Edo - the EDOPEDIA -

10/22/2015

shokunin craftsmen ABC list

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. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .
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- - - - - ABC List of Edo craftsmen　江戸の職人 - - - - -

A craftsman making tools and things was often called ...shi　師,
while the vendor of his products was called ...ya　屋.

takumi　匠 master craftsman, master artisan

. shokunin 職人と伝説 legends about craftsmen, artisans, Handwerker .

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. Food-related craftsmen and business in Edo .
tabemono 食べ物　- shokuhin 食品

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. bekkoo shokunin 鼈甲職人 craftsman making tortoiseshell items .

. bugushi 武具師 making armor and weapons .
- - - - - tooken kaji 刀剣鍛冶 sword smith etc.
mostly swords, bows and arrows.

. bunshinshi, bunshin shi 文身師 making tatoos (bunshin) .
irezumi 刺青 tatoo

. busshi 仏師 / 佛師 making Buddha statues .

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. choochinshi, chōchin-shi　提灯師 / 挑燈 making Chochin paper lanterns .

. chookin, Edo chokin 江戸彫金 metal chasing .

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. daiku 大工 carpenter . - tooryoo 棟梁　Toryo, master carpenter
- - - funadaiku 船大工 "shipbuilder carpenter"
- - - miyadaiku　宮大工 "shrine carpenter"
- - - . Hida no takumi 飛騨の匠 Master Builders from Hida .

. Daruma hariko shokunin　達磨張子職人 making Daruma dolls .

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. fudeya　筆屋 making writing brushes .

. fukuromonoshi 袋物師 / 嚢物師 making bags and pouches .
fukuromonoya 袋物屋 shop for bags and pouches
fukuromono tonya 袋物問屋 pouches wholesaler

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. gangueshi, gangu eshi 玩具絵師　painter of toys .
and more about Edo toys

. garasu ku 硝子工 glass blowers .
biidoroya, biidoro-ya 硝子屋 craftsman making glass ware

. getaya 下駄屋 making Geta wooden clogs .

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. Hakata ori shokunin 博多織職 craftsman for Hakata weaving .

. hakeshi 刷毛師 making brushes / hakezaiku shokunin 刷毛細工職 .

. hakuuchi, haku-uchi shokunin 箔打職人 pounding gold foil .

. hanabishi 花火師 firework makers .
hanabi uri 花火売り street vendors of small firework
Ryogoku no hanabi 両国の花火 famous firework in Edo

. hashishi, hashi shi　箸師 / hashiya 箸屋　making chopsticks .

. haribunko shi 張文庫師 making small trunks for books .

. harikoshi, hariko shi 張子師 artisan making papermachee dolls .
- - - - - harikoya, hariko ya 張子屋 shop selling Hariko dolls

. hikimono shokunin 挽物職人 craftsmen making turnery .

. himonoshi 檜物師 "artisan making things from Hinoki cypress wood" .
magemonoshi 曲物師 craftsmen of bentwood products
The vendors of their products were called himonoya 檜物屋.

. hinaningyoshii, hina ningyoo shi 雛人形師 making Hina dolls .
Edobina, Edo-bina　江戸雛

. hookishi, hooki shi 箒師 making brooms, Besenmacher .
hookiya 箒屋 vendor of brooms, 「hooki uri ほうき売り」and「hooki kai ほうき買い」

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. idohorishi, idohori shi　井戸堀師 digging a well - ido .
mizuya 水屋 water salesmen
mizubugyoo, mizu bugyō　水奉行 waterworks administrator

. ikakeya 鋳掛屋 / 鋳掛け屋 / いかけや　tinker, repairing metal tools .

. inrooshi, inroo shi 印籠師 Inro maker　- 印籠 / 印篭 / いんろう .

. ishi ku, ishiku, sekkoo 石工 / ishiku shokunin 石工職人 stone mason .

. itamae, ita mae 板前 chef cook .

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. jigyooshi 地形師　"ground-preparing" worker, ground leveling worker .

. juzu shokunin 珠数職人 craftsman making rosaries .

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. kagamishi 鏡師 mirror maker .

. kagoshi　籠師 basket maker .
..... mushikago 虫かご / 虫籠 basket, cage for keeping insects
..... seiokago, seoi-kago 背負いかご / 背負い籠 backpack basket
..... yurikago ゆりかご / 揺り籃 cradle
..... zaru ざる / 笊 bamboo basket

. kago 篭 / 駕籠 / かご, kagoshi　篭師　palanquin maker .

. kajiya 鍛冶屋 blacksmith .
fuigo matsuri 鞴祭 bellows festival

. kamadoshi, kamado-shi　かまど師 /　竈師 making the earthen hearth .
- hettsui shokunin 造竃職人 / へっつい屋 hettsuiya /
- - - - - kamabutashi　kamabuta-shi 釜蓋師 making a lid for the iron pot
- - - - - Kamafuta Jinja 釜蓋神社 "Kamafuta Shrine", Kagoshima

. kamisukishi、kamisuki shi 紙漉き師 making paper, paper making artisan .
kamiya, kami-ya　紙屋 paper maker // 紙漉職人 kamisukui shokunin

. kamiyuishi　髪結師　Kamiyui hairdo master, hairdresser .
- - - - - motoyui　元結い　/ mageyui　髷結い

. kappaya, kappa-ya　合羽屋 Kappa raincoat maker .

. kasashi, kasa-shi　傘師 making paper umbrellas .
kasa hari 傘張り gluing paper to umbrellas

. katatsukeshi, kata-tsuke shi 型付師 pattern maker for dyeing patterns .
katahori shokunin　型堀職人　pattern carver

. katchuushi 甲冑師 / busokushi 具足師 making Yoroi suit of armor .
yoroizaiku 鎧細工

. katsurashi, katsura shi　鬘師 wig maker / kamojiya 髪文字屋　/ 髢屋 .

. kigu shokunin 木具職人 craftsman making wooden tables for offerings .

. kijishi 木地師 maker of wooden items, wood turner .
kijiya 木地屋 dealer, vendor of wooden items

. kiseruya, kiseru-ya　煙管屋 making long tobacco pipes .

. komashi, koma shi 独楽師 making spinning tops .
Edo koma, Edo-koma　江戸独楽　spinning top from Edo
tsurigoma 釣り独楽　"fishing spinning tops" // or teguruma, te-guruma 手車 "hand wheel"
teguruma uri 手車売り vendor of a "hand wheel" toy

. konya 紺屋 making "blue" things, cloth dyer .
- aizomeya 藍染め屋, aizome shokunin 染物職人 artisan dyeing with indigo
- 土屋五郎右衛門　Tsuchiya Goroemon

. kumihimoshi 組紐師 making Kumihimo ribbons .
- - - - - itokumi　糸くみ / kumi-ito shi 組糸師

. kurenaishi, kurenai shi 紅師 making lip red from safflowers .
beni no hana　紅の花、紅花, 紅藍花 Benibana, safflower
They also used the color to dye cloth - beni seizo shokunin 紅製造職

. kushishi, kushi shi 櫛師 comb maker / kushi shokunin 櫛職人 craftsman making combs .
tsugegushi 柘植櫛 combs in Edo

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. masushi, masu shi 枡師　making square Masu measuring cups .
tsurukake masu 弦掛枡 / kijimasu 木地枡
Kyoomasu 京枡 Kyo-masu, Kyoto-Masu / Edo masu 江戸枡
Kyoto 枡座 Masu-Za - 福井作左衛門 Fukui Sakuzaemon
Edo 枡座 Masu-Za - 樽屋藤左衛門 / 樽屋与左衛門 Taruya Yozaemon

. makieshi, maki-e shi 蒔絵師 making sprinkled lacquer items .

