Edo - the EDOPEDIA -

6/02/2019

Funabori district Edogawa

funabori 船堀 lit. a moat (hori) for boats and ships
The moat was joined with the river Shinkawa 新川（船堀川 Funaborigawa）
In 1629, the river was enlarged to ship salt from Chiba to Edo.

Nowadays both sides of the moat are well preserved walking areas.
In the Edo period, the rivers 小名木川 Onagigawa and Funaborigawa were artificially created for easy water transportation, especially of salt.
Edo had a lot of shallow waterways not suited for larger boats. Therefore the sand from natural rivers had to be dug out regularly to make them deeper.
Around 1808 the river Onagigawa was cleaned again. At its most shallow part where the former river 中川 Nakagawa merged with it, it was only 36 cm deep.

source : edokara.tokyo/conts...

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タワーホール船堀 Tower Hall Funabori Tower Observatory
4 Chome-1-1 Funabori, Edogawa City

The tower is only 115 m high. The building has the form of a sailboat.
- read more ! -

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Temples and Shrines in Funabori

法然寺 Honen-Ji
法竜寺 Horyu-Ji
光明寺 Komyo-Ji

日枝神社 Hie Jinja
稲荷神社 Inari Jinja

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Funabori no Fujizuka 船堀の富士塚 Fuji Mound
6 Chome-7-23 Funabori, Edogawa City,
At the shrine 日枝神社 Hie Jinja.

. Fujizuka, Fuji-zuka 富士塚 Mound to honor Mount Fujisan .

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. river Shinkawa 新川 "new river" .
and a district of that name in Kanda.

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. river Onagigawa 小名木川（おなぎがわ） .
- not Konaki river

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小名木川クローバー橋 Onagigawa Clover Bridge
1 chome Ojima | 3 chome Ogibashi Koto-ku
Walk or cycle across the Onagigawa Clover Bridge, a landmark structure by Sumiyoshi Station. This cross-shaped bridge, the first of its kind in Tokyo, connects where the Onagi River and Yokojikken River meet. Make sure to stop in the middle for a unique view of Tokyo Skytree.
- source : gotokyo.org/en...

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Horidomechoo 堀留町 Horidomecho District
Nihonbashi area

Painting by Hasegawa Settan 1834-1836

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The Horidome district was located in the vicinity of modern Nihonbashi Horidome-chō 1-chōme and 2-chōme; it being positioned along an excavated bund that faced onto and altered the flow of the two Horidome rivers (east and west).
Water transportation was used extensively in the area during Edo times, with the town becoming well-known for its rice traders.
- source : library.metro.tokyo.jp/Portals -

Because of the wide waterway, many wholesalers (tonya　問屋) had their warehouses here, especially rice dealers.

. Pottery dealers in Horidome .

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

川鵜翔つ通船堀の水幽し
kawa-u tatsu tsuusenbori no mizu kasokeshi

小川原嘘師 Ogawara Usoshi

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形代も通船堀にかかる頃
katashiro mo tsuusanbori ni kakaru koro

松本進 Matsumoto Susumu

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5/22/2019

Hayabusa district Chiyoda

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
. Persons and People of Edo - Personen .
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Hayabusachoo, Hayabusachō 隼町 Hayabusacho district
Chiyoda, no sub-districts
lit. peregrine falcon district

When Tokugawa Ieyasu moved to Edo, he loved falconry and his falconers lived in this district.
Also written 鷹匠町 Takajo cho, falconers district.
There were also many estates of 旗本屋 Hatamoto Samurai in the area.
The name was given to the area after 1868.

. takagari 鷹狩り hunting with hawks and falcons .
Meguro was home to the hawks and falcons hunting grounds (takajo 鷹所）of the Shogun, first developed by Tokugawa Ieyasu himself, because he was an avid hunter.

source : bunka.pref.mie.lg.jp...

After the 明暦の大火 great fire of Meireki in 1657 the area was devastated and came under the protection of the Shrine 日枝神社 Hiei Jinja.
In 1691 large parts became hiyokechi 火除地 fire barrier zones.
In 1697, homes were built again and Hayabusacho grew.

