Edo - the EDOPEDIA -

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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
. Persons and People of Edo - Personen .
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Kagachoo　加賀町 Kaga-Cho, Kagacho, Kaga districts in Edo

There are two districts with this name, one in the Ginza and one in Ichigaya.
東京都中央区銀座七丁目　Ginza / 東京都新宿区市ヶ谷 Ichigaya

There are two theories about this name:
One is named after a 加賀平右衛門 Kaga Heiemon, the 町名主 headman of this district.

The other is being named after the domain name of Kaga (now Ishikawa prefecture)
This refers to Kaga Cho in Ichigaya.

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銀座加賀町 Ginza Kaga cho

This was first located in 東京府東京市京橋区 and existed until 1930.
Then it became a part of 京橋区銀座西　Kyobashi ward, Ginza Nishi
Now it is part of 東京都中央区銀座七丁目　Chuo ward, Ginza

When Tokugawa Ieyasu first came to Edo, the area of Ginza was still sea and had been filled up when building the castle of Edo, especially the palace at Nishi no Maru. The whole beach front had been reclaimed and became suitable for housing. One of the new districts was called KAGA.
This was the name of the person who was involved in the development of the area,
加賀平右衛門 Kaga Heiemon,
who later became the 町名主 headman of this district.

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市谷加賀町 Ichigaya Kaga cho
東京都新宿区 Shinjuku
- former - 東京府東京市牛込区市ヶ谷加賀町
市ヶ谷加賀町一丁目　/ 市ヶ谷加賀町二丁目 with two sub-districts

This district is named after the Lord of the Kaga domain, Maeda Mitsutaka前田光高 (1616 - 1645).
His estate was in this area.
By way of his mother, he was the nephew of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu.
As Iemitsu was heirless for some time, Mitsutaka was considered a potential heir. He would then have become the fourth Tokugawa shogun.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- quote
The towns of Edo that were established then were named after feudal domains; with names such as
Surugacho, Owaricho, Kagacho, and Inabacho.
They bore the names of the domains that the daimyos in charge of rebuilding the towns were from.
- source : nihombashi-tokyo.com/history...

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. Kaga han 加賀藩 Kaga Domain and the Maeda clan .
Ishikawa - 石川県

. Kaga ryoori 加賀料理 Kaga ryori- dishes from Kaga .

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #edokagacho #kaga - - - -
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Amanuma, 杉並区 Suginami ward

From the first to the third sub-district. 天沼一丁目 - 天沼三丁目.

The name refers to a pond located at the third sub-district, the famous
Amanuma Benten-Ike 天沼弁天池

During the Edo period, 天沼村 Amanuma village had 73 houses, at the beginning of the Meiji period there were 77.
It was a countryside with forests, foxes and badgers like in the 武蔵野 Musashino plain.
In 1635, it belonged to the famous shrine 日枝神社 Hie Jinja.
The rivers 妙正寺川 Myoshojigawa and 桃園川 Momozonogawa flow through this area.

In 1889, together with the villages of 高円寺村・馬橋村・阿佐ヶ谷村・田端村・成宗村 it became 東多摩郡杉並村 Higashi-Tama district, Suginami village.
In 1891 荻窪駅 the station of Ogikubo was built.

Another theory states that the plain was used since the Heian peroid for horse training, then written 乗潴「あまぬま」. cho潴 means swamp.

Amanuma is located in the center of Suginami ward. The main street is 天沼本通り Ananuma Hondori.
In the West is the old 青梅街道 Ome Kaido Road. This road was used to transport stone material for the construction of the Edo castle. The road goes on to Kofu in Yamanashi.

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天沼弁天池公園 Amanuma Benten Pond Park

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天沼八幡神社 Amanuma Hachiman Jinja
東京都杉並区天沼2-18-5

The Shrine dates back more than 400 years.

. The Hachiman Shrines of Japan 八幡宮 Hachiman Gu .

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天沼熊野神社 Amanuma Kumano Jinja
東京都杉並区天沼2-40-2

- reference source : amanumakumano.org...-

. The Kumano Shrines of Japan 熊野 .

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. The Hie shrines of Japan 日枝神社 .
Hie Shrine in Nagatachō, Chiyoda, Tokyo.

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #edoamanuma #amanuma - - - -
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Under the un-auspicious name of "tea stall", a lot of extra entertainment was available in Edo.
Along the public roads to the countryside, there were many Chaya for travellers to rest.

. chaya, -jaya 茶屋 tea shop, tea stall - Introduction .

- - - - The three tea shops were
Ishibashi-ya 石橋屋 - originally 信楽 Shigaraki
Kado-ya 角屋
Tanaka-ya 田中屋

They were located at the beginning of two highways out of Edo,
大山街道 Oyama Kaido
and
二子街道 Futago Kaido.

Oyama Kaido was a favorite pilgrim road to
. 大山の不動様 Oyama no Fudo Son .
Shrine Oyama Afuri Jinja 大山阿夫利神社
There were two Oyama Kaido leading out of Edo, dividing at Sangen Jaya.

source : sangendyaya.co.jp

The rest of the area was still fields and forest in the early Edo period, but there were enough pilgrims to keep the tea stalls busy.
The Oyama Kaido is now called Tamagawa-doori　玉川通り Tamagawa-Dori.

The Futago Kaido was famous for
. Tamagawa Daishi 玉川大師 - temple Gyokushin Mitsuin .
4 Chome-13-3 Seta, Setagaya.
The postal station Futago Juku was at Kawasaki
神奈川県川崎市高津区二子 / Futago, Takatsu Ward, Kawasaki, Kanagawa

The tea stalls used to have two stories, with a second floor where the visitors could rest (and even stay over night if need be).
It is even told that Sakamoto Royma stayed at the 信楽 Shigaraki chaya.

source : sancha.jp/history

.... Ishibashi-ya 石橋屋
The shop was originally called 信楽 Shigaraki, but the name was later changed to 石橋楼 Ishibashi-rō.
In the Meiji Period,
Kado-ya went out of business and Tanaka-ya was lost in a fire.
In 1936, Ishibashi-ya moved across the street and changed its name to 茶寮イシバシ Saryō Ishibashi which means something like “Tea Room Ishibashi.” The first floor was a 洋食喫茶 yōshoku kissa a café specializing in yōshoku, Japanized western dishes. The second floor was a banquet hall that served yōshoku for large events and parties. In 1945, the family running the shop was evacuated due to the destruction incurred by the American firebombing of Tōkyō.
... according to local legend Tanaka-ya re-emerged at some time in the Sangenjaya area. It didn’t come back as a teahouse but as a ceramics shop. The modern shop is called 田中屋陶苑 Tanakaya Tōen Tanaka Ceramics. The shop uses the family name and is the only surviving business with any connection to the Sangen-jaya place name.

source : t-mame.blogspot.jp...
A modern reminder of Sancha 三軒茶屋交差点の交番前

- quote
The area is often affectionately called 三茶 Sancha“three tea.”

..... In the Edo Period,
the area called Sangenjaya today was comprised of the former 中馬引沢村 Naka-Umahikizawa Village, 下馬引沢村 Shimo-Umahikizawa Village, and 太子堂村 Taishi-dō Village in former 武蔵国荏原郡 Ebara District, Musashi Province.
It seems that by the 1800’s, the popular name Sangen-jaya was already well known in the area. However, the name didn’t officially exist until quite recently. The birth of the official place name Sangen-jaya coincided with the 1932 creation of Setagaya Ward.
In the Meiji Period, the area became famous for シャボン屋 shabon-ya shops selling western soaps, 立飲屋 tachinomi-ya shops where you drink while standing, 駄菓子屋 dagashi-ya cheap candy and snack shops, and 魚屋 sakana-ya fish mongers. Today, it’s a rather affluent area with many bustling restaurants and bars.
- source : japanthis.com/2015/01/14/sangenjaya

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Tokiwabashi 常盤橋 Tokiwa bridge

This bridge is located at the Futago Kaido in the village 中馬牽沢村 Naka-Umahikizawa at Sangenjaya.

登戸街道 Noborito Kaido / Noborito-juku postal station

The road was called 津久井道 Tsukui Michi. This road met with the Oyama Kaido at Sangenjaya.

source : symphonic-net.com/tackara2000/rekishi/edomeishozue...

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ayu no michi　鮎の道 road to carry ayu trout
also called Tsukui Ookan 津久井往還 Road of Tsukui, a town in the North-West of Kanagawa prefecture.
Trout that were fished in Kutsui had to be transported to Edo for consumption as fast as possible. They were carried to the tea shop Sangenjaya三軒茶屋 in Setagaya.
The fish were put in buckets and the carriers stopped ever so often to put fresh water into the bucket to keep the fish happy and alive.
. ayu 鮎 trout .

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kuchisake onna 口裂け女 the slit-mouthed woman
She likes the number three, so she likes to come here.
She knocks at the door three times.

. kuchisake onna 口裂け女 slit-mouthed woman .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
- reference source : sangendyaya.co.jp　-

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #sangenjaya - - - -
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- quote
Childhood Name: 玉 (Tama)
She was born in 1628,
the second daughter of a Nishijin grocer. In her childhood, she was called Tama. She was later adopted by Honjô Munetoshi, steward for Kanpaku Nijô Mitsuhira. Traveling to Edo as the result of some interaction or connection with O-Ume, daughter of Rokujô Yûjun (a member of the Ôoku), Tama entered the Ôoku herself as a concubine of Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, and eventually gave birth to Tokugawa Tsunayoshi, who would grow up to be Shogun himself.
After Tsunayoshi became Shogun in 1680, she took up residence in the san-no-maru (third bailey) of Edo castle, and came to be known as San-no-maru-dono as a result.
A private temple was established for her in Edo in 1682; this would later become the Edo Gokoku-ji. Keishôin was also involved in the construction of Zenkô-ji, a fifteen-year project.
In 1702,
she rose to the Junior First Rank, and many members of her family, beginning with her (adoptive) younger brother Honjô Munesuke, enjoyed the benefits of serving as direct shogunal vassals. It was around this time that her Buddhist devotion grew stronger, and she eventually took on the Buddhist name Keishôin.
She died in 1705, at the age of 79.