. menuchi shokunin 面打職人 making masks for Noh and Kagura .

. mizuhiki shokunin 水引職人 craftsman making Mizuhiki .

. mongata shi 紋形師 craftsman making family crest patterns .

. monuwaeshi, mon uwa eshi 紋上絵師 painting family crests .
- kamon 家紋 family crest

. mushikagozukuri 虫かごづくり / 虫籠づくり making basket for keeping insects .
mushiya 虫家, mushi-uri 虫売り dealer for insects
mushiko uri 虫籠売り vendor of insect baskets and cages

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. niwashi 庭師, uekiya 植木屋 gardener / 植木職人 ueki shokunin.
伊兵衛三之烝 Ihei Sannojo in Somei 染井

. nuibarishi　縫針師　making sewing needles .
maigiri 舞錐 "dancing drill" (mawashigiri 回し錐).

. nuihakushi　縫箔師 / nuimonoshi 縫物師　making embroidered goods .
- Edo Shishu 江戸刺繍 Embroidery from Edo

. nurishi, nuri-shi　塗師　lacquer master .
nushichoo 塗師町 laquer workers district / urushi　漆　laquer
kijishi 生地師（きぢし）prepared the vessels
nurishi 塗師 applied the lacquer base
makie-shi 蒔絵師（まきえし）applied the inlay images

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. okeya 桶屋 / oke shokunin 桶職人 bucket makers .
living in 桶町 Okecho, Okemachi, "Bucket district"

. oshieshi, oshi-e shi 押絵師 making raised cloth pictures .
oshi-e 押し絵 / 押絵 raised or padded cloth picture, fabirc picture, lit. pressed picture

. oshiroishi, o-shiroi shi 白粉師 making white face powder .

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. radenzaikushi, raden zaiku shi　螺鈿細工師 craftsman making Raden items .
raden - mother-of-pearl

. roosokushi　蠟燭師 making candles .
roosokuya 蠟燭屋 Rosoku-ya
roosoku no nagare kai ロウソクの流れ買い buying candle wax drippings
Kanda, Roosokuchoo　蠟燭町 Rosoku district in Edo
roosoku 蝋燭, waroosoku 和蝋燭 Japanese candle

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photo wikipedia

. katana 日本刀 the Japanese sword .

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. tsuchiningyooshi, tsuchi ningyoo shi 土人形師 making clay dolls .

. tsukegishi, tsukegi shi　付木師　making Tsukegi "matches" .

. tsumamizaikushiつまみ細工師　making ornaments with tsumami (pinching) techniques .
Edo Tsumami-Kanzashi 江戸つまみ簪 Ornamental Hairpins

. tsurizaoshi 釣竿師 making fishing rods .
wazao 和竿 "Japanese fishing rod" - Edo Wazao 江戸和竿 Edo Bamboo Fishing Rods

. tsuzura shokunin 葛篭職人 making wicker boxes .

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. uchiwashi, uchiwa shi 団扇師 / 団扇職人 making handfans .
sensu shokunin 扇子職人 making folding fans

. uekiya 植木屋 / niwashi 庭師 gardener .
伊兵衛三之烝 Ihei Sannojo in Somei 染井

. ukiyo-e shi　浮世絵師　Ukiyo-e producer .
ukiyo-e, lit. pictures of the floating world. Paintings and #woodblock prints.
- planned by the publisher hanmoto 版元 and produced in collaboration with the painter/designer eshi 絵師, carver horishi 彫師 and printer surishi 摺師.

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. watauchi, wata uchi, men uchi shokunin 綿打職人 hitting cotton .

. yakiin shokunin 焼印職人 making a branding seal .
..... inkan 印鑑, hanko 判子 stamp, seal

. yaneya 屋根屋 roof maker, roofer - kawaraya 瓦屋/ 瓦師 roof tile maker .
瓦職人 kawara shokunin

. yanebuki　屋根葺 roofing with thatch .
. . . . . Fukiyachoo 葺屋町 Fukiyacho District of roof thatchers
- - - - - . hafu 破風 gables and roofs .
- - - - - . kokerabukishi, kokerabuki-shi 柿葺師 craftsman roofing with wooden shingles .

. yuuzenzomeshi, yuzen someshi 友禅染師　dyeing Yuzen cloths .

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. zoori shokunin 草履職人 making Zori straw sandals .

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- click for more photos -
- reference source : edoichiba.jp/edoichiba/artist... -

- reference : Wada sanzo Ohmi Gallery -
'Occupations of the Showa Era in Pictures' Japanese Vocations / Collection of Ross Walker

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. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .
- Introduction -

. shokunin 職人と伝説 legends about craftsmen, artisans, Handwerker .

. Construction work for a Japanese Home .
- with more specialized craftsmen

. Traditional Crafts of Edo - Tokyo .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- #shokuninabc #edoshokunin #craftsmen #takumi #artisan ##shokunin -
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Tamagawa Josui district

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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Tamagawa Joosui 多摩川上水 Tamagawa Josui Kanal　　

idohori shi　井戸堀師 digging a well
or making a new well

To provide clean water for the people of Edo was quite a job.
The wells were not dug in the ground but water from a river or public waterway (for example Tamagawa Josui 玉川上水) was let through wooden pipes (kidoi 木樋) to a huge well tank under ground, where the people could take it out for their daily use.
Drinking water was stored in each home for cooking.

Digging wells in the low-lying parts of Edo would only yield salty water from the sea.
In these parts water was transported by
mizubune　水舟 "water boats".
mizuya 水屋 water salesmen carried the water from the boats to the customers.
The whole system was supervised by the
mizubugyoo, mizu bugyō　水奉行 waterworks administrator

. Drinking water : cleaning wells and waterways .