The origin of the slope 三宅坂 Mitakezaka goes back to the kamiyashiki上屋敷 main residence of the 田原藩三宅家 Mitake family of the Tahara domain, now 渥美半島 Atsumi peninsula in Aichi.
It is also the place where 渡辺崋山 Watanabe Kazan (1793 - 1841) was born.

In 1872, Hayabusacho became the first sub-district of 麹町山元町 Kojimachi Yamamoto cho.
The Southern part was called 麹町隼町 Kojimachi Hayabusacho.

During WWII, most of the Mitake estate was used by the military.
A large hospital was built for the soldiers, now known as
国立国際医療研究センター National Center for Global Health and Medicine - NCGM, .

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The “Phantom Hospital” appears - NCGM’s origin
-- After the Boshin War (1868–1869), the shoguns kept their soldiers stationed in the outer moat of Edo Castle, even after the transition from wartime to peacetime. In addition, an increasing number of residents of Tokyo started to demand healthcare. The NCGM has its origins in a provisional military hospital established for the sick and wounded inside the Yamashita Gate (Yamashita Gate provisional hospital) on October 1, 1868.
-- Yamashita Gate was located near the intersection of Miyuki-dori and the expressway behind the Imperial Hotel in present-day Ginza; however, today, the only traces of its existence can be found in the name of the Yamashita-bashi elevated bridge. The gate was built by Hosokawa Tadatoshi from Kumamoto Prefecture in 1636, and was said to be the smallest gate of the Edo Castle.
-- The Yamashita Gate provisional hospital was the army’s first core hospital, but it went through a series of name changes and there are no records of its existence, hence, the name “Phantom Hospital.”
-- This provisional hospital had been originally known as the Gunmukan (Bureau of Military Affairs) Treatment Center until Gunmukan was replaced by the Ministry of the Military in 1869, whereupon it became the Treatment Center of the Ministry of the Military. The Kutsuki house of the Fukuchiyama feudal estate of Uchiyamashita-chō provided the hospital with its daimyō’s mansion, located inside what is now Hibiya Park.
-- Its name was changed to Tokyo Garrison Provisional Hospital in 1871, and again to Second Provisional Hospital of the Army a year later. After the closing of the First Provisional Hospital inside Gokoku-ji temple, it was used to house beriberi patients. (Kurosawa Yoshiyuki, Journal of the Japanese Society for the History of Medicine., vol. 40）
-- After that, the army established a hospital in Kōjimachi at the suggestion of Matsumoto Ryōjun. The hospital was newly rebuilt on August 1, 1873 to inherit the work of its predecessor, and served as the army’s main hospital.
- reference source : hosp.ncgm.go.jp/en... -

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Kokuritsu Gekijō 国立劇場 National Theater of Japan
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The National Theatre of Japan (国立劇場 Kokuritsu Gekijō) is a complex consisting of three halls in two buildings in Hayabusa-chō, a neighborhood in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The Japan Arts Council, an Independent Administrative Institution of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, operates the National Theatre. It primarily stages performances of traditional Japanese performing arts.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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最高裁判所 Supreme Court of Japan
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The Supreme Court of Japan (最高裁判所 Saikō-Saibansho, called 最高裁 Saikō-Sai for short), located in Hayabusachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo, is the highest court in Japan. It has ultimate judicial authority to interpret the Japanese constitution and decide questions of national law (including local bylaws). It has the power of judicial review; that is, it can declare Acts of the National Diet, local assemblies, and administrative actions, to be unconstitutional.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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渡辺崋山 Watanabe Kazan (1793 - 1841)