Plaque in honor of Keishoin at Imamiya Shrine, Kyoto.
- source : samurai wiki

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. Yanagimori Jinja 柳森神社 Yanagimori Shrine .
was built in the late 17th century by a woman named Keisho-in 桂昌院, the daughter of a lowly greengrocer. As a teenager she was 'scouted' by representatives of Edo castle to join the O-oku -- the harem of women who serviced the Shogun. While this might sound like a sad fate by modern standards, in feudal times a spot in the Ooku was akin to winning the lottery for a woman. No matter how humble your origins, you were treated like royalty in the Ooku, particularly if you caught the Shogun's fancy.
And Keisho-in not only caught his fancy but bore him a son -- a son that eventually became the Fifth Tokugawa Shogun, making her a powerful political figure in her own right. Not bad for a woman who had been sweeping the floor in a vegetable stand just a few decades earlier.
- quote by Hiroko Yoda

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

Otowachoo　音羽町 Otowa district in Edo

There is a famous temple in the district :

. Otowa Gokokuji 音羽護国寺 Otowa Gokoku-Ji
文京区大塚5-40-1 / Bunkyo ward, Otsuka 5-40-1

This temple was founded in 1681 by 亮賢僧正 high priest Ryoken (1611 - 1687)
on behalf of Shogun Tsunayoshi for his mother, 桂昌院 Lady Keisho-In.
The main statue is 如意輪観世音菩薩 Nyoirin Kannon Bosatsu.

After his mother's death, Shogun Tsunayoshi visited this temple very often. There was even a special road for him, through the fields of this otherwise farming area. There was no monzenmachi　門前町 town before the temple.
In 1697 the Bakufu government begun to build houses along the road and asked an old retainer of Keisho-In named
音羽 Otowa to become the head of the new village. This gave the name to the new developing area.
Around 1705 there were not only busy tea stalls and shops in the village, but also a famous brothel quarter (okabasho 岡場所).

In 1833, 久保田増平 Kuboto Masudaira brought the art of paper making to the area and in the back roads of Otowa village many paper makers settled.
Masudaira was from Nagano, Ina district 信濃国(長野県)伊那郡.

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Otowa Ezu 音羽絵図 old map of Otowa
雑司が谷　Zoshigaya

source : national diet library

大達磨像 - 江戸・音羽護国寺
Portrait of Daruma at Gokokuji temple in the Otowa District, Edo .

. Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (1760 - 1849) .

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #keishoin #otowa - - - -
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The Tone River (利根川 Tone-gawa) is a river in the Kantō region of Japan.
It is 322 kilometers (200 mi) in length (the second longest in Japan after the Shinano) and has a drainage area of 16,840 square kilometers (6,500 sq mi) (the largest in Japan). It is nicknamed Bandō Tarō (坂東太郎); Bandō is an obsolete alias of the Kantō Region, and Tarō is a popular given name for an oldest son. It is regarded as one of the "Three Greatest Rivers" of Japan, the others being the Yoshino in Shikoku and the Chikugo in Kyūshū.
... The Tone River was once known for its uncontrollable nature, and its route changed whenever floods occurred. It is hard to trace its ancient route, but it originally flowed into Tokyo Bay along the route of the present-day Edo River, and tributaries like the Watarase and Kinu had independent river systems.
For the sake of water transportation and flood control, extensive construction began in the 17th century during the Tokugawa shogunate, when the Kantō region became the political center of Japan. The course of the river was significantly changed, and the present route of the river was determined during the Meiji period, with the assistance of Dutch civil engineer Anthonie Rouwenhorst Mulder.
Its vast watershed is thus largely artificial. ...
- More in the wikipedia -

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... By strict definition, the river begins on the 大水上山 Ōminakami Yama Ōminakami Mountains (literally, “Great Headwaters Mountains”) in Gunma Prefecture and empties out into the Pacific Ocean at 銚子 Chōshi in Chiba Prefecture. That said, the entire watershed is littered with towns and waterworks which reference the river, despite being off the official government designated course. The Arakawa and Edogawa are often cited unofficially as exit points of the river.

The Tone River as it flows throw Maebashi (present day Gunma Prefecture).
... The history of the river is really long and complicated ...
- source : japanthis.com/2014... -

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

There are rivers named Tonegawa in other parts of Japan.

.................................................................................　Aomori 青森県

sunamaki-danuki 砂撒狸
筑後久留米、三井郡宮陣村などには砂撒狸というものがいる。利根川中流の堤防の木の上に、川砂を身にまぶした狸が登っていて、人が通ると体を振って砂を落としたという話が残っている。

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

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

刀禰川や只一ッの水馬
tone-gawa ya tatta hitotsu no mizusumashi

Tone River--
only one solitary
water strider
Tr. David Lanoue

. Water strider, amenbo アメンボ、水馬.
- - kigo for all summer - -

"Clouds over Bando Taro"坂東太郎（ばんどうたろう）
Bando Taro (bandoo taroo) is an old name for the Tone river, which flows through Edo/Tokyo.
. clouds - kigo for summer .

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #tonegawa #rivertonegawa - - - -
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[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Persons and People of Edo - Personen .
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Kuki shi 九鬼氏 Kuki ke 九鬼家 the Kuki clan, Kuki family

The Kûki family was originally from Muro district of Kii province, and had been settled in Shima province by
Kuki Takayoshi.
The clan became powerful in the Ago district of Shima and developed a reputation as pirates.
Yoshitaka, the eldest son of Kûki Sadataka (a warlord with a reputation for being a pirate),
Kuki suigun九鬼水軍 the Kuki navy
Kuki Tadayoshi claimed remote descent from Fujiwara Tadahira, an important court noble of the 9th-10th century.
- source : samurai wiki -

- quote -
Kuki Yoshitaka (九鬼嘉隆)(1542 – November 17, 1600)
was a naval commander during Japan's Sengoku Period, under Oda Nobunaga, and later, Toyotomi Hideyoshi. He was also the ninth headmaster of the Kuki family's school of martial arts, Kukishin-ryū and thus a very skilled warrior.

In the 1570s, Kuki allied himself with Oda Nobunaga, and commanded his fleet, supporting land-based attacks on the Ikkō-ikki. In 1574, his aid ensured a victory for Nobunaga in his third attempt to attack the Nagashima fortress. In 1576, he was defeated at Kizugawaguchi by the Mōri clan fleet, but 1578 brought victory in the second Battle of Kizugawaguchi, in which Kuki used 'iron ships' to repel the arrows and musket balls of the opposing Mōri clan's ships.

In 1587, he led Toyotomi Hideyoshi's fleet in a campaign in Kyūshū, alongside Konishi Yukinaga, Wakizaka Yasuharu and Katō Yoshiaki. Three years later, along with Wakizaka Yasuharu and Kato Yoshiaki he went on to lead the Siege of Odawara and the Siege of Shimoda. He continued in his role as commander of Hideyoshi's fleet, launching an invasion of Korea in 1592 from his flagship Nipponmaru. He was severely defeated in the Battle of Myeongryang.

In the Battle of Sekigahara, Kuki Yoshitaka fought alongside the Toyotomi forces, while his son Kuki Moritaka joined the opposing force, under Tokugawa Ieyasu. Following Tokugawa's victory, his son successfully guaranteed Yoshitaka's safety from Ieyasu. In a turn of fate, Yoshitaka committed seppuku before the news reached him.

Kuki Moritaka (九鬼守隆)(?1573 ?1597 - October 28, 1632)
九鬼氏鳥羽藩初代藩主 First Lord of the Toba Domain
was a general and admiral in the service of Tokugawa Ieyasu, and the son of Kuki Yoshitaka, one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's top generals.
In the last years of the 16th century,
Kuki Moritaka supported Tokugawa Ieyasu in his bid for power, while his father fought for the opposing side, supporting Ishida Mitsunari. After Tokugawa's victory, Moritaka was confirmed in lordship of his family's han (fief), which was raised from 26,000 koku to 46,000 in wealth and power. Afterwards, Moritaka remained a loyal general to the Tokugawa, commanding a fleet in the siege of Osaka in 1614-1615.
- source : wikipedia -

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The Edo estate of the 九鬼家 Kuki family of the 丹波綾部 Tanba Ayabe domain was in Edo, Sarue.

In their park was an old pine, the famous
小名木川五本松 Onagigawa Gohon Matsu

Edo Meisho Zue

. Saruechoo 猿江町 Sarue Cho - "Monkey Inlay" in Edo .

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- quote
Toba Castle (鳥羽城 Toba-jō)
was a Japanese castle (now in ruins) located in Toba, Mie Prefecture, Japan.
Throughout the Edo period, Toba Castle was the administrative center for Toba Domain, a feudal domain of Shima Province under the Tokugawa shogunate. Located on the coast of Ise Bay, with its main gate facing the ocean, Toba Castle was also known as the Floating Castle of Toba (鳥羽の浮城 Toba-no-uki-jō) or the Two-color Castle (二色城 Nishoku-jō) (from the fact that its seaward side was painted black, and landward side painted white).
The castle was constructed in 1594 by Kuki Yoshitaka,
an admiral under Toyotomi Hideyoshi, who commanded a force of Japanese pirates, who dominated the Ise Bay area in the Sengoku period. The Kuki clan ruled for three generations until 1633.
Following three generations of the Kuki clan until 1633,
the castle came under the control of Naito Tadashige who expanded the grounds by adding a second and third bailey. It was subsequently ruled by various daimyō in the early Edo period, until it came into the possession of the Inagaki clan in 1725. The Inagaki ruled the 30,000 koku Toba Domain for eight generations until the Meiji restoration. The three-story tenshu (donjon) of the castle, built in 1633, was destroyed in 1854 during one of the Ansei great earthquakes and was not rebuilt.
The remaining structures of the castle
were destroyed in 1871 by orders of the new Meiji government. Located on the castle site are the modern Toba city hall, city elementary school, Shiroyama Park, and Toba Aquarium
- source : wikipedia

Kuki suigun九鬼水軍 the Kuki navy
九鬼水軍楽市 Market in Toba, Mie prefecture

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. Kuki Shūzō 九鬼周造 Kuki Shuzo .
(1888 – 1941)
was a prominent Japanese academic, philosopher and university professor.

source : squatyama.blog.so-net.ne.jp...

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Kuki 九鬼 - means "nine Oni demons"
. Onipedia 日本の鬼 The Demons of Japan .

The name 九鬼 can also be read くおに Kuoni or きゅうき Kyuuki
Kuki-ura 九木浦 "Inlay with nine trees"
It goes back to the inlay Kukiura九木浦 / 九鬼浦 (spelled originally with 木 tree instead of Oni),
which was given to the 藤原氏 Fujiwara clan (or the 綾部家 Ayabe clan) by 天智天皇 Tenji Tenno (626 - 672).