歌川広重 Utagawa Hiroshige

. - The Waterways in Edo - .
Tonegawa 利根川 (Tone River) // Arakawa 荒川 // Tamagawa 多摩川 / 玉川 (Tama River) // Sagamigawa 相模川 (Sagami River)

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Mogusa-mura Shōren Zenji 百草村松連禅寺

Shoren-ji was first built during the Tempyō era (729 to 749), and was abandoned in the Kamakura period.
During the Kyōhō era (1716 to 1735), this temple was rebuilt by 大久保家 the Ōkubo Family, castellans of Odawara Castle,
to pay a tribute to the memory of 徳川信康Tokugawa Nobuyasu, the eldest son of Tokugawa Ieyasu.
百草園 Mogusa-en was a garden developed in this occasion.
In this garden, there was 松蓮庵 Shōren-an, a one-story house with a raftered roof, and
寿昌梅 Jushō-bai, an old plum tree with a large trunk, and both of them are known as symbols of Mogusa-en.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

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- quote
Tamagawa Josui - Edo's Water Supply
One of the busiest men in Edo is the mizu-bugyo (the water "mayor") -- the man in charge of Edo's water supply. It is a huge job to keep the water system in Edo working properly. Since all the pipes are made of wood, they need to be replaced once in a while. Earthquakes are not uncommon in Edo, and even a small quake may cause pipes to crack or start to leak. In times of drought, the supply of water needs to be carefully controlled, to make sure that it is distributed fairly to all parts of the city. The job of managing the city's water system is handled by the mizu-bugyo and a staff of mizu-bannin (water technicians).

The mizu-bugyo is one of the few top officials in the bakufu who is appointed to his position, rather than inheriting it. He and his assistants, the mizu-bannin, are responsible for handling all of the repair work on the banks of the canals, as well as maintaining the distribution systems through the city.

Before Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Edo in 1590, the town was still very small, and the people living in Edo got all the water they needed from the small streams flowing down from the hills of the Yama-no-te into Edo Bay. The main streams were the Koishikawa (Koishi River) in the north, and the Megurogawa (Meguro River) in the south. When the Tokugawa family moved to Edo, with all of his warriors and retainers, it quickly became clear that the traditional sources of water would not be enough to supply all the people in the growing town. Therefore, Ieyasu started the first of many water supply projects, or josui , to bring water to the city. ("jo-sui" literally means "lifting water" or "water inflow")

The first thing Ieyasu did was to build an extensive network of wells throughout the city, which were supplied with water from the main streams -- mainly the Koishi River. Wooden sluices and pipes were built to carry water underground from the river to each of the wells. This ensured that people living in every part of the city had access to fresh water. However, it did not increase the supply. After Ieyasu became Shogun, in 1603, Edo started to grow even more rapidly, and soon there was not enough water to supply all of the wells in the city.

The second major josui project that the Tokugawa shoguns carried out was the Kanda josui . To increase the volume of water supplied to the city wells, two large canals were built to redirect the flow of several smaller streams. Before, they used to flow into the Tama river, but once the canals were built the water flowed straight through the center of Edo. This new man-made "river" was named the Kanda-gawa (Kanda River) because it joined up with the Koishi river at a point near Kanda.

The main branch of the Kanda river starts at a small lake, which was named "Inokashira" (the head of the well), because it supplies all of the wells in Edo. This lake is about ten kilometers west of the city. A smaller branch starts in an area of marshes near Zenpukuji temple, so it was named the Zenpukuji river. The Kanda josui runs east through the hilly Yamanote area until it reaches Yotsuya. At Yotsuya, the water flow is divided. Part of it enters the main outer moat surrounding Edo Castle, and the rest of the water is directed into the main pipes that supply water to all of the city's wells.

An important part of the Kanda josui water project was to build the underground piping system that would carry water from the main intake at Yotsuya to each of the wells in the city. It took a huge effort to dig the trenches, build wooden pipes to carry the water to the wells, and then rebury all the pipes under the city streets. By the time this project was complete, there were about 67 kilometers of underground pipes supplying water to over 3600 wells in the city. At one point, one of the main water pipes crosses back over the Kanda River on top of a large bridge. This bridge is named Suido-bashi, or "Water-works Bridge".

The Kanda josui and a few smaller canal projects were able to provide enough water for the city for several decades. But Edo continued to grow. By the mid-1600s the population was already well over half a million people, and once again there were water shortages as the current supply system was insufficient to meet the needs of all the people. The third Shogun, Iemitsu, realized that water shortages could soon cripple the economy of Edo, so he ordered the most ambitious water supply project yet; a canal to carry water from the Tama river -- 50 kilometers west of the city -- to downtown Edo.

Work began on the Tamagawa josui in February 1653. A small dam was built on the river near the town of Hamura, and workmen began digging a canal across the hills to carry the water to Edo. At that time, there were only a few small villages located in the hilly, wooded region between the northern suburbs of Edo and the Tama river. Apart from one or two small streams, there were few good sources of water in the area, and certainly not enough to support rice farming.

It was rough work digging the huge canal -- in some places, the workers had to dig a channel as much as 18 meters deep -- through the heavily wooded hills. However, as the digging work proceded, and the canal reached further and further towards the city, people began to move into the cleared areas where the workers built their camps, and soon small towns began to spring up along the banks of the canal. The Shogun assigned such a large group of workmen to the Tamagawa josui project that they were able to complete the canal in just seven months. Once the water began flowing through the canal, many areas to the west of the city were transformed from woodlands into small farming towns, which grow vegetables to sell in the city.

The Tamagawa josui links up with the Kanda josui just to the west of the city, and the underground piping system was redesigned and extended to cover an even wider area of the city. Today, there are more than 150 kilometers of pipes in the Edo water systems, and the wells that are connected to this water system supply over 60% of the citizens with water for drinking, bathing and washing.

However, there are still some parts of the city where it is impossible to build wells and waterworks, particularly in the low-lying areas along the coast of Edo Bay, in Fukagawa and Kiba. Whenever you dig a well, it quickly fills up with salty water. People who live in these areas cannot get their drinking water from the wells, although they do use well water for bathing and washing. Drinking water must be carried into these areas of the city in special boats called mizu-bune (water boats).

A large pipe from the main water system empties into the Nihonbashi River at a point near Edo Castle. The mizu-bune load up with water at this pipe, and then travel to the areas of the city that have no wells. Water salesmen, or "mizu-ya", meet the boats at one of the piers in this area, and fill large buckets with water. Then they walk from door to door carrying their water buckets and sell drinking water to the people who live there. Although this system is somewhat inconvenient, the cost is very low.

The water-sellers store water in large casks and tanks in each neighborhood, so the people who live in these areas can always find water nearby when they run out. The system of mizu-bune and mizu-ya is managed by the government. This system allows thousands of people to live in an area that would otherwise be almost uninhabitable.
- source : Edomatsu

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Catching Sweetfish in Tama River 玉川猟鮎（たまがわあゆりょう）

Tama River was famous for its sweetfish.
It is written that from early summer to late autumn,
the Edo residents would come to Tama River
from miles around to catch sweetfish.
. source - Tokyo Metropolitan Library .

- Related to the 神田上水 Kanda Josui
. Suidō 水道 Suido district .
in Bunkyo and Shinjuku.

. Kugayama 久我山 Kugayama district - Suginami .
ホタル祭り Hotaru firefly festival along the waterway

. Chōfu Tamagawa 調布玉川 Chofu .