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... a Japanese painter, scholar and statesman member of the samurai class.
He was born Watanabe Sadayasu in Edo (now Tokyo)
to a poor samurai family, and his artistic talent was developed from an early age. His family served the lord of the Tahara Domain, located in present-day Aichi prefecture. Watanabe himself served the lord of Tahara as a senior councilor, one of his achievements being said to be protecting the domain from even a single death from starvation during the Tenpō famine. He was heavily influenced by the artistic styles of the West, forming a unique style with elements of Japanese and European art.
Like many other Edo-period artists,
Kazan painted realistic portraits of his subjects using the effects of shading which he learned from European paintings. On the one hand, he was a traditionalist Confucian, who believed in filial piety and loyalty to his daimyō, and on the other he was enthusiastic about Western ideas regarding science and politics. He wrote two private essays which were interpreted as being critical of the Shogunate's defense of Tokyo Bay and promoting Western ideas. Although these papers were discarded by Watanabe, they were found and he was tried and exiled to his home province of Tahara. One of the conditions of his exile was that he wouldn't sell his paintings, however Watanabe continued selling his paintings in secret due to financial hardships. This was eventually discovered leading to the suppression of his works and house arrest.
Due to the political turmoil involved in this,
Watanabe committed ritual suicide (seppuku) as a way to amend for the embarrassment he caused his lord.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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Frog in the Well:
Portraits of Japan by Watanabe Kazan, 1793-1841
Donald Keene

Frog in the Well
is a vivid and revealing account of Watanabe Kazan, one of the most important intellectuals of the late Tokugawa period. From his impoverished upbringing to his tragic suicide in exile, Kazan's life and work reflected a turbulent period in Japan's history. He was a famous artist, a Confucian scholar, a student of Western culture, a samurai, and a critic of the shogunate who, nevertheless, felt compelled to kill himself for fear that he had caused his lord anxiety.
During this period,
a typical Japanese scholar or artist refused to acknowledge the outside world, much like a "frog in the well that knows nothing of the ocean," but Kazan actively sought out Western learning. He appreciated European civilization and bought every scrap of European art that was available in Japan. He became a painter to help his family out of poverty and, by employing the artistic techniques of the West, achieved great success with his realistic and stylistically advanced portraits.
Although he remained a nationalist
committed to the old ways, Kazan called on the shogunate to learn from the West or risk disaster. He strove to improve the agricultural and economic conditions of his province and reinforce its defenses, but his criticisms and warnings about possible coastal invasions ultimately led to his arrest and exile.
Frog in the Well
is the first full-length biography of Kazan in English, and, in telling his life's story, renowned scholar Donald Keene paints a fascinating portrait of the social and intellectual milieus of the late Tokugawa period. Richly illustrated with Kazan's paintings, Frog in the Well illuminates a life that is emblematic of the cultural crises affecting Japan in the years before revolution.
- source : amazon.com... -

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5/20/2019

Okachimachi district Taito

The name refers to the foot guards of the Shogun,
okachigumi, o-kachi-gumi 御徒組 / okachigata 御徒方.

The kachi 徒 were very low-ranking Samurai.
Their living quarters were here.
They had to look after the safety of the road when the Shogun was going out.
Many had a low income and had to work at other jobs to make ends meet.

The O-Kachi samurai were divided in various groups:
本丸15組 15 groups for the Honmaru part of Edo castle.
西ノ丸5組 5 groups for Nishi no Maru.
Each group had two leaders and about 28 members.

okachi 御徒 is also spelled 徒士.

goyoogeikoo 御用稽古 "official training" of the Ssamurai of Edo castle.
Swimming was especially taught to the elite of the groups.

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... a 徒 kachi is one of the lowest ranking samurai of the Edo Period. They were not permitted to ride horses. Until the 1800’s, they were not allowed to wear clothes with a family crest as their families were not considered successive clans. Some people draw a parallel between this rank of samurai and low level salarymen and low level management of Tōkyō – the analogy being in the type of housing and accessible neighborhoods according to their salary. This isn’t a good analogy, in my opinion, in that the samurai ranks were highly regulated by the Tokugawa Bakufu and a modern worker can marry “out of his station” or just move to the suburbs and get a bigger place. ...
... Even though these kachi were direct retainers of the shōgun, they were a kind of non-commissioned officer. They were expected to live in barracks. In many cases they wouldn’t be granted permission to live with their wives and children. In times of war, they were forbidden from marching in the vanguard. In times of peace, they were basically the white trash of Japan. They were supposedly privileged, but in reality, they were just commoners. The commoners had to show deference to them, but the rest of the samurai elite probably shat on them. ...
... the whole area from O-kachimachi to Ueno is considered the low town today. ...
- source : japanthis - Marky Star

