garan) during the Nanbokuchō period (the Period of the Northern and Southern Dynasties).
Many worshippers visited the temple from Edo particularly to see the temple bell, which is considered to have been founded during the Nanbokuchō period.
A seated
Amida Nyōrai, which is considered to have been created at the end of the Kamakura period, also attracted worshippers.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Museum -
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Itabashi Honchoo 本町 Honcho district
Itabashi, Motomachi, no sub-districts
The old postal station in 武蔵国豊島郡下板橋宿 Musashinokuni Toshima Itabashijuku and the village 前野村 Maenomura were united to form Honcho.
Mostly a residential area.
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Itabashi Narimasu 成増 Narimasu district
Itabashi, Narimasu 一丁目- 五丁目 first to fifth sub-district
The name refers to the person who developed the area
田中左京成益
Tanaka Sakyo Narimasu, also known as 田中泰彦
Tanaka Yasuhiko, who developed the area around 1520, when he came to 赤塚村 Akatsuka village.
In 1657, Akatsuka village became separated and 成増村 Narimasu village was established.
The name was later lost but revived, when the Itabashi ward was established.
Tanaka Yasuhiko Ke Monjo 田中泰彦家文書 Manuscripts of the Tanaka Clan
If refers also to the family in the 30th generation, 田中為静関係史料 当家30代の田中為静
- reference source : city.itabashi.tokyo.jp... -
Narimasu eki 成増駅 Narimasu station
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. 瑠璃光山 Rurikozan 清光院 Seiko-In 青蓮寺 Shoren-Ji .
板橋区成増4-36-2 / 4 Chome-36-2 Narimasu, Itabashi ward
Edo Gofunai Pilgrimage, Nr. 19
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Itabashi Tokiwadai 常盤台 Tokiwadai district
Itabashi, Tokiwadai 一丁目 - 四丁目 first to fourth sub-district
南常盤台 Minami-Tokiwadai (South of Tokiwadai station) 一丁目 - 二丁目 first and second sub-district
Tokiwadai eki ときわ台駅 Tokiwadai station
The name dates back to 1935 and the new station name of 武蔵常盤駅 Musashino Tokiwa Eki (now Tokiwadai Eki).
In the Shrine 天祖神社
Tenso Jinja the deity 天照大神 Amaterasu Omikami is venerated. In the compound is an old pine tree named
Tokiwa no Matsu 常盤（常緑）の松
"the ever-green pine tree".
tokiwa is an old word, meaning eternal, lasting for ever.
The first land developed around the new station, shaped like a hand-fan, was named Tokiwadai.
source : jinja.tokyolovers.jp/tokyo/itabashi...
東京都板橋区南常盤台2-4-3 // 2 Chome-4-3 Minamitokiwadai, Itabashi City
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Tokiwadai Tenso Shrine Festival
Tokiwadai Tenso Shrine Festival is held once a year in September.
... The shrine was founded in the Muromachi (1336-1578) period.
It also has the guardian dog that was damaged by air bombing in Showa period.
... There are many kinds of different mikoshi as each shrine and festival has a different god. People who live around the shrine carry it and go around the neighborhood bearing it on their shoulders. This is a very inspiring scene indeed! Not only men but also women and kids join this activity. The reason why people carry it is to spread the great power of the gods and protect people from evil spirits. ...
- source and more photos : festivalgo.huber-japan.com/events... -
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. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
................................................................................. Itabashi 板橋区
enoki 榎 nettle tree in 上板橋 Kami-Itabashi
Where the 川越街道
Kawagoe Kaido Highway crosses the river 石神井川 Shakujigawa there is the 下頭橋
Getobashi bridge.
Once upon a time, many hundred years ago, a wandering priest, who was very tired, took a rest below this bridge. He had put his staff into the ground and from there the nettle tree begun to sprout. To our day people venerate the roots of the tree and say it will heal toothache, if they come here to pray.
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ishi arare 石アラレ hailstones from stone
At the home of 新井銀次郎 Arai Ginjiro it used to rain hailstones from stone. The news spread and many came visiting. The police and the newspaper tried to fiend the reason for this.
It seems the 子守 baby sitter of the family had fallen in love and her friend used to throw stones on the roof to make her come out to meet him. That was the end of the mysterie.
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jidoosha no keiteki 自動車の警笛 hunking horn of a car
On summer nights, the hunkin of a car horn was heard along the river Shakujigawa, although there were no cars driving near the river.
People say it was the revenge of a spirit from a driver who had died in a car accident.
Many people came to have a look and even a tea stall opened and made good profit. Later they found out it was the voice of large frogs who were kept at a store for food.
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. mujina ムジナ Tanuki badger .
Late at might a man heard a voice calling his name, but when he opened the door there was nobody. This went on for many nights. One night he waited at the door and when he heard the voice, he opened the door immediately, only to see a badger run away in haste.
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obake yashiki お化け屋敷 the haunted house
When the restaurant 橋本屋 Hashimotoya was about to go bancrupt, the owner killed his wife and went off with his concubine. Since then the estate was called "haunted house", where the spirit of the killed wife roamed, waiting for revenge. A fearless man once bought the estate, but he soon died for no reason and his wife had an accident and died too very soon after.
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. Tengusugi 天狗と杉 cedar tree in Itabashi .
and 天狗坂 Tengusaka, Tengu-Saka.
................................................................................. Saitama 埼玉県
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板橋区
Itabashi district 下板橋
Shimo-Itabashi
enkiri enoki 縁切榎 nettle tree to cut a human bond (like marriage)
Where the 川越街道 Kawagoe Kaido Highway branches off, there is a 庚申碑 memorial stone for the Koshin deity and beside it was a huge nettle tree. When there was a fire in the house next to it, the tree burned down and only its roots remained. If people use a small cut from the roots and make a tea from it, they will be able to cut the bad bonds between man and woman.
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戸田市
Toda - 武州板橋
Bushu Itabashi
. kaminari 雷 thunder .
A short walk from Bushu Itabashi was the village of 西戸田村 West-Toda. There lived a widow with her two daughters.
On the 28th day of the 5th lunar month in 1647 the two girls begun to hit the mother very hard, but finally went to take a nap. The sky became dark all of a sudden and it begun to rain heavily. Then in a thunderstorm a flash of lightning came down, grabbed the younger sister and disappeared with her.
- Another version of this tale involves a
. hebi 蛇 / へび / ヘビ snake - Schlange .
The elder sister was the villain and did not give food to the ill mother. The husband of the younger sister brought her food secretly, but was found out and 姉 Elder Sister threw the food away.
The mother became so sick in due time, she went to the well and wanted to kill herself by drowning. The husband of the younger sister was surprized and grabbed a ladder to climb into the well. But again he was found out by the Elder Sister and as the two fought, Elder Sister fell into the well too. At that point, half of the mother turned into a snake and curled around Elder sister. The husband pleaded with the mother to let her go and so the mother died.
But Elder Sister died soon afterwards.
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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
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. Musashi no Kuni 武蔵国 Musashi Province .
. 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 .
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
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