三重県尾鷲市九鬼町 / Kukicho village, Owase, Mie
It is also a place name in many parts of Japan, often for rocks, boulders, small caves or steep valleys.

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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九鬼大隅守 Kuki Osumi no Kami

Nipponmaru (日本丸), flagship of Kuki Yoshitaka (九鬼嘉隆),
from '文禄癸巳六月於釜山海征韓水軍総督九鬼大隅守船柵之図'. Nipponmaru is believed to be one of the several Atakebune that was upgraded with iron plating. Tekkōsen (てっこうせん or 鉄甲船, lit. 'Ironclad ship').
... also known asō-atakebune (大安宅船), is the souped-up and up-armoured version of atakebune (安宅船)
- source : greatmingmilitary.blogspot.com -

.................................................................................　Aichi 愛知県
南知多町 Minami-Chita

Kuki gun 九鬼軍 the army of the Kuki clan
In the year 1580, the Kuki army from Toba torched 岩屋寺本堂 the main hall of the temple Iwaya-Ji (Iwayadera) .
They came in their fearful 悪竹(あたけ) Atakebune悪竹船 ships.
Before coming to Iwaya-Ji they torched many temples on the way and killed the priests.
At that time of the attack, 白馬に乗った天女 a heavenly maiden on a white horse appeared, scooped water from 弁天の井 the Benten Well near the South Gate of Iwaya-Ji and threw it over the burning main hall. The flames soon receded and the main hall was miraculously back in its former shape.
The Kuki army fled in great fear and awe. The "Heavenly Maiden" was 藤島の弁天様 the Benten from Fujishima.

When Kuki Osumi no Kami attacked the temple Iwaya-Ji, many treasures were lost to fire and became ashes.
The three Sanzon statues jumped out of the flames, into the garden and hid in an old plum tree.
To our day, 三尊と梅の木 the Sanzon statues and the old plum tree still exist.

In 1868, at the back mountain of the temple 正衆寺 Shoshu-Ji there were strange flames to be seen dancing around, even on rainy nights.
The villagers were surprized and begun to dig in the area. They found old swords, armour and helmets and begun to venerate them. Soon the flames stopped to appear.
It seems that was a battleground of 九鬼嘉隆 Kuki Yoshitaka, who had killed so many samurai and villagers.

. onibi 鬼火 fire balls at Iwaya-Ji .

- Homepage to temple 岩屋寺 Iwaya-Ji
尾張高野山宗総本山　- Built in 715
- reference source : iwayaji.jp.. -

.................................................................................　Nagano 長野県
東筑摩郡 Higashi-Chikuma district明科町 Akashina

A village named Naguki名九鬼
Naguki Akashinahigashikawate, Azumino-shi, Nagano
In Naguki is a 天狗松 Tengu pine, where the Tengu comes to sit on and have a look at the world below.

At 物見岩 Monomi-iwa there lived a demon. He was hit by an arrow of the general Sakanoue no Tamuramaro and fled to the village of Naguki, asking for help.
Other versions say his head and tail raised into the sky. The head fell down at Naguki, the tail at 柏尾 Kashio.
.
. Sakanoue no Tamuramaro 坂上田村麻呂 . - (758 - 811)

.................................................................................　Osaka 大阪府
和泉市 Izumi

Kukitani, Kukidani 九鬼谷 Kuki valley
There lived a Father Oni and his nine Oni children in the valley.
This Kuki family, living quite secretely in the valley, venerated a Tengu.

.................................................................................　Wakayama 和歌山県
東牟婁郡 Higashi-Muro district 本宮町 Hongu

In Kukimura くきむら / 九鬼村 / 久木村 Kuki village there lived no Oni in former times.
A priest had captured a hiru l蛭 leech and asked him to get rid of the Oni, then he would eventually let him free. So the leech kept eating the Oni. . . .

The ancestors of 永原家 the Nagahara family once got rid of most of the Oni who lived in ヤキオダニ Yakio valley.
But they helped the leader of the Oni to survive. To celebrate with sake rice wine they went to オドリ山 mount Odoriyama.
The Oni liked it and called it 九鬼 "Kuki".

.................................................................................　Yamanashi 山梨県

. Kukiyama 九鬼山の鬼伝説　"Mountain with Nine Demons" .
Mt. Kukiyama is one of the 100 famous mountains of Yamanashi. It is 970 m high.
Once upon a time there lived nine bad demons on Mount Kukiyama.
They stole the food and Sake from the villagers.
And then came Momotaro to drive them out, . . . . .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #kukiyoshitaka #kukiclan - - - -
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Hiroshige - Toto Meisho

- quote -
A tract of land from 桜田門 Sakuradamon Gate to around 虎ノ門 Toranomon Gate.
According to legend, this is said to be the place where Prince Yamato Takeru set a sekisho関所 (barrier station) against the Emishi, and because this barrier separated the Yamato with a kasumi霞 (mist) and because it was a place from which one could see the far off places separated by the mist it was called Kasumigaseki (gate of mist).

Ichiryusai Hiroshige

It is located on the Yamanote plateau and connected to Edo Castle, and as it was a key point in the defense of the castle, it served as an area for the residences of a large number of Daimyo (feudal lords). It is often pictured in nishiki-e centered on the hill.

Hiroshige - Edo Hyakkei

Hiroshige - Toto sanjurokkei

- one more Hiroshige print on this page:
- source : ndl.go.jp/landmarks/e/sights/kasumigaseki... -

Kasumigaseki-saka　霞ヶ関坂 the Slope of Kasumigaseki
is clearly depicted on the last two prints. Below the slope are the homes of the townspeople and further down the Edo bay.

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江戸名所図　Edo Meisho Zue

The estate is surrounded by huge stone walls. The road in front is wide enough to have a procession of Daimyo cross with each other.
All kinds of merchants, dealers and normal Edo townspeople are depicted.

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Hiroshige, Famous Places of Edo - Kasumigaseki
A fine Hiroshige; a stunning and unusual perspectival view of Edo through highly stylised clouds, probably from a miscellaneous series of views of 1854 showing a temple precinct to the right of the picture and hurrying crowds in the thoroughfares. This is a great view and I am reminded of Basil Stewart’s comment:
One wonders whether the historical and topographical value of his prints has yet been realized by his fellow countrymen.

Kasumigaseki, (misty barrier)
was the name of the area of Edo nearest to the castle. The name derives from the control barrier on the road to Oshu. The area looked across Edo Bay and was one of the most famous views in the city. It was up this street that the procession of the Sanno festival travelled which took place at the Hei temple.
- source : toshidama-japanese-prints.com... -

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Kasumigaseki 霞が関, 霞ヶ関 or 霞ケ関, / かすみがせき　Barrier/gate of Fog
is a district in Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is the location of most of Japan's cabinet ministry offices.
The name is often used as a metonym for the Japanese government bureaucracy,
as opposed to Nagatachō, which refers to the elected government or the legislative branch.
- More in the WIKIPEDIA ! -

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

ぶきっちよな霞ヶ関の狂言師
bukitcho na kasumigaseki no kyoogenshi

the Kyogen performer
from Kasumigaseki is just
so awkward
Tr. Gabi Greve

山本敏倖 Yamamoto Binko

. Kyogen in various seasons .
traditional Japanese theater

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #kasumigaseki - - - -
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View of a part of Ōtemachi as depicted in the Edo-zu byōbu screens

Ōtemachi derives its name ofŌtemon ("Great Hand Gate") of Edo Castle.
During the Edo period, various daimyōs constructed their lavish residences outside the castle, such as the residence of the daimyō Matsudaira Tadamasa. Ōtemachi was completely destroyed during the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657. It was rebuilt, albeit on a smaller, less grand scale. Ōtemachi remained however in the possession of the various daimyō families until the end of the Tokugawa system and the start of the Meiji period in the 1860s.
The various daimyō families lost their lots as the area was repossessed by the government, who constructed various governmental offices. Today nothing remains of its residential past, the area is dotted with modern high-rise buildings.
In order to gain revenue, the government decided to sell the area into private hands. The area was completely redeveloped.
- - - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

under construction
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Hirakawachoo　平川町 Hirakawa-Cho, Hirakawa district
Hirakawa is sometimes spelled 平河, "flat river".

In the Eod period, it was located in front of the 平川御門 Hirakawa Gomon Gate, leading to Hirakawamura 平川村 Hirakawa village.
Hirakawa village is now known as Otemachi. Other parts have become 一ツ橋 Hitostubashi and 九段南 Kudan-Minami.

- quote -
Hirakawa-mon (平川門) is said to have been the main gate to the Sannomaru of Edo Castle. It is also said to have been the side gate for maidservants and therefore called the Otsubone-mon.
The shape of this gate is in the masugata, similar to the Ōte-mon. However a watari-yagura-mon is built to an adjacent left angle within the kōrai-mon, of which it has two. The other kōrai-mon is located to the west of the watari-yagura-mon which was used as the "gates of the unclean" for the deceased and criminals from within the castle. Outside this gate is a wooden bridge with railings crowned with giboshi ornamental tops.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Hirakawabori 平川堀 Hirakawa moat

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平川天満宮 / 平河天満宮 Hirakawa Tenmangu, Hirakawa Tenjin
This Shrine is the closest to the living quarters of the Emperor in Tokyo, and thus quite popular.

- quote -
The history of Hirakawa Tenmangu Shrine starts with Ota Dokan (1432-1486), the poet-warrior-monk tasked with designing and building Edo Castle (today's Imperial Palace Tokyo). Ota is said to have had a dream about the Heian era scholar, Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), who is venerated as a deity in Japan. Then the very next day, he happened to be presented with a scroll of one of Sugawara's works. Taking these as a sign, he established a shrine to Sugawara no Michizane on the northern edge of the castle, not far from the Hirakawamon Gate, which he planted with Chinese plum trees - what is today's Bairinzaka (梅林坂 Plum Tree Slope).
Then, in 1607,
soon after the first Shogun of the Edo era, Ieyasu Tokugawa, occupied Edo Castle, the shrine was moved to its present location in the area then known as Kaizaka, renamed Hirakawacho after the shrine.
Hirakawa Tenmangu Shrine was the shrine at which all three branches of the ruling Tokugawa clan petitioned at, and every New Year, the head of the shrine was afforded the status of being allowed a personal audience with the Shogun.
Also, being dedicated to Japan's most eminent scholar, Hirakawa Tenmangu shrine has been worshiped at by later scholars, notably the blind scholar 塙保己一 Hokiichi Hanawa (1746-1821) and the scholar of Western science,
高野長英 Choei Takano (1804-50), and continues to be associated with learning, and success in learning, to this day. As such, the shrine is a renowned destination for students praying for success in examinations.
Hirakawa Tenmangu
suffered destruction several times, the latest being by bombing in the Second World War, and was reconstructed in 1969, the only "original" parts being the copper torii gate that was donated by local residents in 1844, and the stone guardian lions, dating from 1852.
.....