- Other Samurai in service of Edo castle:
oobangumi 大番組　Obangumi, castle guards
onandogumi 御納戸組　keepers of the Shogun's personal stores.
Their living quarters were the
kumiyashiki 組屋敷　group residence

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Okachimachi
is an area on the JR Yamanote Line, just south of the major Ueno Station. It is one of the areas of Tokyo that is well known for its shopping and excellent range of foodie options. Expect lots of fashionable youngsters here and crowds of hungry shoppers.
- - What to eat and drink in Okachimachi
There is a shopping street in the Okachimachi area called Taito-ku’s Torigoe. This is where you must go for eating and drinking. The street features around 230 shops that sell a huge range of groceries, ready-made meals and the very traditional and well-loved okazu (sides). This is Japan, so eating on the street and walking is frowned upon, but luckily street-snacking is more than welcome here as there is a small designated rest area with tables and chairs, which is found near the middle of the street. Eat away friends. Do note that most of the shops are closed on a Sunday.
There is of course sushi
to be had in this area. Head to Ginzo Sushi for some tasty options. The atmosphere of the restaurant is relaxing with piano jazz playing and there are also smoking and non-smoking seats, which can be rare to find in Tokyo. Go for the Sakura Nigiri Set for 790 yen, which includes 8 pieces of sushi, chawanmushi (a type of savory egg custard and prawn) and a delicious miso soup. Lunch sushi sets will cost you from 790 yen up to 2,600 yen. If you’re not a sushi fan, they also have a good range of other sets which include udon, grilled fish, tempura and donburi. Great value and great choice here.
- - - What to do in Okachimachi
Ameyokocho is said to be Japan’s last black market. This little number is great for both food and shopping. It really is just a random selection of stalls here. You can see heaps of clothes racks filled with shoes and coats. At another place will see you okonomiyaki, another monja, some French and Italian cuisine here, and other types of Asian restaurants there. You can find running shoes, perfumes, toys, watched, lychees, kebabs and shaved ices all in the same vicinity—the possibilities really are endless. Go here for an interesting and ever-ending browse.
Let’s get some shoes.
Told you this area was a fashion hub. With heaps of options at this shoe haven of an area, your feet will feel fabulous at any of these Okachimachi finds. Hit AbAb for a very good summer sale with pairs of shoes being reduced from 7,000 to as a little as 1,000 yen—bargain! (Do be warned though, if you have a larger size of feet for a woman, you may struggle to find a shoe that fits in Japan!)
Located near Okachimachi Station
lies the Shitamatchi Museum. The museum displays the history and life of shitamachi (downtown). The first floor showcases the living space of shitamachi such as a merchant’s house and a row of tenement house flats. The second floor shows a range of materials that detail the history of the shitamatchi area and there is even an area where visitors can see olden-day toys.
- source : tokyocheapo ... -

. Ameyoko あめよこ (アメ横) shopping in Ueno .

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キムチ横丁 Kimchi Yokocho alley.
Near Ueno station east of Showa-dori Street is the oldest “Korean Town” in Tokyo called Kimchi Yokocho.
There are many Korean restaurants, yakiniku restaurants, and stores selling Korean food products like kimchi here. The area developed after World War II, when a number of restaurants, butcher shops, and stores selling traditional clothes opened here.
- source : authentic-tokyo .. -

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station Naka-Okachimachi eki 仲御徒町駅
This station was built in 1961.

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4/22/2019

Hisamatsu Hamacho districts Chuo

The district was divided from 村松町 Muramatsucho in 1617.
Later it became part of 日本橋浜町 Nihonbashi Hamacho and 日本橋橘町 Nihonbashi Tachibanacho and then became one separate district.