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- quote -
Actor Immitating Summer Peddling (Haiyū Mitate Natsu Shōnin)

A Kabuki actor portrays one of the summer's popular businesses. In the picture is written the phrase, "Let's cool off the gut of (a pun also meaning 'to frighten') the luke-warm actor. Selling utsumaki-taki icewater." The picture depicts a merchant selling icewater.
Kanda and Tamagawa waterworks were built to supply daily drinking water to people in Edo. But the water tasted bad and they bought water from water merchants called "Botefuri" (merchant carrying water on a pole and selling it).
In addition to such water merchants, "botefuri" selling ice water appeared in summer. An essay called "Morisada mankō", written in the end of the Edo period, introduced ice water merchants selling ice water with dumpling made from rice flour and items with white sugar in it, which was a unique business in Edo, not seen in the Kansai area.
On June 1, there was a ceremony in which the Kaga domain presented the ice stored at the ice room in Komagome to the Shōgun. The spare ice was distributed to passersby. Cold water and ice water to beat the heat were one of seasonal traditions in summer in Edo. An actor in the picture is Ichikawa Uzaemon XII. The house of Ichikawa Uzaemon was a famous family as the manager of the theater, "Ichimura-za".
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

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Inokashira　井の頭 "Head of the Well"
Mitaka 三鷹市井の頭
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Inokashira Park (井の頭恩賜公園 Inokashira Onshi Kōen) straddles Musashino and Mitaka in western Tokyo, Japan. Inokashira Pond (井の頭池) and the Kanda River water source (神田上水 Kanda jōsui), established during the Edo period, are the primary sources of the Kanda River.
The land was given to Tokyo in 1913. On May 1, 1918, it opened under the name Inokashira Onshi Kōen (井の頭恩賜公園), which can be translated as, "Inokashira Imperial Grant Park". Thus the park was considered a gift from the Emperor to the general public.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

. Benzaiten Shrine at Inokashira in Snow .
Print by Hiroshige

. Kawase Hasui 川瀬巴水 (1883 - 1957) .

Night view of Benten Shrine Snow at Inokashira Park

The Inokashira Benten Shrine in Snow (Shatô no yuki)

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Inokashira Pond Benzaiten Shrine
井頭池弁才天社 Inokashira Ike no Benzaiten no Yashiro

Inokashira Pond is the water source of Kanda Jōsui,
the first canal system developed during Edo times.
Benzaiten refers to the story that, during the Tengyō era (938-946),
源経基 Minamoto no Tsunemoto (?-961) first installed a statue of the goddess Benzaiten at the shrine.
The statue had been made by Dengyō Daishi (the priest who founded Tendai Buddhism).
During Edo times, the shrine attracted the religious fervor of those
who were born and raised in the city.
Furthermore, in that the area surrounding the shrine was very fertile;
many trees were planted in order to cultivate the water source.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

. Legends about Inokashira Benten 井の頭弁天 / 井ノ頭辨天池 .

川瀬巴水 Kawase Hasui

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玉川上水を世界遺産に
- source : ngo-npo.net/tamagawaj/pc -

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Tama River 多磨川

Tama River flows from a source in 笠取山 Mt. Kasatori in Kōfu City, Yamanashi Prefecture.
The upper reaches of the river is known as 丹波川 Taba River, the middle reaches as 多摩川 Tama River,
and the lower reaches as 六郷川 Rokugō River.
Tama River was so famous that it was composed in an old poem as one of 六玉川 the six Tama Rivers.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Library -

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... in 1590, Shogun Ieyasu Tokugawa created the Koishikawa canal which was sourced from the springwater in Inokashira, located higher in altitude than the central part of Edo. This had developed into the Kanda canal.

As Edo grew rapidly in scale, the increasing demand for water outstripped the capacity of the Kanda canal. Then, the Shogunate started to construct the Tamagawa canal, drawing water from the Tama River with rich water resource. The new 43 kilometers canal was dug only in seven months, and completed in 1653. Japan's constructing and engineering techniques were surprisingly sophisticated. The total length of the underground water pipes in Edo reached over 150 kilometers at the peak period, which made it one of the world's largest water network of the time in terms of service area and the number of beneficiaries.

The Tamagawa canal, with a stable supply of water throughout the year, contributed Edo to be a big city with a population of 1.2 million. More precisely, the reason why the canal could satisfy the water needs was the constant flow of water from the Tama River with fertile forests along with its upper reaches.
- source : JFS - Sustainability in EDO - Eisuke Ishikawa -

Inokashira 井の頭
The new waterway from the pond of Inokashira to Kanda was first supervised by
大久保藤五郎主水 Okubo Togoro Monto. (? - 1617)
Togoro was a trusted retainer, who had been shot into the leg when protecting Tokugawa Ieyasu in battle.
Togoro had a good taste for food and water and was making sweets for Ieyasu, before being made the supervisor of the new waterway and well system in Edo.
Ieyasu gave him the name of Monto. 主水 ususlly reads "mondo", but Ieyasu changed it to make sure it refers to the importance of "clear water".
Monto's descendants proudly used this name as their nickname.

- reference : Okubo Togoro -

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Waterways of Edo life
Only great engineering slaked the city's thirst
For centuries, the boastful citizens of Edo lorded it over country bumpkins by saying, “I’m an Edokko [native of Edo] ’cause I was cleaned with pipe water when I was born and I’ve grown up drinking pipe water ever since.”