There are no less than 5 stone cows on the grounds.
The cow is associated with Tenjin shrines, which are always shrines for scholars. The most famous one in Tokyo is Yushima Tenjin shrine in east Tokyo. The god Tenjin is usually depicted riding on a cow. Stroking one, or all, of the stone cows here at Hirakawa Tenmangu is believed to endow you with scholarly aptitude.
- source : japanvisitor.com... -

. Sugawara Michizane 菅原道真 and the Tenmangu Shrines .

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

. Hanawa Hokiichi 塙保己一 Hanawa Hoki-Ichi (1746 - 1821) .

. Takano Chōei　高野長英 Takano Choei (1804 - 1850) .

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- - - - - Two famous people who lived in Hirakawa :

Yamada Asaemon 山田浅右衛門 a clan of sword fighters
The first Yamada Asaemon Sadatake山田浅右衛門貞武（1657 - 1716）
His name lived on for 9 generations till
Yamada Yoshisuke 山田吉亮（1854 - 1911）

The last one of the clan, Yoshisuke, was nick-named the "head-cutter"
kubi-ori Asaemon 首折り浅右衛門 -
kubi-kiri Asaemon　首切り浅右衛門 "Decapitator Asaemon"
manga Kubikiri Asa首斬り朝 "Neck-chopper Asa".

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Matsumoto Ryoojun 松本良順　Matsumoto Ryojun
(1832 - 1907)
doctor of the 14th Shogun, Tokugawa Iemochi

- quote -
Matsumoto Jun 松本順
(also known as Matsumoto Ryōjun 松本良順) (July 13, 1832 – March 12, 1907) was a Japanese physician who served as the personal physician to the last shōgun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu. He also studied photography with J. L. C. Pompe van Meerdervoort (1829–1908), though he was somewhat unimpressed with his instructor's skills, once describing the result of one of Pompe van Meerdervoort's photographic experiments as "a meagre black shadow". Foreign Minister Hayashi Tadasu was his brother.
Matsumoto was born as the son of the domain physician of Sakura Domain, at the clan's Azabu residence in Edo. He was sent to Nagasaki in 1857 to study rangaku, during which time he studied both western medicine and photography. When Swiss photographer Pierre Rossier arrived in Japan in 1859, Matsumoto ordered Maeda Genzō to assist Rossier. Maeda subsequently became a pioneering Japanese photographer. Another link between Matsumoto and photography dates from some point between 1857 and 1859 when he adopted the 13-year-old future photographer Uchida Kuichi.
Matsumoto helped the Aizu Domain modernize its medical practices, and in 1868 moved to Kyoto to assist Aizu daimyō Matsudaira Katamori during the latter's tenure as Kyoto Shugoshoku. The situation in Kyoto was very unsettled, and Matsumoto befriended Shinsengumi leader Kondō Isami and rendered medical assistance to them. During the Second Chōshū expedition of 1866, he served as personal physician to the 14th Tokugawa shōgun, Tokugawa Iemochi.
During the Boshin War of the Meiji Restoration, he volunteered his services as an army medic accompanying the infantry supporting the Shogunate. After the Battle of Aizu in 1868, he made his way to Sendai, and enlisted with the Ōuetsu Reppan Dōmei. Briefly imprisoned after the war by the new Meiji government, he was released through the efforts of Yamagata Aritomo, who asked him to help develop the medical corps of the fledgling Imperial Japanese Army.
During the Meiji era, he maintained his relations with former retainers of the Shogun. He also was instrumental in helping Nagakura Shinpachi and Saitō Hajime build a monument to the Shinsengumi at Itabashi in Tokyo. He subsequently served in the House of Peers and received the title of baron (danshaku) under the Kazoku peerage system. Matsumoto died in 1907, and his grave is at the temple of Myodai-ji in Ōiso, Kanagawa.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

. General Taira no Masakado 平将門 (? – 940) .
His tomb (which contains only a kubizuka首塚 monument to his head) is near exit C5 of Tokyo's Ōtemachi subway station.
Masakado was one of the most feared "onryo" (vengeful ghosts) in Japanese history.

. Kanda Myojin Shrine 神田明神 . - Tokyo
The three deities enshrined are Daikokuten, Ebisu, and Taira no Masakado.

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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To the South of the inlay is
Hibiya mura　日比谷村 the village of Hibiya.
Next to Hibiya mura were 桜田村 Sakurada mura, 老月村 Rogetsu mura and other villages.

In the process to develop the city of Edo, Tokugawa Ieyasu had the inly refilled and the land was used for living quarters of Edo government officials and Daimyo.

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- quote
Hibi篊 are bunches of bamboo or brushwood used to grow and farm 海苔 nori (a kind of seaweed).
The area was known for people and shops farming and selling nori (which was grown on hibi). Those people and shops would have been referred to as 篊屋 hibi-ya (hibi-people/hibi-shops). As the area grew (and the nori farmers presumably moved out), the place name came to be written 比々谷 Hibiya which has no meaning).
The first character means “comparison” and represents the sound ひ hi. The second character just means “repeat the previous sound.” (the second “hi” becomes “bi” according to euphonic rules called 連濁). The final character is common in Japanese place names and means “valley.” This final character is also meaningless because there is no valley here. If anything, it’s part of the alluvial plain created by the waters in Tokyo Bay.
Sometime in the Edo Period, 比々谷 came to be written as 日比谷 and that is the way it is still written today.
The characters as they are now are “sun” “compare” and “valley, respectively.
If you go to Hibiya Park today, you’ll notice that there is a large pond near the Imperial Palace (Edo Castle). This pond was part of the system of moats around Edo Castle. The moat is gone today, but the pond is in its place. If you walk around the pond, you’ll notice a line of stone wall fortifications which match the castle area. This was one of the moat’s walls. Also, you’ll notice a photo spot called 日比谷見附 Hibiya-Mitsuke (The Hibiya Approach). This was the path to the 日比谷御門 Hibiya Go-Mon, one of many gates into the castle. Btw, 見附 means “approach” or “walkway.”
The area that is the Hibiya park today used to house 2 daimyōs’ upper residences; Saga domain and Chōshū domain.
- source : japanthis.com/2013...

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- photo : Tokyo National Museum - 旧江戸城写真帖＿日比谷見附図 1871

日比谷見附 Hibiya-Mitsuke
With the landfill of the Sotobori canal the Hibiya Mitsuke was also taken down and only a small piece of its stone wall is left now.

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- CLICK for photos of the park !

Hibiya Kooen 日比谷公園 Hibiya Koen Park
..... in Chiyoda City, Tokyo, Japan. It covers an area of 161,636.66m2 between the east gardens of the Imperial Palace to the north, the Shinbashi district to the southeast and the Kasumigaseki government district to the west.
The land was occupied by the estates of the Mōri clan and Nabeshima clan during the Edo period, and was used for army maneuvers during the Meiji period.
It was converted to a park and opened to the public on June 1, 1903.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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. Tokyo Daijingu 東京大神宮 .
The new era of Modern Japan began with the Meiji Restoration in 1868 and a new shrine was built in Tokyo in 1880 with the approval of Emperor Meiji. This shrine enabled people in Tokyo to worship the deities enshrined in the Grand Shrine of Ise from afar. At first this new shrine was called 'Hibiya Daijingu,' taking the name of the area in which it was located.
After the Kanto Earthquake, it was moved to its present site of Iidabashi in 1928,
and it was renamed 'Iidabashi Daijingu'.

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

bakemono 化けもの ghost
On the underground pathway that connects the 銀座 Ginza with 日比谷 Hibiya, there is a Yurei ghost showing up once in a while.
Walking down the stairway from the Ginza side, where is a whirl of golden hair fluttering in the wind, following people. If people try to run away from it, it moves even faster toward them. When they reach the other side at Hibiya, the ghost disappears in a puff.

日比谷神明 Hibiya Shinmei
In the year 1005 on the 16th day of the 9th lunar month, a 御神幣 ritual wand and 大牙 a huge animal fang fell from the sky. All the villagers were afraid and wondering about its meaning, when out of nowhere a young girl of 7 years appeared. The girl got in a state of trance and said the was 伊勢内外宮の神 the deity from great Ise Jingu Shrine. She was back from a trip to the 鹿島 Kashima region, where she had fought with an army of invaders. She had left these two objects as proof of her visit and the villagers should hasten to built a shrine to venerate them.
The child came back to it senses, but disappeared just as suddenly as she had come from nowhere.
The shrine built was named 日比谷神明宮 Hibiya Shinmei-Gu.
Now it is known as 芝神明社 Shiba Shinmei-Sha, 芝大神宮 Shiba Daijingu.
1-12-7 Shiba daimon, Minato ward
The deities in residence are
Amaterasu Omikami (the sun goddess) and
Toyouke no Okami (deity of agriculture and industry)

. Shiba Daijinguu 芝大神宮 Shiba Daijingu .
In former times, it was also called
Iikura Myoojin Guu 飯倉神明宮 Iikura Myojin Gu / Iikura Shinmei Gu
Shiba Myoojin Guu 芝神明宮 Shiba Myojin Gu / Shiba Shinmei Gu

source : metmuseum.org/art...
江戸名所　芝神明 Famous Places of Edo: Shiba Shinmei
Utagawa Hiroshige II

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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秋晴の植木かつぎて日比谷かな
akibare no ueki katsugite Hibiya kana

Hibiya
with the potted trees
in splendid autumn weather . . .
Tr. Gabi Greve

岸本尚毅 Kishimoto Naoki (1961 - )

日比谷公園ガーデニングショー Hibiya Park Gardening Show
A gardening exhibition held at Hibiya Park in Tokyo, includes various events; gardening competition, flower arrangement workshop, outdoor activity experiences and more.
- reference : Hibiya Park Gardening Show -

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秋晴れの都バスは花壇の日比谷過ぎ
高澤良一

黒南風の日比谷にをりぬ湘子亡し
戸塚時不知

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #hibiya - - - -
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In the autumn of 913, 妙行 priest Myogyo came from Kyoto and built his hermitage at
深沢山 Mount Fukasawayama (445 m). He sat in a cave and meditated, not paying attention to the strong disturbing wind, thunder and all kinds of heavenly distractions, which came and went like mist and fog. Myogyo kept meditating and reciting the Sutras.
Now 大蛇 a huge serpent came dangling down from the cave, encircled the saint and fell asleep. Myogyo took his nyoi-bo如意棒 priest scepter and hit the serpent gently on the head:
"Wake up, please!" The serpent opened its eyes and left quietly.
Next morning a deity came to him with his eight children (hachi oji):
"My children and myself have great respect for your virtues! You may use all the land to spread the good words and we will protect all the people on it. I am the deity Gozu Tenno and these are my eight children."
「私は牛頭天王で伴っているのは八王子です」

source : en-nichi.seesaa.net/article...