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The town that was reborn three times
Nihonbashi Hamacho / Nihonbashi Hisamatsucho / Nihonbashi Nakasu
From a samurai town to a stylish town
The Nihonbashi Hamacho area has changed greatly three times.
The town of Hamacho was a town of samurai warriors and was lined with residences of feudal lords during the Edo period. There used to be merchant homes in some parts of today’s Nihonbashi Hisamatsucho, but there were many shops that sold long and short swords, too. I think it was a quiet neighborhood of common people that was quite different from the lively downtown area of the nearby Ningyocho, where craftsmen lived. It is said that the residences of the Kasama Clan had storehouses where the Shogunate kept its gold coins. This was probably a top-secret affair. To this day, nobody knows the exact locations of the residential storehouses.
The Hamacho area underwent a complete change along with the falling of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The land where the daimyo residences stood was handed over to the people in 1871, when the feudal system ended after about 260 years after its establishment. It is the prestigious Japanese restaurants and similar establishments that were built on these grounds. The colorful dining culture where wealthy merchants enjoy themselves with geishas got its start here.
- The dining culture emerging
There was a canal known as the Hamacho River between Nihonbashi Hamacho and Nihonbashi Ningyocho before the land was filled in 1972, and it is said to have been popular as the starting point of sightseeing trips down Sumida River. It was famous all throughout the country as a stylish and luxurious town, and there were over two hundred and fifty geishas and almost a hundred restaurants during its peak. It was thirty five years ago when I became acquainted with Nihonbashi Hamacho and I can still remember the elegant scenery of fine restaurants surrounded by the black walls. By the way, the geishas in this area that was known as Yoshicho back then were known to be stylish, lively, and skilled at their trade. This attracted many famous, successful, and wealthy business owners who patronized the establishments where they worked. Sadayakko, who was the first Japanese actress, also used to be a geisha from Yoshicho.
With the revising of town names in 1977, the name Yoshicho began to disappear along with the successful businessmen, the geishas, and the fancy restaurants. The only remaining fancy restaurant that remains from this era is Hamada-ya, which has been in business for over a hundred years, and there are now only a dozen or so geishas.
- A townscape where the appeal of both the new and old meet
The Hamacho area suffered great damage during the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, but the huge 33 meter-wide Kiyosubashi Street was formed between Kiyosu Bridge and Asakusa Bridge; becoming the pride of the downtown district. Hamacho Park along the Sumida River is the largest park in Chuo Ward. In 1929 the remains of the residence of the Hosokawa daimyo family from Kumamoto was renovated and opened as a popular hall among the local people for activities such as strolling, exercising, and holding Oedo Festivals.
- Fureai-no-Hana ...
- Tourist spots in the Nihonbashi Gonobe area
Suitengu
Hamacho Pedestrian Road
Meijiza
Kiyosubashi
- source : nihombashi-tokyo.com/history...

久松児童遊園 Hisamatsu Childrens Park
16-6 Nihonbashi Tomizawacho, Chuo
with a pool to splash around ジャブジャブ池

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Hamachoo, Nihonbashi 日本橋浜町 Hamacho district "beach district"
Chuo ward, 日本橋浜町一丁目 - 三丁目　first to third sub-district

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浜町公園デイキャンプ場 day camping
source : bbq-park.com/park..

Hamacho Koen, Hamachō Park 浜町公園 Hamacho Park
2-59-1 Nihonbashi Hamacho, Chuo
On of the most important parks in Chuo ward.

Hamachogawa 浜町川 river Hamachogawa
It was a canal connecting 神田川 the Kandagawa river and the 隅田川 Sumidagawa river.
In 1691, it was also connected to the 竜閑川 Ryukangawa river in an L-shape.
Around 1950, most of the river was landfilled and became a park.
. Ryuukangawa 竜閑川 River Ryukangawa .
There is a statue of 弁慶像 Musashibo Benkei in the park.

source : castle-in-spain.at.webry...

Hamacho ryokudo midorido 浜町緑道 Hamachogawa Green Road
along the former Hamachogawa river.

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4/20/2019

Kuremasa district Chuo

source : edo.amebaownd.com/posts...

This was an old district, already shown in the Kanei Kiriezu map 寛永切絵図 around 1630.

kure 榑 refers to lumber where the bark of the tree has not yet been removed.
The bark could later be used to make roof tiles.