It seems an odd thing to crow about given the cultural wealth of Edo, at the time the largest city in the world, but this pride in the city’s water system wasn’t misplaced. Cool, pure water carried by pipes to the city’s remotest corners was indeed a byword for the quality of life in Edo — as well as being the lifeblood of the city’s prosperity.
However,
coming up with an efficient and reliable water supply was no easy task. Much of Edo was built on land reclaimed from the shallow waters of Edo Bay, which — in the absence of the technology required to bore deep wells — only yielded brackish water. Meanwhile, Edo Castle and the samurai residences were mostly situated on uplands on the eastern edge of the Musashino Plateau. There, potable water was equally hard to come by because the friable top soil was not water-retentive. Indeed, the vast grasslands of Musashino had traditionally been ridiculed by Kyoto aristocrats, who lamented in poems that “Musashino has neither trees nor mountains behind which the moon can set.”
But when Ieyasu chose Edo
as the administrative center of his new fiefdom centered on the Kanto Plain, he was, of course, well aware of the water issue. In fact, on July 12, 1590, prior to his arrival at Edo on August 1, he dispatched his trusted retainer Okubo Togoro to investigate the local water supply.
Okubo dug a waterway in Edo
from Koishikawa (in present-day Bunkyo Ward) to satisfy the needs of the burgeoning new town growing up around Nihonbashi. By 1629, this rudimentary supply line had been expanded into the Kanda Canal, which channeled supplies from Inokashira Pond in present-day Mitaka into the Kanda River, then into a canal cut through the surrounding hillsides. After filling the ponds and streams in the elegant Korakuen Garden created by Lord Tokugawa of Mito, the canal water then entered the heart of the city along a wooden aqueduct across the Kanda River. Altogether, this system served the eastern sections of Edo, supplying about 25 percent of the total demand.
Being at first sparsely populated,
the city’s southwestern sections were sufficiently supplied with water from Tameike Pond. In the course of the city’s expansion, however, the pond kept shrinking until it was eventually incorporated into the outer moats of Edo Castle. It now survives only as the name of a subway station, Tameike-Sanno.
However,
as the population kept doubling and redoubling from about 200,000 in 1610 to more than 400,000 by 1640 and then to over a million — even possibly up to 1 1/2 million by the mid-18th century, had censuses included the daimyo households and samurai classes — the city was in need of a much larger water source. The answer was to be found in the Tama River, to the northwest of the city, where the senior shogunal official Lord Matsudaira Nobutsuna (1596-1662) commissioned two commoner brothers, Shoemon and Seiemon, to construct a system to carry the river’s water to Yotsuya, on the city’s northwestern perimeter.
The brothers accomplished the task
despite great hardships. In the new system, completed in 1653 and named the Tamagawa Canal, water was diverted from the river by a dam in the village of Hamura, from where it was channeled 43 km along an open canal to Yotsuya. From Yotsuya, water was guided into stone, wooden and bamboo pipes that crisscrossed the city underground. However, as the entire water flow depended on the force of gravity, the canal had to be precisely planned to slope only very gradually so that its Yotsuya outlet was high enough to allow water to flow out and down to every nook and cranny of the city.
This water not only quenched citizens’ thirst,
but also fed the trees and flowers that were planted all over, both in the samurai gardens and in poor commoners’ pots on sidewalks. Indeed, the abundance of trees and highly developed horticulture for which Edo was so admired by visiting Europeans in the 1850s and ’60s would have been notably absent without that water supply.
However,
the Tamagawa Canal also transformed Edo’s arid suburbs into fertile villages. A typical example is Nobidome in southern Saitama Prefecture. The notoriously dry grassland there (as nobi, meaning “wild fire,” implies) was part of the fiefdom of Lord Matsudaira, who was granted permission by the shogun to divert 30 percent of the canal’s water. Although the 25-km Nobidome Canal along which he channelled it took only 40 days to dig, it took three years to fill because the parched soil at first just soaked up water like a sponge.
When he died,
Lord Matsudaira was buried at Heirin-ji, the Matsudaira family temple that was moved to Nobidome. Nowadays, the large compound of the Zen temple is a verdant woodland designated as a natural monument — thanks to successful irrigation 350 years ago.
Though continually tapped in modern times,
the Tamagawa Canal finally went out of use in 1965 when it was replaced by the new Tone River system. Thereafter, the historic canal was abandoned by the authorities, except for its upper stretch in Hamura. Dried up and fast decaying, it then seemed fated to become yet another culvert in the Tokyo sprawl. Citizens, though, had not forgotten the fond memory of a rushing stream that once flowed fast past green banks. In 1986 local residents’ passionate, persistent calls for the preservation of Tamagawa Canal were finally answered when water was returned to the empty canal — albeit water recycled from a nearby treatment plant. With the return of the water, trees were resuscitated and birds and dragonflies returned to the 30-km stretch of the waterway that has evaded developers so far.
Finally, on May 16 this year,
the Tamagawa Canal won national designation as a historic site — a metropolitan designation it was accorded in 1999.
What was for so long essential to life in the city is now a welcome strip of green, a linear oasis in a concrete wasteland.
- source : Japan Times 2003 / Sumiko Enbutsu -

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- reference : Tamagawa Josui -

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

月かげや夜も水売る日本橋
tsukikage ya yoru mo mizu uru Nihonbashi

moonlight . . .
even at night water is sold
at Nihonbashi bridge

. Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 .

Selling drinking water was a normal job in Edo.
And on the bright moonlit nights life in Edo just went on and on ...
(remember, this is a time without electricity )

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Matsuo Basho was working for the Water Office of Edo.
His home in Fukagawa was suited to supervise the Kanda waterway　神田上水.

. 芭蕉庵 Basho-An in Fukagawa .

. Basho working for the waterworks department of the Edo .

. Musashi no Kuni 武蔵国 Musashi Province / 武州 Bushu .

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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 .

. densetsu 伝説　Japanese Legends - Introduction .

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10/21/2015

kajiya blacksmith

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. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .
. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .
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kajiya 鍛冶屋 kajishi　鍛冶師 blacksmith

. Takadono tatara 高殿鑪 Japanese Sword making .
- - - - - including
fuigo 鞴 bellows - an important tool for melting metal
Fuigo Jinja　鞴神社 "Bellows Shrine"
kaji no kami 鍛冶神 Deity of the blacksmiths

There were different blacksmiths for various special items needed in the town of Edo.

kugi kajiya 釘鍛冶屋 special blacksmith for nails
nokaji　野鍛冶　Most local blacksmiths used to make tools for agriculture like sickles and spades.
tookoo 刀工 sword maker

. tansu 箪笥 / 簞笥 -- たんす chest of drawers, Kommode .
The chests were made with all kinds of metal fittings and decorations.

source :　wafusozai.com
saiga shokunin burui 「彩画職人部類（さいがしょくにんぶるい）」より
sword maker 「（刀）鍛冶」

. kugi 釘 nail, Nagel - Introduction .

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teppoo kaji 鉄砲鍛冶 craftsmen producing Teppo guns

source : members3.jcom.home.ne.jp/6785fmqm

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Nagahama - Shiga prefecture
The skills needed to produce the kazari kanagu (metal decorations) that decorate hikiyama (fetsival floats) can be traced back to the gunsmiths of old Nagahama.
Guns, the first of which were brought by Portuguese sailors to Tanegashima off Kagoshima Prefecture in Kyushu during the Muromachi era (14th-16th centuries), soon began to be made in old Kunitomo Village in the Nagahama area.
Gunsmithing established itself in this area, and gunsmiths formed a big group known as Kunitomo Teppo Kaji (Kunitomo Gunsmiths).
Guns manufactured in Nagahama, which became a major center of matchlock production, were characterized not only by their functionality but also the beauty of their decorations. Their barrels were ornamented using an inlay technique borrowed from metalworking to create patterns by engraving and cutting off parts of the barrel and fitting another metal into the resultant grooves.
Gunsmiths from Kunitomo were invited by the townsmen of Nagahama to utilize their mastery of inlaying metal to make kazari kanagu for hikiyama. Today in Nagahama, kazari kanagu artist Kiyoshi Tsuji continues the mastery and tradition of inlaying metal.
Kunitomo Teppo no Sato Matchlock Museum - 534 Kunitomo-cho, Nagahama-shi, Shiga
- source : mtlo.co.jp/us/valueone/metal/nagahama -

source : jti.co.jp/tobacco-world/journal

Another famous quarter of the Teppo gunsmiths was in Sakai, Osaka, Teppo Kajiyashiki cho
鉄砲鍛冶屋敷町 / 1-3-22 Kitahatago-cho-Nishi, Sakai-ku, Sakai City
The art of gunsmiths was brought by 橘屋又三郎 Tachibanaya Matasaburo from Tanegashima, and soon the region became Japan's largest producer of matchlock guns.
In the peaceful times of the Edo period, they also made たばこ包丁 sharp knives to cut tobacco.