Myogyo continued his meditation and in 916 proclaimed Fukasawayama as 天王峰 Mount Tenno-Mine　and the eight peaks around it as 八王峰 Mount Oji-Mine. He built a sanctuary on each one and spread the belief in Gozu Tenno and his Hachi Oji in all parts.
Then he built a temple at the foot of Mount Fukasawayama, which became quite large within time.
In the year 939 the story reached the ears of the Emperor 朱雀天皇 Suzaku Tenno and he bestowed a new name to the priest :
Kegon Bosatsu Myogyo 華厳菩薩妙行
The name of the temple is 牛頭山神護寺 Gozusan Jingo-Ji.
- reference source : takaopress.net/kegonbosatsu -

八王子神社 Hachioji Jinja

牛頭天王 Gozu Tenno and his eight princes (八王子 hachi ooji) are celebrated at the shrine
八王子神社 Hachioji Jinja and 八王子権現社 Hachioji Gongensha.

. 牛頭天王 Gozu Tenno - Heavenly King with an Ox-Head .

八王子権現社 Hachioji Gongensha

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- quote
Hachiōji (八王子市 Hachiōji-shi) is a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis,...
- - - - - History
The area of present-day Hachiōji was part of ancient Musashi Province. It has been an important junction point and post town along the Kōshū Highway, the main road that connected the historical Edo (today's Tokyo) with western Japan.
Hachiōji Castle was built during the Sengoku period in 1584 by Hōjō Ujiteru, but was soon destroyed in 1590 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi.
During the Edo period, the area was Tenryō controlled directly by the Tokugawa shogunate.
In the post-Meiji Restoration reform of July 22, 1878, the area became part of Minamitama District in Kanagawa Prefecture.
The town of Hachiōji was created on April 1, 1889, with the establishment of municipalities law. Minaitama District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1893. Hachiōji gained city status on September 1, 1917.
..... The city is surrounded on three sides by mountains, forming the Hachioji Basin which opens up toward the east in the direction of Tokyo. The mountain ranges in the southwest include Mount Takao (599 m) and Mount Jinba (857 m),
- More in the wikipedia ! -

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. Kōshū Kaidō 甲州街道 Koshu Kaido Highway .
The Highway from Edo via Kofu to Suwa
11. Hachiōji-shuku (八王子宿) (Hachiōji, Hachioji) postal station

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. Pilgrimage to 36 Fudo Temples in Kanto / Bando .
08 . 高尾山 Takao-San 八王子 Hachioji .

. Kongooin 金剛院 Kongo-In .
39-1 Ueno-machi, Hachioji, Tokyo 八王子東京 / 武州八王子高野山

. Shooeizan 松栄山 Shoeizan 了法寺 Ryoho-Ji .
This temple in Hachioji near central Tokyo belongs to the Nichiren sect.

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. Tama-ori, Tama Ori 多摩織　Woven Fabrics from Tama .
In Hachioji, which was known as the "City of Mulberries," sericulture (the raising of silkworms) and textile manufacturing have both long flourished; and these factors have contributed to the continued weaving of various textiles in the area.

. Legends about Mount Takao-San and its Tengu 天狗 .
and Izuna Daigongen 飯縄大権現

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神奈川県 Kanagawa津久井郡 Tsukui district城山町 Shiroyama

kamikakushi 神隠し spirited away
Once the farmer 小松の高さん Komatsu no Taka-san, who had been ill for many years was suddenly spirited away. About two weeks later he came home in a rikshaw, all the way from Mount Takaosan.
But now he had become quite crazy and lost his mind completely.

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

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -
62 八王子　東京 (01)
71 to explore 八王子 (01)
Including places named Hachioji in other parts of Japan
八王子神社 in Ishikawa

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八王子駅出でて直ぐ桑がくれ
hachiooji eki idete sugu kuwa gakure

out of Hachioji station
right into
the mulberries
Tr. Gabi Greve

三橋敏雄 Mitsuhashi Toshio

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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The name Komagata-Cho is mentioned in books since about 1661.
(浅草駒形 Asakusa Komagata).

koma駒 is another word for uma馬 horse.
Komagata means "form of a horse", "looking like a horse".
Thetemple hall 駒形堂 Komagata Do could be seen from boats down the river Sumidagawa, looking like a white horse running, koma kake　駒駆け.
komakake changed in the local dialect to Komagata.

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Komagata doo 駒形堂 Komagata Do Hall

Komagata-dô Azuma-bashi　駒形堂 Komagata Hall and Azuma Bridge
Hiroshige

Komagata-do,
dedicated to the horse-headed guardian deity of mounted travelers, one of the many manifestations of the bodhisattva Kannon, marks the original gateway to Senso-ji, standing formerly on the threshold of the land and waters from where Kannon is said to have emerged in the ancient past. Because of this legend, the hall was originally facing the river, and fishing was forbidden as a mark of respect.
. Asakusa 浅草 district in Edo .

- reference source : senso-ji.jp/guide... -

The main deity was Kannon Bosatsu, a statue which was found near the 駒形橋 Komagata bridge.
The hall is near Komagata Bridge beside the 隅田川 Sumidagawa river. It was the first hall for the Kannon statue, which is now in the main temple of Asakusa,
The first Komagata Do Hall was built in 942 by 平公雅 Taira no Kimimasa, right next to the boat landing place at the river. So visitors first came to the Komagata Do Hall to pray and then went to the Asakusa Kannon temple. The front of the temple was first located facing the river, but eventually it was rebuilt to show the back to the river. The present-day hall was built in 2003.
One priest of the Asakusa Kannon temple, 網野宥俊僧正, knew that the original place of the statue was in the Sumidagawa, so the Kannon must like fresh things from the water and thus he installed Bato Kannon 馬頭観音 the Horse-headed Kannon in the hall. For the people to pray to, he had the statue made like a horse (umagata 馬形), later written 駒形.

. Asakusa Kannon　浅草観音 - 浅草寺 Temple Senso-Ji .

. batoo Kannon 馬頭観音 Bato Kannon, "Horseheaded Kannon" .
- Introduction -

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Komagata no asagiri 駒形の朝霧 morning mist at Komagata

source : national diet library
一勇斎国芳 Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi

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Komagata-bashi 駒形橋 Komagata Bridge
Length/ Width: 146.2m/ 22m

source : gotokyo.org/en/kanko/taito...

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. Deity 駒形明神 Komagata Myojin / 馬鳴菩薩 Memyo Bosatsu .
menari myoojin 馬鳴明神 "neighing horse deity"

© PHOTO :　kawamura

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Komagata Jinja 駒形神社　Shrines devoted to the gods and goddesses of horses

. Komagata no ookami 駒形大神 the great gods of Komagata .
- - - - - Composed of six gods:
Amaterasu oomikami (天照大御神)
Amenotokotachi no mikoto (天之常立尊)
Kuninosatsuchi no mikoto (国之狭槌尊)
Wagatsu no mikoto ( 吾勝尊)
Okise no mikoto (置瀬尊)
Hikohohodemi no mikoto (彦火火出見尊)

- - - - - 駒形神社 Komagata shrines in Tohoku
駒形神社(柿ノ沢)　// 駒形神社(綾織) // 駒木の駒形神社

Arakawa Komagata Jinja 荒川駒形神社
遠野市附馬牛町上附馬牛14 / Tsukimo-Ushicho Kamitsukimo-Ushi, Tōno,

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Fukushima 福島県
石川郡 Ishikawa district平田村 Hirata

A horse had been drinking from the water under a rock of the shrine for 八大神様 Hachidai Sama (the eight dragon deities). It became very large and flew off to heaven.
The footsteps of the horse are still seen on the rock and the region was called Komagata.
Komagata mura 駒形村 Komagata village, now part of 喜多方市 Kitakata town.

.................................................................................　Miyagi 宮城県
栗原郡 Kurihara district花山村 Hanayama village

- Mount Komagatayama駒形山

deities Komagatane Gongen 駒形根権現 and Ontake Gongen 御嶽権現
The deities from the mountains of 駒形根 Komagatane and 御嶽 Ontake came down to meet in 陸奥 Mutsu, near 築館 Tsukidate. Near the river 一迫川 Ichihasamagawa they found beautiful flowers in bloom and named the mountain 花山 Hanayama "Mountain with Flowers".
On the way back the Kami from Ontake became sleepy, but the Kami from Komagatane kept going and pursued the way with the most beautiful landscape. This is now mount 御駒山 Okomayama.
The Kami from Ontake came later and took another route. This is now 御嶽権現の山 the mountain of Ontake Gongen, where beautiful shakunage石楠花 rhododendron are flowering.
Komagatane Gongen became jealous and wanted some flowers too, but since he had left Ontake behind earlier on, he did not get any.
To our day, these rhododendron flower only at mount 御嶽山 Ontakesan and not on mount 駒形山 Komagatayama.

Komagatane Jinja 駒形根神社
Miyagi Prefecture, Kurihara, Kurikomanumakura, Ichinomiya 11

.................................................................................　Nagano 長野県
小県郡 Chiisagata district長和町 Nagawa

Komagata-iwa 駒形岩 Komagata Rock
Rock with the imprint of a horse

. uma 馬 koma 駒伝説　horse legends .

.................................................................................　Tokyo 東京都
台東区 Taito ward

onna no ushi-oni 女の牛鬼 a female Ushi-Oni demon
At 浅草駒形 Asakusa Komagata a female Ushi-Oni demon has been seen runing around.
浅草駒形の門前より女の牛鬼が走り出たという。

. ushi oni, ushioni, gyuuki 牛鬼 "bull-demon" .