In former times this area was full of reeds and no humans lived there. During the construction of Edo castle, this place was used to store the lumber.
Later when people came to live here, they used the name Kure.

In July of 1868, it became part of 江戸府 Edo, and in September of 1868, part of 東京府 Tokyo.
In 1872, there were 150 homes in the area, with about 560 people living there.
In November of 1878, it became part of Nihonbashi and in 1928 the name was finally changed to
江戸橋三丁目 Nihonbashi sanchome, third sub-district.

Now the road 昭和通り Showadori is flanked by the district on both sides.
This avenue was planned after the 関東大震災 Great Tokyo Earthquake in 1923. It was a wide road for easy traffic, finished in 1928.

Showa-dori Avenue

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Kuremasacho 榑正町

iken 異犬 a strange dog
On the second day of the seventh lunar month, a strange dog was born in Kuremasa.
His mouth was quite wide and it had only one eye. Its nose was above the eye.

. inu 犬と伝説 Legends about the dog / Hund .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

. Edo, Tokyo　江戸 - 東京 - 伝説 Legends Index .

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4/16/2019

river Myoshojigawa

The name refers to the temple Myosho-Ji, where it starts.

- quote
... designated as a Class A river by the Japanese government with a length of 9.7 km and a basin area of 21.4 km².
It starts in the 妙正寺池（Myōshōji Temple pond in Suginami Ward, and joins the Edo River later on. It flows into the Kanda River (Takadanobaba Channel) in Shinjuku Ward.
東京都杉並区の妙正寺公園内妙正寺池（すぐそばにある妙正寺に由来）に源を発し、途中中野区松が丘二丁目で江古田川を合わせ、新宿区下落合一丁目の辰巳橋付近で神田川高田馬場分水路に合流する。

- Recent history
Due to the progress of urbanization, the water retention capacity of the Myōshōji River has fallen and there is an increasing risk of water damage. To cope with this situation, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has constructed revetments that can handle rainfall of up to 50 millimeters per hour.
- Bridges
妙正寺橋 Myoshojibashi
辰巳橋 Tatsumibashi
There are more than 50 bridges over this river.
- source : wikipedia

妙正寺橋 Myoshojibashi Bridge
杉並区清水３丁目
- source and more photos : river_myosyoji/tokyo... -

. Nakano ku 中野区 Nakano ward - "Middle Wild Field" .
The river 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa flows through this ward.

. Amanuma district 天沼 "heavenly swamp" - Suginami .
The rivers 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa and 桃園川 Momozonogawa flow through this area.

. Igusagawa 井草川 River Igusagawa - Suginami .
If flows into the river 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa from the Arakawa water system.

. Ochiai 落合 Ochiai district - Shinjuku .
The area where the rivers 神田川 Kandagawa and 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa merged was called Ochiai.

Edo Waterworks drawing from the Tama River (Tamagawa)
Water for drinking and household use therefore was drawn from lakes or farther upstream.
The Kanda waterworks in Edo drew water from three lakes, Myoshoji, Zenpukuji and Inokashira,
and supported the life of the Shogun and the city population.
. Minuma Tusen Bori (barge canal) .

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source and more photos : daietu-kk.co.jp... 依田しのぶ
Cherry blossoms along the river Myoshojigawa

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妙正寺川公園　Myoshojigawa Park Athletic Field
1-33 Matsugaoka, 中野区 / 中野区松が丘一丁目33番

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hotaru-gari ホタル狩り catching fireflies
along the river 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa in 落合 Ochiai

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江戸時代の蛍狩りの名所としては、谷中の蛍沢や王子の音無川などが知られていたが、特に、
神田上水と妙正寺川の清流が落ち合うことが名の由来といわれている「落合」の蛍は、大きくてひときわ明るかったようだ。

落合ほたる」広重 Ochiai Fireflies, Hiroshige
- reference source : suumo.jp/journal... -

. ensoku 遠足 excursion, day trips in Edo .