. teppoo, teppô 鉄砲 Teppo, gun, musket, matchlock, Gewehr .

under construction
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- - - - - special districts and quarters for the blacksmiths in Edo:

. Kajibashi 鍛冶橋 Kajibashi Bridge, "Blacksmith Bridge" .
This neighborhood is home to people who specialise in iron work.

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- - - - - Chiyoda Kanda Kajichoo, Kajimachi 千代田区神田鍛冶町

source :　gakuyaura.chesuto.jp

They use hand and feet to work. The one on the right uses his foot to work the box bellows (箱鞴 hako fuigo) to regulate the heat of the fire.

Kajiyachoo, Kajiyamachi 神田鍛冶屋町 in Kanda
This district was established in 1603.
Its Bakufu government supervisor was bakufu kajigata tooryoo 幕府鍛冶方棟梁
Takai Iori 高井伊織
who was also responsible for the blacksmith guild in the Eight Provinces of Kanto (Sagami, Musashi, Awa, Kazusa, Shimousa, Hitachi and Ueno).
Apart from the blacksmiths, there lived other craftsmen working with iron and metal, like the
imonoshi　鋳物師 metal casters
kamashi 釜師 making metal water pots for the tea ceremony - and others.
Many were re-settled by Tokugawa Ieyasu from Sunpu (Shizuoka) and also made the metal parts used for the many buildings in the growing town of Edo.
It was the center of the kinzoku koogyoo 　金属工業 metal industry in Edo.

The Fuigo matsuri 吹子祭 , 吹革祭 Festival of the Bellows was celebrated in these quarters with extra fervor and joy.

CLICK for more street signs!

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Minami Kaji-machi　南鍛冶町　 South blacksmith's village

Kanda kanamono doori 　神田金物通 street of the metal workers

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Blacksmith Divinity - Okinawa
Studies related to blacksmithing in Okinawa have taken multi-angled approaches, i.e.archaeological, historical, folkloristic, and also industrial and technological histories. Since iron is not produced in Okinawa, the development of steel making and blacksmithing techniques lagged behind other advanced areas. Thirst for iron and its riches may have well been the source for Okinawan legends regarding the advent of iron and blacksmithing techniques. Seemingly, however, it remains presumable, only through folk tales, as to when, from where, and how the aspired skills in steel making and the art of blacksmithing came to Okinawa. Thus further archaeological progress is needed in the study of this issue. On the other hand, preceding folk studies have taken up a wide range of themes including Yago (屋号)---occupation and/or location-based household nicknames, which may refer to a physical feature unique to family members, toponyms, annual ceremonial festivals and community events, such as bellows festivals, traditional songs, ballads and legends. However the availability of a detailed description of blacksmith divinities remains limited to date.

In Okinawa, ex-blacksmith families own most of the “blacksmith divinity” images. These are mostly in the form of hanging scrolls. Okinawan Blacksmiths{by Hiroaki Fukuchi (福地曠昭) Kaifu-sha 1989} has numerous remarks from blacksmiths interviewed. However, description of the images themselves remain scarce. Quoted below is Mr. Koji Asaoka (朝岡康二) refering to Akaya (阿嘉屋), one of the blacksmith families, which once flourished in Kumoji, Naha:

Originally, the balcksmith family Nareira (宮平) headed the “Mindakari (新村渠) Kanja (Blacksmith) Family”. Akaya, a family of court painters, up until the great-grandfather’s generation, joined Nareira in the mid Meiji Period (latter 19th century), whereby Akaya acquired the blacksmithing technique to reestablish itself as the blacksmith family Akakaji (阿嘉鍛冶). The first master of Akakaji painted and gave out freely many hanging scrolls with the Blacksmith Divinity image to his fellow workers. He had a natural talent for painting, as his ancestors used to be court artists. Although many of these hanging scrolls have been scattered about and lost, several former blacksmith families in Okinawa preserve them. The blacksmith divinity hanging scroll uses the complete mainland style that you would find in Kanayama-ko (金山講) hanging scrolls used in blacksmiths’ self-support gatherings i.e. Kanayama-ko, Japan. In short, Kanayama-sama (金山様) divinity is painted in the center, as Yokoza (横座) the bellow operator sits on the left, while Sente (先手) the assistant sledgehammer swings down from the right. Excluding minor differences, the basic composition was shared all over Japan. Notably, however, the blacksmithing images (Mainland Japanese style) are completely irrelevant to the blacksmithing procedures practiced in Okinawa.

In Japan, the Kanayama-sama divinity hanging scroll would be found in alcoves (床の間) on occasions of Kanayama-ko self-support gatherings. In Okinawa, however, the image is believed to have been used in annual bellows festivals, as self-help groups equivalent to the Kanayama-ko were never formed by Okinawan blacksmiths. (Ref. Koji Asaoka, Ironware Culture of Japan-Comparative Ethnology of Blacksmith, Chapter Four: Okinawan Blacksmith and Ironware Culture, p.184)

Fuchiyue (鞴祭: bellows’ festival) is respected by Okinawan blacksmiths as the hallmark of annual events. It is commonly celebrated on November 8th according to the lunar calendar, in Japan, whereas in Okinawa it is celebrated, by some, on November 7th, or for two days (November 6th and 7th) or for three days (November 7th to 9th).
During Fuchiyue the image of the bellows divinity is respectfully placed in front of the bellows, as sledgehammers, iron holders and other blacksmith tools are put as offerings. Prayers are offered to banish fire, accidents and injury throughout the year. Special dishes are prepared and shared within the neighborhood. In some cases blacksmith families visit and worship Okuma Kanja-ya (奥間鍛冶屋), the first legendary blacksmith enshrined in Okinawa, just as blacksmiths on Miyako Island would visit Funadatedo (船立堂), the sacred praying spot for blacksmiths.

According to Asaoka, the introduction of boxed bellows from mainland Japan, more specifically Sakai, Osaka, relates, particularly, to the attachment that Okinawan blacksmiths have formed to their bellows festival. Fuigo-cho (吹子町) the bellows ”manufacturers” quarter of commercially advanced Osaka is believed to have manufactured standardized boxed bellows for nationwide distribution. Asaoka states that because many Okinawan legends of blacksmith divinities speak not only of iron and the advent of steel-making techniques, but also of the introduction of boxed bellows, this proves that boxed bellows were accepted technologically advanced devices. Bellows festivals in the Ryukyu Archipelago have maintained considerably different ritualistic styles when compared to other village festivals, such as Tanetori-sai (種取祭), seed-sowing ceremonies and bountiful harvest thanksgiving ceremonies (豊年祭). Thus Asaoka retains that Okinawan bellows festivals originated on the mainland and, once introduced to Okinawa, were quickly diffused throughout the Ryukyus.
(Ref. Asaoka, Study of Ironware Culture in the Archipelago of the Ryukyus, pp. 188, 204, 257)

Images of Blacksmith Divinity and the Goddess/God Kanayago (金屋子)
Mainland Japan

In the northern Tohoku area of Japan, during blacksmith self-support gatherings, Kanayama-ko, alcoves or tokonoma (床の間) were adorned with “blacksmith divinity” hanging scroll images. Found in midwestern Chugoku, Japan, instead, would be the “Goddess Kanayago” and pictorial stories on “the birth of steeling technique”. During the Edo period, the scrolled images and pictorial stories were worshipped by tatara steel laborers, blacksmiths and casting workers all over Japan, mainly at iron producing mines.
Blacksmith divinities in ancient Japanese myth included Hinokagutsuchino-kami (火之迦具土神), Kanayamahikonomikoto (金山毘古命/金山彦命), Kanayama-himegami (金山毘売神/金山姫命), Amenomahitotsukami (天目一箇神) and more. On the otherhand, Inarigami (稲荷神), originally a god of rich harvest, was altered to a god of fire, eventually becoming a blacksmith divinity. This occurred, presumably, through the sacred rite of “Ohitaki” (御火焚) for an abundant harvest in the Kyoto and Kinki areas.