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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source : matcha-jp.com...
"Dozyo(Loach fish)" is one of the regional menus eaten by locals since Edo era (17th Century~). At those times there used to be shops selling "Dozyo-jiru", a dish of rice bowl with dozyo soup poured on. We can say that it was one typical fast food back then.
Traditional Dojo Loach Fish Gourmet at ”Komagata Dozyo”, Asakusa

. dojoo 泥鰌 Loach, weather loach, weatherfish, Dojo loach .
- kigo in various seasons

駒形のどぜうの霧に工事燈
Komagata no doseo (dojoo) no kiri ni koojitoo

石原八束 Ishihara Yatsuka (1919 - 1998)

初弁天駒形泥鰌に歩を変へぬ
緒方梧葉

- Komagata Dojo 駒形泥鰌 Hot Pot with Komagata Loach -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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Named after Kiyosumi Yahē清住弥兵衛 Kiyosumi Yahei
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He must have been a man of considerable means because it’s said that he financed the filling in and reclamation of the original marshland which effectively gave access to the high ground (where Kiyosumi Park is now located). The details about this family and personage are obscure, but if this tradition is true, these efforts to fill in the swamps would have made the lowlands not only livable, but suitable for business and its hilltop areas desirable for feudal lords serving sankin-kōtai duty.
This area was located near rivers which made it good for transporting goods. So the area definitely prospered after the land reclamation and so the name of Kiyosumi Yahē apparently stuck.
- source : japanthis.com/tag/kiyosumi... -

The area in the beginning of the Edo period was quite a swamp and there soon were eight small fishing villages along the 隅田川 Sumida river.
In 1629 they were allowed to become eight independentvillages,
Fukagawa Ryooshimachi Hakkachoo 深川猟師町八ヶ町
Fukagawa Ryoshimachi Hakkamachi (eight fishing villages in Fukagawa).
Yahei became the head of Yahei-machi弥兵衛町.
The fishermen were obliged and privileged to bring their fish and nori海苔 seaweed to the kitchen of the Shogun.
In 1695 the area was re-named to Kiyosumi machi.

The names of the seven other villages according to their headmen were
次郎兵衛町 Jirobei / 藤左衛門町 Tozaemon / 親兵衛町　Shinbei / 利左衛門町 Rizaemon /
助十郎町 Sukejuro / 彦左衛門町 Hikozaemon / 助右衛門町 Sukeemon
Sometimes 大島町 Oshima was counted as Nr. 9

In 1695, the individual names were changed to
清住町 Kiyosumi / 佐賀町 Saga / 相川町 Aikawa / 熊井町 Kumai /
冨吉町 Tomiyoshi / 諸町 Moro / 黒江町　Kuroe / 大島町　Oshima

In 1932, the Chinese characters for Kiyosumi were changed to 清澄町.

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Kiyosumi Teien 清澄庭園 Kiyosumi Park

- quote -
The grounds of Kiyosumi Teien (清澄庭園) were originally the residence of an Edo era merchant, and eventually changed ownership to a feudal lord who turned them into a garden. During the Meiji Period, the founder of Mitsubishi bought the garden to entertain his guests. It was donated to the city of Tokyo and opened to the public in 1932.
A highlight of the Kiyosumi Teien landscape garden
are the many stones set around the grounds. Landscape stones are highly sought after and valuable, and some of the ones in the garden are famous stones that were acquired from all across Japan.
When strolling the garden's grounds
be sure to venture across the stepping stone paths that are set in the water. This is called "isowatari", and from the stones you can see fish and turtles under the surface of the pond as well as reflections of the garden in the water.
The park is a short walk from Kiyosumi-Shirakawa Station
- source : japan-guide.com... -

清澄橋　Kiyosumibashi bridge

Built in 1950, 22 m long and 12 m wide.
Northern side : 江東区清澄３丁目 - Kiyosumi
Southern side : 江東区福住２・深川１ - Fukagawa

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古池や蛙飛び込む水の音
furu ike ya kawazu tobikomu mizu no oto

Basho Memorial stone

. Kiyosumi Garden Pond and Matsuo Basho .
Those fish ponds of course do not exist anymore, but there is a large pond in the Kiyosumi Gardens not far from the Basho Museum. Not surprisingly, one of the three frog-and-pond haiku stones stands right in this garden.
In the expectation that this pond will help me to evoke the proper atmosphere I proceed to the Kiyosumi Gardens.
- quote G. Blankestijn -

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. Shiba Sonome 斯波園女 (1664 - 1726) .
In 1690, Sonome became a student of Matsuo Basho. Her correspondence with Basho is quite well loved.
Her grave at park, close to Kiyosumi Teien 清澄庭園
at the temple 雄松院 Oshoin .
1 Chome-1-8 Shirakawa, Koto, Tokyo

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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Along the highway were a lot of nashi梨 Japanese pear trees.
A famous town on this road was Ina-Shi　伊奈市.
It was such a busy town in the Edo period, the highway was sometimes even called
Ina Kaidoo 伊奈街道 Ina Highway.

The name INA dates back to a town of this name in Shinano (Nagano 長野県 Ina　伊那市).
A lot of stone masons from Shinano moved closer to Edo, using their old town name, written with different characters, 伊奈.
The stone masons from Ina produced a lot of the stones used to built the stone walls of Edo castle.
They also produced ishi-usu石臼 stone mills, a necessary tool for the farmers of the Edo period.

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Itsukaichi (五日市町 Itsukaichi-machi) was a town located in Nishitama District, Tokyo Metropolis, Japan.
Itsukaichi Town, a medieval settlement, was promoted to town status within Kanagawa Prefecture in 1879, and merged witrh Konakano Village on April 1, 1889. The entire district was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1893.
The town expanded through annexation of the neighboring villages of Mitsusato and Meiji in 1918, and with Masuko, Tokura and Komiya in 1955.
In 1995, the town of Itsukaichi merged with the city of 秋川 Akigawa (Akikawa) to form the new city of あきる野 Akiruno, and thus no longer exists as an independent municipality.
- source : wikipedia

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Itsukaichi-kaido was and is just a local road and stretches over mere 52 km.
It braches off from Oume-kaido at Koenji-minami and leads to Itsukaichi, now a part of Akiruno city in the west of the prefecture Tokyo.
Itsukaichi-kaido was constructed in the early Edo Period as a route to transport charcoal produced in Akikawa valley to Edo - the capital of Tokugawa Shogunate and the present Tokyo.
The road was initially called伊奈道 Ina-michi,
then in various ways such as Itsukaichi-michi, Oume-kaido waki-michi, Edo-michi, Koganei-michi and Sunagawa-michi.
Throughout the Edo period, it served as transport way for diverse agricultural products. It was also used by tourists who wanted to see cherry blossom in Koganei.
The present name Itsukaichi-kaido was fixed in the Meiji Period.
Its original width varied from place to place dependent on the capability of the communities along the road. Within the present Suginami-ward area, the road was as narrow as 3 ken (ca. 5.4m) in the eastern part and 8 ken (ca. 14.4m) in the western part. Itsukaichi-kaido was constructed mostly on a flat terrace land in the east-west direction. Only where it had to cross the valley of 善福寺川 Zenpukuji-gawa River and adjacent low swamp land at Ozaki, an extremely winding route had to be chosen to avoid steep slopes. Nevertheless the winding route was detrimental to smooth traffic and carts were often overthrown at a sharply bending corner or on a slope. Therefore, 七曲り "Ozaki-no-Nanamagari" (Seven windings at Ozaki) became notorious as a difficult section of the Itsukaichi-kaido.
Ozaki-no-Nanamagari stretches over ca. 1 km. If you drive through the new main street, you cannot notice much. But, even in the old side alley we can still find some interesting hangovers from the past.
- - Read more
- source : ocada.jp/tokyo/ozaki... -

source : ameblo.jp/mei03ck...

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Ono-juku was the first inn in Ina Kaido (Ina Way) which starts from Shiojiri-juku, Nakasendo highway and leads to Iida.
Until today, buildings with the look of what they used to be are carefully preserved.

Ono-juku Tonya (the Former Residence of the Ono Family)
The Ono family had been a village headman since the early modern period. Shortly after the early Nakasendo highway was closed, the Ono family became Toiyaba (administration office) of Ono-juku, Ina Kaido, and it continued until the last days of the Tokugawa regime. T
his is a private home rebuilt after the Great Fire of Ono in March, 1859. Its magnificent handsome view is suitable for the leading house in Ono-juku post station town.
- source : kankou.town.tatsuno.nagano.jp -

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根古屋村　Negoya　

根古屋村と記された石仏
峠のカーブ点に諏訪神社があり、傍らに馬頭観音が８体並び、地蔵さんだろうか、根古屋村と記された石仏もあった。
根古屋集落
- reference source : blog.goo.ne.jp/saikoroat/e -

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明治時代の幻の道「伊奈街道」
「伊奈街道」は伊那谷（大鹿）と富士川谷（切石）とをつなぐために明治5～6年に計画され、明治19年頃に完成した道幅２間（3m60cm）の広域道路である。伊那谷に駿河の海産物を運ぶことが主な目的とされた。

そのルートは、新倉から伝付峠を越えて大井川上流西俣を遡り、三伏峠を越えて大鹿村大河原へとつないでいる。長野県と山梨県の折半で費用が出され、関係する村からの人足によって工事がなされたという。伊那谷から身延山参りにいくらか利用されたらしいが、南アルプスの中央部を横断していて、保守管理がたいへんなため、数年で通れなくなってしまったらしい。
この「伊奈街道」の痕跡が一番よく残っているのが新倉広河原から伝付峠を経て二軒小屋へ至るルートである。村人の手で掘られた崖沿いの道など当時のことを思い浮かべながら歩くのも面白い。
- reference source : iida-museum.org/user/nature -

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chuuma no michi 中馬のみち Chuma "road for transport horses"

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信州の近代初期における馬の分布
Distribution of horses in the early modern period in Shinshu
The detail map for horse heads distribution during the early modern period was made fron the statistical records in vols. 1, 2, and 3 of 'Monograph of Nagano villages (1876)' that Nagano prefecture made on the request of Meiji government in 1875. The hearing investigation into horse feeding, foods and the gravestone before World War II was carried out in the city of Ina and the village of Minamiminowa between 2009 and 2013. The density of the horse population per village in the southern part of the prefecture was higher than that in the northern part, and, in particular, the villages fed many horses that were concentrated in the Ina valley.
'Cyu uma'中馬 transit system by horse on the 'Ina kaido'in Ina valley had developed as one of the by-pass roots for free-carrier businesses, going against the wishes of the official institution in 'Naka sendo', which acted under the centralized administrative framework of the Edo era. The development of the carrier businesses and the biological advantages for the operations of transportation, forestry and agriculture under the rough mountainous landscape led to the development of a unique culture in the Ina valley. The people fed many horses, recognized them as members of the family, ate their meat and intestines, and built many tombs to appreciate their spirit as the Deity of Mercy to clean the every accidents and diseases as well as a mountain of weeds, grasses and wild plants in bush around village.
- reference source : 国立情報学研究所 (NII) -

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Asuke Townscape足助
A post town with beautifully contrasting white walls and black wooden fences

The Ina-kaido Road, which supported the livelihoods of common people in the Edo period, used to pass through Asuke. It is a side path of the Nakasendo, one of the Five Highways, and is said to have supported the livelihoods of common people by serving as a route for the delivery of Mikawa Bay's salt and seafood products to the Shinshu district.
"Asukejuku"　足助宿 flourished as a post town of the road, and still today, the characteristic warehouses with white plaster walls and black wooden fences remain, lining a roughly 2 km stretch of the road. It is dotted with nostalgic places such as Asuke Chumakan, a bank building in the Taisho Period; and Manrin Alley, which features beautiful white and black contrasts.
- source : japan-highlightstravel.com/en/travel -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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A district in . Katsushika ward 葛飾区 .