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Myōshōji Temple
3 Chome-5-10 Shimizu, Suginami City,
法光山妙正寺　東京都杉並区清水3-5-10

The temple was founded in 1352.
Main treasures are
久遠実成本師釈迦牟尼仏 Shakamuni Buddha, 日蓮聖人 Saint Nichiren and
Jikkai mandala 十界曼荼羅 Mandala for Invoking the Ten Realms

stamp of the temple

- HP of the temple 法光山妙正寺
- reference source : myosho-ji.com... -

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Ninoe Myōshō-ji Temple 二之江妙勝寺

Seaweed harvested in villages like Ninoe, 今井、船堀、桑川 Imai, Funabori, or Kuwakawa was called 葛西海苔 "Kasai-nori,"
and was a different type of seaweed from "Asakusa-nori".
Myōshō-ji is a temple of Nichiren Buddhism called "Hongaku-san Jōju-in." It also bore a responsibility called "Furegashira," which included controlling temples in the entire Kasai area and communicating the orders of the Shogunate's commissioner of temples and shrines.
- source : Tokyo Metropolitan Musaum -

. Asakusa nori 浅草海苔 Nori from Asakusa / Edo .
. Ninoechō 二之江町 Ninoe town, Edogawa ward .

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. The Rivers of Edo .

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

. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #myooshooji #myoshoji #myoshojigawa - - - -
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4/12/2019

Seibu Train Posters

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. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Seibu Train Posters

- quote
Seibu Railway's train etiquette posters in ukiyo-e style
are a hit in Japan and overseas
Posters that use traditional kimono-wearing characters portrayed in the style of Edo Period ukiyo-e to educate train passengers on proper etiquette have gained attention abroad, with the works featured in a British exhibition and printed in Taiwanese textbooks.

First introduced in September 2016, the light-hearted yet educational posters can be found in train stations operated by Seibu Railway Co. in and around Tokyo. The ukiyo-e art form traditionally depicts scenes of the Edo Period (1603-1868).

One image shows a courtesan sitting on a train as she uses a smartphone, while a man with a topknot lounges next to her with a book on his lap. The surrounding passengers are looking at them in annoyance and the poster has text reading,
“Please let others sit comfortably.”

The cultural reference points are used in a range of posters, including one asking commuters to be thoughtful of fellow travelers by depicting an anthropomorphic frog and monkey talking loudly as passengers cover their ears in protest.

The posters were an immediate hit when they were first put up at Seibu train stations, with some passengers asking for the images to be printed on merchandise.

London’s Victoria and Albert Museum began exhibiting the posters in March, noting the interesting amalgamation of tradition and modernity.

“The posters illustrate the bustle and thrill of city life in modern Japan. Humor tempers the message about how to be a well-behaved commuter,” it says on its website introducing the pieces.

A company running cram schools in Taiwan also included the images in their Japanese textbooks.

“We wanted to attract interest from the growing number of overseas visitors,” said Seibu Railway customer service official Konomi Yamamoto, who originally proposed the idea.

“We were able to depart from stereotypical posters by making (the ukiyo-e) appealing. I’m surprised by the overwhelming international response,” she said.
- source : Japan Times

Seibu Railways (西武鉄道)

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

. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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4/11/2019

Iogi 井荻 Iogi district

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Power spots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
- Kugayama, see below
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Iogi 井荻 Iogi district
Suginami　杉並区

The name Iogi machi 井荻町 / 井荻村 Iogi mura was abolished in 1932.
It was the former 東多摩郡 Higashi-Tama district, including the villages
上井草村 Kami-Igusa mura, 下井草村 Shimo-Igusa mura,
上荻窪村 Kami-Ogikubo mura and 下荻窪村 Shimo-Ogikubo mura.
The name I-OGI was constructed of the first letters from Igusa and Ogikubo.

. Igusamura, Igusa mura 井草村 Igusa village .
. Ogikubo 荻窪 Ogikubo district .

i 井 well
ogi 荻 reeds

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井荻駅 Iogi Station opened on 16 April 1927.

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Igusagawa 井草川 River Igusagawa

If flows into the river 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa from the Arakawa water system. Part of the river is now a 遊歩道 promenade.