The word “tatara” originated in India, meaning blast furnace. In Japan, “tatara” appears in the names of ancient goddesses in Kojiki (古事記) and Nihonsyoki (日本書紀) e.g. Seyatatara-hime (勢夜陀多良比売), Hototataraisusuki-himenomikoto (富登多多良伊須須岐比売命) or Himetataraisukiyori-hime (比売多多良伊須気余理比売). According to myth, Izanaminokami (伊邪那美神) had her private parts (mihoto) seared as she delievered her baby Hinokagutsuchino-kami, and was, thereafter, banished to the netherworld (黄泉). It may well be in this light that the word “hoto” frequently appears in the names of ancient goddesses. Furthermore a wind way bamboo kiro (木呂竹) is inserted from the hole “hoto” to connect the bellows to the basin of a mud furnace, whereby a correlation between “tatara” and the goddesses is also suggested.

Kanayago Shrine in Nishihida (西比田), Hirose Town (広瀬町), Nogi County (能義郡), Shimane Prefecture, is an established center of worship for Kanayago, the goddess/god of steelmaking and blacksmithing. According to the stories of her advent and the origin of the shrine (which dates back to the Edo period), a snowy egret carried Kanayago on its back and flew from Harima Province to a Japanese Judas tree in Kuroda Forest, Nishihida village, Nogi County, Izumo Province.

Since Kanayago has also been worshipped as a child-loving goddess, tatara steel workers in Kamisaibara Village (上斎原村), Tomata County (苫田郡) Okayama Prefecture, for example, are known to have shown their faith in Kanayago (originally the tatara steel workers guardian deity) by inviting children to their homes every New Year (January 1st to 3rd) to tell them the old tales and legends. (Ref. Akinori Maruyama ,“Goddess Kanayago and Children: Folklore from a Tatara Village”)

In contrast, Kanayago’s hatred of adult women (who menstruate and bare children) was a source for the taboo against menstrual blood (赤不浄) as a symbol of uncleanness. However it is frequently noted that the uncleanness of death, which is symbolized by the color black (黒不浄), was readily accepted or even favored in these legends.

Mandarin oranges were believed to have been an offering at the bellows festival, much like as done by public bath owners and glue makers, each of whom were fire-relevant by trade, who gave away rice cakes and oranges to children. According to a legend in Yamaguchi Prefecture, an ugly one-eyed blacksmith deity got away from a barking dog by climbing up a mandarin orange tree.Fierce concentration at their furnaces frequently cost tatara steel workers the loss of an eye. The fact created one-eyed blacksmith divinities legend which in its turn are considered to have been diverted to single-eyed ogres of legend, oni (鬼). It is, presumably, in this context that toponyms such as Onimura (鬼村) and Onigashiro (鬼ヶ城) are often located close to iron mines.

Mandarin oranges were believed to have been an offering at the bellows festival, much like as done by public bath owners and glue makers, each of whom were fire-relevant by trade, who gave away rice cakes and oranges to children. According to a legend in Yamaguchi Prefecture, an ugly one-eyed blacksmith deity got away from a barking dog by climbing up a mandarin orange tree.Fierce concentration at their furnaces frequently cost tatara steel workers the loss of an eye. The fact created one-eyed blacksmith divinities legend which in its turn are considered to have been diverted to single-eyed ogres of legend, oni (鬼). It is, presumably, in this context that toponyms such as Onimura (鬼村) and Onigashiro (鬼ヶ城) are often located close to iron mines.

Images of the Goddess/God Kanayago 金屋子 are largely categorized into the following three styles:
A) A Goddess on a Fox

A goddess in a Chinese dress, wearing a long, thin scarf (領巾) rides on a white fox, with a sword in one hand and a gemstone in the other. In other instances, she may have a magic cane, or wear a jewelled crown and armor, holding a pouch in one hand. The fox wears a jewel in its tail, and may sometimes have a hoe in its mouth. The goddess in Chinese dress, who wears the long, thin scarf (領巾) and carries the sword and gemstone, resembles, in appearance, Dakini (荼吉尼天), the harvest divinity. However Dakini is recognized as the original Buddhist form (honji 本地) of Inari-gami in accordance with the philosophy of honji suijaku (本地垂迹) a theory expounding the correspondence of Shinto and Buddhist deities. Imaginably, Inari-gami and Dakini, both of whom came to be accepted and worshipped as fire and blacksmith divinities, could have been confused to be represented both in the same scene.

B) A Goddess and Two Attendants (Male and Female)
Mainly found in hanging scroll images, which depict the story of the origin of Kanayago Shrine or scenes of steel-making and blacksmithing. Frequently a long-haired woman in sacerdotal kimono, attends a holy area located close to a mountain top and sanctified with a set of hallowed straw ropes (注連縄). A lady of the court in a red hakama and over-robe would be found on the right and a nobleman on the left, both may be standing or seated, ready to serve the goddess. A white fox may accompany the two attendants. At the foot of the mountain, there is a smith’s yard with the foot-pedaled bellows humming with steeling and refining. Court-attired noblemen and blacksmiths (in their medieval hats, eboshi, and aprons, hitatare) would be found laboriously at work.

C) Sampo-kojin (三宝荒神) Image
A series of monochrome hanging scrolls in wood block print, which Kanayago Shrine issued and distributed from the end of the Edo to the early Meiji periods, would find the Kanayago deity seated on a lotus pedestal as Sampo-Kojin. In northern Tohoku, Sampo-kojin as a standing figure is frequently painted on hanging scrolls as a blacksmith divinity. Composition-wise, Sampo-kojin often stands erect on the boxed bellows and blacksmiths are working underneath. Oni, the ogres, are also at work in the smith’s yard, sending wind to the bellows or hammering down as Sente, the assistant hammers.

source :　xxx
金屋子神 - 出雲の伝承 Deity Kanayago from Izumo

Okinawan Images of Blacksmith Divinity
The four blacksmith divinity scrolls that we were able to view during our field studies in the Yanbaru (山原) area, northern Okinawa, had basically the same composition, although they differed in the details. They belong to Type C, as mentioned above, in which the blacksmith deity is expressed as Sampo-kojin (三宝荒神). Furthermore, the four scrolled images show three Oni (鬼), ogres, that are assisting as Sente (先手), a woman in kimono, who is operating the bellows as Hakozashi (箱差し) or Fuigozashi (鞴差し) and a man wearing formal headwear (烏帽子) and an apron (直垂), working as Yokaza (横座). During the forging of iron, the boxed bellows would be found in totally different positions in Mainland Japan, Okinawa and China. At least in the latter medieval period (the Kamakura and the Muromachi eras) in Mainland Japan, it is believed to have been a common practice that Yokaza alone, without Fuigozashi, operated the bellows.