During the Kamakura period,
the land between the rivers 江戸川 Edogawa and 中川 Nakagawa belonged to the clan of
葛西三郎 / 葛西清重 Kasai Saburo Kiyoshige (1161 - 1238).
The land was more of a swamp in constant danger of floodings.
One of Kasai's retainers, 御城蔵人正房 Oshiro Kurando Masafusa had his castle built there,
with a moat around it, but it was later abandoned.
The place was also called 御城地（みじょうち）Mijo-Chi.
In the Muromachi period, remains of the old moats were found and the area got the name "Horikiri".
In the Edo period, villagers begun to use the swamps to plant flowers that need a lot of water.
A gardener named 伊左衛門 Izaemon collected iris seeds from all parts of Japan.
His son continued the collection and by 1835, they grew more than 180 different types.

The area became quite famous for its Iris during the Edo period and many visitors came.

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Famous Places in Edo, Hundred Beautiful Women, Horikiri Shōbu
(Edo Meisho Hyaku-nin Bijo Horikiri Shōbu)

The iris is an essential flower for the Tango Festival. Irises were like a protective amulet to the people of Edo who feared epidemics and diseases in the run up to summer and the practices of drinking iris sake as well as submerging oneself in iris bath were carried out in the belief that it would also dispel evil and have an effect against poisoning from snakes and insects.
It is not known when irises were brought to Horikiri.

Hiroshige

A marshy area where a branch of the 綾瀬川 Ayase-gawa River flows, it is perfect for cultivation of the Japanese iris. At the beginning of the 19th century, the farmer Iza'emon began cultivation of the Japanese iris, and at the end of the Edo Period, a wide variety of iris plants thrived and bloomed here. This created iris gardens which many of the people of Edo came to see.

It is said by some that Shogen Miyata, the retainer of an estate steward of the area, Taneo Kubodera in the Muromachi period, had irises brought from the Asaka marsh (present day Koriyama City, Fukushima Prefecture) and started cultivating them and it is also said by some that during the Bunka period (1804-1818), a local farmer called Izaemon was interested in irises and received varieties including 'juni-hitoe' from Rokusaburo Mannen, the local hatamoto, 'hagoromo' and 'tatsutagawa' from the iris lover Sakingo Matsudaira, and began cultivating the irises.

Toyokuni

- source : library.metro.tokyo.jp/portals... -

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The district is famous to our day for its 堀切菖蒲園 Iris Park.

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

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The village of Horikiri was known for producing flowers for the Edo market.
While the gardeners of Horikiri grew a year-round variety of flowers, the fame of the place derived from the flower represented here, a type of iris known as hanashōbu that was ideally suited to the area’s swampy land. In the immediate foreground are three carefully detailed specimens. In the distance, sightseers from Edo may be seen admiring the blossoms. Hiroshige noted that so many lovely women from Edo came to view the blossoms that it was difficult to distinguish which were the real flowers.
- source : artsandculture.google.com/asset

Utagawa Toyokuni 3rd. 三代歌川豊国 - 堀切菖蒲花盛図

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 - 1849)

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

. Horikiri Shōbu 掘切菖蒲 .
- - kigo for Summer in Edo - -

. shoobu 菖蒲 Shobu iris .
- kigo for mid-Summer -
hanashoobu 花菖蒲 Iris Flower,Iris　ensata
shoobu mi 菖蒲見（しょうぶみ）viewing Shobu
shobu ta 菖蒲田（しょうぶた）field with Shobu

shoobu en 菖蒲園（しょうぶえん）Shobu-En, Shobu park, Iris Park

The long leaves of the iris (shoobu) reminded the Samurai of their swords.
The word SHOOBU　勝負 also means a fight, usually to the death.

***** . seasonal festival of the iris .
菖蒲の節句 shoobu no sekku
The Boy's Festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, now May 5.

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Other villages in Edo with the word hori, -bori - moat

新堀村 Niibori mura
船堀村 Funabori mura
樋堀村 Hibori mura
横堀村 Yokobori mura

. Horiechoo, Horie choo 堀江町 Horie Cho district .

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Shobu Daruma 菖蒲達磨 for good luck
陶志郎 Toshiro

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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 - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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Tateishi is a neighborhood in Katsushika, Tokyo, Japan.
The name derives from a tiny stone monument called Tateishi-sama (立石様), located at 8-37 Tateishi.
With its retro-chic shopping streets and small, back-street workshops and factories, the area retains an atmosphere associated with Tokyo's earthy Shitamachi ("downtown") neighborhoods. Katsushika Ward Office, is located at 5-13-1 Tateishi.
Tateishi
is situated on the west bank of the Nakagawa, a river, about 3 km south of the Kameari area known to many through the manga Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo.
The Higashi-Tateishi ("east Tateishi") neighborhood lies to the south of Tateishi. Tateishi Nakamise (立石仲見世), an old-fashioned shopping street near the railway station, was started soon after World War II ended.
Until around 1980, Tateishi was home to numerous small, family-owned factories, though many of these have since closed and small apartment houses now occupy many of their former sites. The neighborhood's chief industries include dyeing works and doll manufacturing.

Tateishi ("standing stone")
derives its name from a standing stone addressed by locals as Tateishi-sama, sama being a suffix indicating respect.
The stone has been at its present location for at least 600 years and is thought to have been carried and erected here given that the area is on alluvial soil. Locals began to worship the stone as an embodiment of the deity Inari during the Edo period (ca. 1600–1868), hence the sama in the name. The stone is reputed to have once had a height of 8-24 inches (approximately 20 to 60 cm), but today it stands only 1 inch above ground level due to the effects of floods, subsidence, and breakage by locals who wanted to use a piece of the stone as a talisman against disease or getting shot in battle.
- source : wikipedia

Three people, obviously travelers, have come from afar to crap off a bit from the stone and took it home as an amulet.

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Tateishi: Artisan and Merchant Quarters During the Edo Period

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There are quite a few notable areas in Tokyo for an evening out or a taste of some delicious street food, but most visitors and hardly any locals know of this tucked away location only 15 minutes from Asakusa. Tateishi flys pretty low on the radar, and upon first glance it might seem the lack of reputation is well deserved, but Tateishi has held on to some truly unique and tasty shops over the years.
Located in the Shitamachi area,
Tateishi literally means “standing stone,” a name derived from a stone that protrudes out from the ground at a nearby shrine. The stone has been worshipped for over 600 years and today only a small portion remains above the ground. The Shitamachi area was home to merchants and artisans during the Edo period, although after the economic boom, Shitamachi struggled to hang on to the traditions and culture of Japan. Because of this the area today feels a far cry away from that of the more popular areas of Tokyo, but the residents of Shitamachi like it that way, or so I have been told.
- - - - - Tateishi Nakamise Shopping Street
Exiting the Keisei Tateishi train station it is quite easy to find the Tateishi Nakamise Shopping Street. A large sign hangs above the covered entrance, and shops line either side of the boulevard. This shopping street was originally opened as a black market in post-war Japan in 1954 and has remained a celebrated location for the local culture since then. The shopping area boasts five different shopping streets, each with its own unique vibe. The largest by far is also the most modern, but right next door you can find a smaller alleyway with standing room only restaurants and deli-style buffets. Outside the station, a tiny window shop sells croquettes to waiting customers, and next door cuts of fresh meat are displayed in the small smudged windows of a butcher. A line of people waits outside a popular ramen restaurant, while three men sit on stools, the only thing visible through the half curtains are their backs poking out of the dimly lit restaurant while they enjoy their meal.
You can find places like this in central Tokyo,
but rarely with so much gruff charm. It is easy to see that the people here have furiously held on to the Shitamachi culture that made this place what it was. Today it may seem somewhat sparse at first glance, but if you are interested in finding the truly hidden gems and forgotten places of Japan, look no further than Tateishi.

- - - - - Nonbe-Yokocho: Tateishi’s Drinking Alley
Just across the train tracks from Tateishi’s Nakamise Shopping area, and somewhat tucked away between the buildings you can find the popular drinking alleys in Tateishi. While they may look somewhat frightening and broken down in the daylight, I have heard that in the evening these tiny bars come alive. There are two main streets comprising Nonbe-Yokocho, each one just as narrow and fascinating as the other. I have heard that the interior of these small drinking holes outstrips the exterior appearance. If you happen to be in the area, or if you decide to make a trip to Shitamachi to see the sights, make sure to stop by Tateishi in the evening for a quick meal and a drink.
- source : voyapon.com/old-tokyo-tateishi... -

. Shitamachi 下町 - Introduction .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Katsushika 葛飾区　

At the field of the village headman of Tateishi village, there was suddenly a round stone of about 30 cm in the field. He wanted to dig it out, but it was deep in the ground and he left it that day, going home to sleep. Next morning, the stone looked out of the ground for about 30 cm, so the headman thought this must be a good omen and covered it with earth.
But again, next morning the stone was up 30 cm.
So he built a stone sanctuary for Inari on top of it and begun to worship here.
This is the origin of the village named Tateishi in Edo.