In the park 道潅橋公園 Dokanbashi Koen there was a bridge over the river, better known as 道潅橋 Dokanbashi bridge.
3 Chome-14-２３ Kamiigusa, Suginami

Along the river 今川 Imagawa is a park called 道潅公園 Dokan Koen.

source : yamap.com/activities....

. Oota Dookan, Ōta Dōkan 太田道灌 Ota Dokan (1432 - 1486) .

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Kugayama 久我山 Kugayama district
Suginami, 久我山一丁目 - 五丁目, first to fifth sub-district

くが kuga means open space, space for leisure
山 yama means mountain

In the Edo period it was an open space in the Musashino plain, called 久ケ山 Kukeyama.
Around 1889, it was known as 久我山村 Kugayama mura village, with about 65 families living there.

Located in the South-West of Suginami ward. A quiet residential area.

Near the station is the shopping mall
久我山連合商店会
They have a firefly festival in summer, thanks to the two main rivers in the area,
the 神田川 Kandagawa and the 玉川上水 Tamagawa Josui Waterway.

- CLICK for more photos !

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Train station
京王井の頭線の久我山駅 Kugayama, Keio Inokashira line

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Kugayama Inari Jinja 久我山稲荷神社
東京都杉並区久我山3-37-14 // 3 Chome-37-14 Kugayama, Suginami City

Since olden times the Shrine of the protector deity of Kugayama.
The main festival is on the first of October.
A Kagura dance called 湯の花神楽 Yunohana Kagura is performed. It is in memory of a time of epidemic disease, when water was boiled in the Shrine and splashed on the ground and on people to purify all.

source and more photos : kugayama-h.ed.jp...

- Deity in residence
Ukemochi no Mikoto 受持命

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4/10/2019

New Banknotes

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. Persons and People of Edo - Personen .
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New Banknotes

- quote
Japanese banknotes get a makeover
On Tuesday, Japanese finance minister Taro Aso announced that Japanese banknotes will be getting a redesign. The new notes are expected to enter circulation around 2024, the first change since 2004.
Three historical figures
have been chosen for the new designs, selected based on several guidelines. They include that the figures must be widely known in Japan, that their achievements be such that the Japanese people take pride in them, and that precise pictures of them exist so as to prevent forgeries.
There are a couple exceptions to the makeover. The 2000 yen note will remain unchanged, as there are not many in circulation, while the 500 yen coin will be redesigned around 2021.

The new 10,000 yen note will feature famed industrialist Eiichi Shibusawa. He was a driver of Japanese industry from the 19th through early 20th century, and is considered the "father of Japanese capitalism."
Following the Meiji Restoration, Shibusawa worked with the finance ministry before becoming a businessman. He helped establish and develop more than 500 businesses. Among them was Japan's first bank, which eventually became Mizuho Bank. He also created the predecessors of the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce.
The reverse side of the note will feature the Tokyo train station building.

The 5,000 yen note will feature Umeko Tsuda, a pioneer in Japanese women's education. She became one of the first Japanese women to study in the United States at 6 years old, and went on to found Tsuda University in Tokyo.
The reverse side will have wisteria flowers.

The 1,000 yen note will feature bacteriologist Shibasaburo Kitasato. His achievements in the field of infectious disease prevention include the development of a treatment for tetanus.
The reverse side is Japanese ukiyoe master Katsushika Hokusai's "In the Well of the Great Wave off Kanagawa." It's one of the world's most famous woodblock prints.

The new notes will be the same size as the current ones but the Arabic numbers will be written in larger letters.

The notes will also incorporate new 3D holograms and other anti-forgery technology. The images will look like they're moving as the angle changes. It's believed this is the first time this technology is being incorporated in banknotes anywhere in the world.
Aso said banknote designs have to be changed every 20 years or so to prevent counterfeiting. He said the changes were announced now because it takes about five years to prepare the new bills.
The finance minister also said the three figures on the notes each made huge contributions to issues that remain relevant today and are appropriate for the upcoming Reiwa Era.
Economic benefit
Experts say the redesign will also be a boost to the economy, creating demand in a range of industries. ...
- source : NHK world / Maiko Eiraku

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