On the other hand, it was a characteristic on Okinawa to have Fuigozashi sit behind Yokaza and operate the boxed bellows, as Yokaza worked without touching the bellows. The first job that an apprentice, in an Okinawan blacksmith’s yard, would be assigned to was Fuigozashi. If so, even though Meuchi (前打 i.e. Sente) and Yokaza are painted in different positions, the four hanging scrolls do not contradict with blacksmithing practices in Okinawa, because they depict how Yokaza and Fuigozashi played distinguishable roles from each other, as Asaoka indicates. Most hanging scroll images from Iwate and Gifu Prefectures (Mainland Japan) have also been found to differentiate between Yokaza and Fuigozashi.

However, the female Fuigozashi (bellows operators) that are in blacksmithing images in hanging scrolls from Okinawa (fig.21,23,24) are rarely found elsewhere. As we have discusssed, most blacksmith divine images in Okinawa are believed to be copies of the originals (that are presumed to have their roots in, and have come to Okinawa from, Mainland Japan, or have been drawn, relying upon information that had been passsed on by word of mouth. Akakanja would have made models of such originals for the many blacksmith divinity hanging scroll images that they created. It is, therefore, not totally deniable that changes might have been made by the painters to reflect more of the real blacksmithing practices in Okinawa.

Although the three headed Sampo-kojin-like figure was depicted frequently as the blacksmith deity in the hanging scrolls that we viewed (fig.24), the balcksmith deity in Okinawa is also imagined as a goddess at times(fig.23). It may be possible to assume the influential role that the myth of the Goddess Kanayago from Izumo Province had while crossing over the sea to Okinawa. We found an example in which a Sampo-kojin-like Blacksmith Divine is represented by three female faces while wearing feminine clothing, whereas Sampo-kojin should be represented by wrathful faces. This image was likely adopted by local painters to fill the gap between the faith of the people and the diffusion of painted images.

Did the images of blacksmith divinities accompany the bellows when they were introduced onto Okinawa from Mainland Japan, or could the images have possibly taken different routes? The question entails further progress in these studies, as well as the discovery of more blacksmith divine images from Okinawa which have hitherto been unseen.

The widespread practicing of bellows festivals was, presumably, fueled by the orders and policies issued by the royal government of the Ryukyus, according to Asaoka (Ironware Culture of Japan--Comparative Ethnology of Blacksmithing, p.257). Blacksmith divinity scrolls could well have been one of the most significant ritual tools that popuralized the bellows festivals. In the 20th year of the King Sho Shitsu (尚質: 1667), the dynasty of the Ryukyus started the “Stationed Blacksmith System” (在村鍛冶制) administered by Ko shoken (向象賢). As Kaji-yaku (blacksmith officials) assigned to villages were non-craftsmen, the system is considered to have spurred the presence of Akakanja and other specialized blacksmith families, as well as that of traveling blacksmith (廻村鍛冶) which was to emerge later. The roles of the Kaji-yaku are assumed to have shifted from blacksmithing to the management of the bellows festivals and smiths’ yards. (Ref. Asaoka,Ironware Culture of Japan-- Comparative Ethnology of Blacksmithing, pp. 152, 193, 224, 249).

In Okinawa the blacksmith divine is worshipped at many uganju (praying spot). Also blacksmith tales are sung in ancient ballads like “Kajiyadi Fu”. Believed to have brought forth the advent of farming with iron farming tools, the balcksmith divinity is also identified with the farming deity. (Ref. Hiroaki Fukuchi, Okinawan Blacksmiths, pp. 255 to 266). According to legend the Kunigami Aji (国頭按司 chief of Kunigami Village), Kaniman (金万・金満), who was the second son of Okuma Ufuya（奥間大親）, the head of Jana Village in the Urasoe quarter, and a younger brother of King Satto (察度王), was believed to have founded the Okuma Kanja Blacksmith family. For helping Kanemaru (金丸), the future King Sho En (尚円), Okuma Kanja was said to have had his second son authorized as Kunigami Aji. The presence of Okuma Kanja continues to date as the ancestor of all Okinawan blacksmiths. Having the power attained through blood-related Monchu (門中) clans and the privileges, such as tax exemptions, and abounding riches, received through such ties, this glorious story of how one family member was promoted to Kunigami Aji is considered to have been suitable for the descendants of blacksmiths. Furthermore, they connected the legend of Okuma Kanja to the myth of the farming divinity and the advent of farming, through which Kaniman was, likely, idealized and idolized as a great ancestor and founder of blacksmith families. Today, Kaniman Aji and his wife are enshrined as founders of Uekaneshi Tunchi (上兼次殿内) or Kaniman Tunchi (金万殿内), in Kaneshi, Nakijin Village (今帰仁村), where the image of the blacksmith divinity has been traditionally recognized as that of Kaniman-sama(fig.35).

References: . . .
- source : okinawazuzou -

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里並に藪の鍛冶屋も祭哉
satonami ni yabu no kajiya mo matsuri kana

even in the village woods
the blacksmiths celebrate -
festival of the bellows
Tr. Gabi Greve

. WKD : kigo for kaji 鍛冶 blacksmith .

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. Japanese Legends - 伝説　民話　昔話 – ABC-List .

........................................................................................................... Kyoto 京都府

Inariyama 稲荷山 Fushimi Inari Shrine　伏見稲荷神社
All the blacksmiths of the region come here to worship.
Once the 三条宗近の鍛冶師 blacksmith Munechika from Sanjo had a dream given to him by the 土祖神 local deity. If he would take the earth from Inariyama and mix it with the water for the blade (刃の湯) he would be able to make wonderful sword blades.
When he did as told in his dream, indeed, his sword became quite famous as Kogitsunemaru 小狐丸.
Now all the blacksmiths and 金物師 metal workers come here to worship.

稲荷山小鍛冶。刀匠・宗近が稲荷の使いに相づちを打たせ、小狐丸という名刀を作り上げた。
by Ogata Gekkō (1859-1920)
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

"Imayo Kokaji”Sanjo Kokaji (Swordsmith)
. Azuma Odori 東踊 Azuma Dance .

........................................................................................................... Yamagata 山形県
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南陽市 Nanyo City

. blacksmith making a kanabo 金棒 metal stick .

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- source : nichibun yokai database -
鍛冶屋 (36) / 鍛冶 (24) - collecting

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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 .

. densetsu 伝説　Japanese Legends - Introduction .

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