立石稲荷神社石祠 Tateishi Inari Jinja Stone Sanctuary

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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su洲 (-zu in compound words) is a kind of sandbank or island in a river.
Between the river Sumidagawa near its estuary and river Kyobashigawa 京橋川 there was a long Su, the Teppozu.
Right opposite was Tsukudajima　佃島.
The name refers the thin long shape of the island, looking like a teppo鉄砲 gun to the inhabitants of Edo.
There were many Daimyo Yashiki estates in Teppozu.

- - - - - Fujizuka Mound in Teppozu

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

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Hiroshige 広重
東都名所之内　鉄砲州佃真景 Toto meisho no uchi Teppozu Tsukuda shinkei

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The name of Teppozu is said to originate either from the fact that the sandbars were long and narrow, like the shape of a rifle, or because of the test firing of artillery. It is said that at the time a Fujizuka (mound made in the image of Mt. Fuji) was constructed in Minatoinari Shrine (present day Teppozu Inari-jinja Shrine) and Mt. Fuji could be viewed from here. Ships from various regions entered the port at Teppozu, so the shrine was revered as a god of safety on the sea for ship passengers. In the Meiji Era it was moved approximately 100 meters to the southwest.
- source : National Diet Library -

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In the grounds of Teppozu Shrine (Minato, Chuo Ward), is Fujizuka (Fuji mound – a miniature Mt. Fuji), which was put together with lava rocks carried from Mt. Fuji. Many people come to make pilgrimages (or Fuji-mode) to this small-sized Fuji.

Utagawa Toyokuni III and Utagawa Hiroshige II 1864 (Genji 1)
Thirty-six Views of the Pride of Edo-Pilgrimage to Teppozu Inari Fuji Shrine
(Edo Jiman Sanjūrokkyō Teppōzu Inari Fuji Mōde)

The 'Mountain Opening' of Mt. Fuji took place on the first day of the sixth month of the lunar calendar and on this day, the people of Edo burnt incense in front of their homes and worship the mountain. Mt. Fuji was revered as a deity since times past and in the Edo period, there were gatherings of mountain worshippers in various locations which were called 'Fuji-kō' and the adherents made pilgrimages to the mountain and this is called Fuji-mode. There were also man made Mt. Fujis here and there in the city and so Edo residents could go on Fuji-mode without having to go all the way to the real mountain.
The Teppozu Inari Shrine pictured here is one of these and is famous along with Komagome, Asakusa, Yotsuya and Fukagawa. In the picture, a figure holding a parasol can be seen half way up the mountainside in the background of a man-made Fuji. The young girl in the foreground is holding a straw snake and in around the Hōei period (1704 to 1711), these were sold as charms against diseases in Fujizuka in Komagome and after this they were sold in various locations during the Mt. Fuji Festival.
- source : library.metro.tokyo.jp/portals...

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Shrine Teppozu Inari Jinja鐵砲洲稲荷神社
This shrine was founded in 841.
The protector deity for the local residents - ubusuna no kami産土神 was established in 1554
生成太神(いなりのおおかみ) Inari no Ookami

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This shrine, close to the banks of the Sumida River, traces its origins back to a shrine constructed nearby in 1520, while it has been in its current location since 1642.
Besides being the site of a number of interesting festivals throughout the year (including one that sees participants taking a dip in a pool on the second Sunday in January), arguably the main attraction is next to the actual shrine. Here, you'll find a mini Mount Fuji constructed from rocks carried from Fujisan itself by devotees, as part of an old tradition of worshipping the great mountain.
- source : timeout.com/tokyo/attractions... -

- Deities in residence
稚産霊神（わくむすびのかみ）Wakumusubi no Kami
豊受比売神（とようけひめのかみ）Toyoukehime no Kami
宇迦之御魂神（うがのみたまのかみ）Uganomitama no Kami

- HP of the Shrine
- reference source : teppozujinja.or.jp... -

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前野良沢 Maeno Ryotaku (1723 - 1803)
was born in the residence of the 奥平 Okudaira family at Edo Teppozu.

also known as 前野蘭化 Maeno Ranka
known as one of the most active in learning the Dutch language, reading and translating Dutch materials, and organizing opportunities for others to learn the language.
He studied with Yoshio Kôsaku, and was active in Rangaku circles of his time.
In his Kanrei higen (1777),
Maeno writes of the virtue of European nations, and of the importance of the quality of a culture's religious teachings in ensuring peace and prosperity. He writes of the success of the spread of Christianity as evidence for the value of Christianity as a moralizing agent, and asserts that while China has seen numerous violent coups, no European ruler has ever taken power by violent usurpation. He never published his Kanrei higen for fear of running afoul of the shogunate, but manuscripts circulated among other Rangaku scholars, physicians, and translators.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

. Medicine in Edo .

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. kanchuu suiyoku 寒中水浴 midwinter bathing .
- - kigo for mid-winter - -
Teppozu Inari Shrine 鐵砲洲稲荷神社, Chuo-ku, Tokyo
January 12
Men wearing only loincloths pour purifying water over themselves.

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神輿追ひ銀座新富明石町
mikoshi oi Ginza Shintomi Akashi choo

carrying Mikoshi
Ginza Shintomi
Akashi
Tr. Gabi Greve

愛澤豊嗣 Aizawa Toyotsugu

. mikoshi神輿、御輿 portable shrine .
kigo for all summer

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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This is a map of the 22 counties of Musashi Province. Rivers, marshland, and the ocean are drawn in blue, mountainous areas in green, and the confines of the city in deep colors to distinguish from the outskirts. Also, in the blank space an explanation of place names, a brief history, a list of temples and shrines, and a list of famous spots of Musashi Province are noted.
Musashi Province is a large region that covers the present day Tokyo Metropolis, Saitama Prefecture and a large portion of Kawasaki City and Yokohama City in Kanagawa Prefecture.
Initially Musashi Province was formed from the 19 counties of
豊島 Toyoshima, 荏原 Ebara, 橘樹 Tachibana, 久良岐 Kuraki, 都筑 Tsuzuki, 多摩 Tama, 足立 Adachi, 入間 Iruma, 比企 Hiki, 横見 Yokomi, 埼玉 Saitama, 大里 Ohsato, 男衾 Obusuma, 幡羅 Hara, 榛沢 Hanzawa, 那賀 Naka, 児玉 Kodama, 賀美 Kami and 秩父 Chichibu.
However in the 8th century, the Koma County and the Shiragi County (which later became the Niikura County) and in the beginning of Edo period, a part of the Katsushika County of Shimōsa Province were integrated to make 22 counties.
- source : library.metro.tokyo.jp...

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- quote -
Musashi Province (武蔵の国 Musashi no kuni)
was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called Bushū (武州). The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami, Shimōsa, and Shimotsuke Provinces.
Musashi was the largest province in the Kantō region.
- Name
The name Musashi, recorded in early records as 牟射志 muzasi, has been conjectured to be of Ainu origin. It has no apparent meaning in Japanese, but mun-sar-i or mun-sar-ihi (weed-marsh-POSS) is a hypothetical Ainu form that would mean "marsh/wetland of (i.e. belonging to) weeds/inedible or otherwise useless plants," with Musashi in the middle of the Kantō Plain.
- History
Musashi had its ancient capital in modern Fuchū, Tokyo, and its provincial temple in what is now Kokubunji, Tokyo. By the Sengoku period, the main city was Edo, which became the dominant city of eastern Japan. Edo Castle was the headquarters of Tokugawa Ieyasu before the Battle of Sekigahara and became the dominant city of Japan during the Edo period, being renamed Tokyo during the Meiji Restoration.
Hikawa-jinja
was designated as the chief Shinto shrine (ichinomiya) of the province; and there are many branch shrines.
The former province gave its name to the battleship of the Second World War Musashi.
- Timeline of important events
...
708 (Keiun 5):
The era name was about to be changed to mark the accession of Empress Gemmei; but the choice of Wadō和銅 as the new nengō for this new reign became a way to mark the welcome discovery of copper in the Chichibu District of what is now Saitama Prefecture.

The Japanese word for copper is dō (銅); and since this was indigenous copper, the "wa" (the ancient Chinese term for Japan) could be combined with the "dō" (copper) to create a new composite term—"wadō"—meaning "Japanese copper".
...
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

. Tamagawa 多摩川 / 玉川 River Tamagawa, Tama .

. Musashino Plain 武蔵野 Musashino Uplands .
A part of the 関東平野 Kanto Heiya plain.

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. Bushu, Ebara district, Himonya village 武州荏原郡碑文谷村. .

. Shrine Hikawa Jinja 氷川神社 . - Musashi Ichi no Miya 武蔵一の宮
Saitama 埼玉県

. Shrine Musashi Mitake Jinja 武蔵御嶽神社 .
176 Mitakesan, Ome, Tokyo

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

azarashi, suiko 水豹 / 海豹 (あざらし) seal // todo トド,　魹、sea lion, Eumetopias jubatus
Seals have been living in the rivers of Musashi province and many are born in spring near the sea. When they grow up, they become sea lions, but later in their life they go back to be seals.

ryuugyo 鰡魚 bora, striped black mullet; a springer, Mugil cephalus
When the Bora gets older, he changes his form, even becoming a sea lion or a seal. This fish is born in the Musashi province and then moves on South, where he spends about one year in the sea at 紀州 Kishu, Wakayama. He is never caught there in a net or with an angler's hook. A few years older he turns back into a seal. Since he likes the cold, he now moves up to Hokkaido to live there.

. - Suiko 水虎 Water Tiger, Water Beast - .

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Osaki Kitsune をさき狐 / オサキキツネ fox with a split tail
- known in 埼玉県 Saitama，東京都 Tokyo and 神奈川県 Kanagawa

This is a kind of Yokai monster weasel or small fox with a split tail, also written 尾先, 尾裂」「御先狐」or「尾崎狐」. Some see it as a Yokai. It used to be known in the Chichibu area and then spread all over Musashi province. Before choosing a bride or groom, on has to carefully investigate the family to make sure it does not live with the family and comes along. The bride might give birth to foxes and leaves the family soon after giving birth.
Some Kitsune-women also give birth to mice before disappearing, and the whole family becomes unhappy and unlucky.
also known as osakigitsune オサキギツネ

. kitsune densetsu 狐　伝説 fox legends .

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hakuhatsu no okina 白髪の翁 old man with white hair
In 武蔵国多摩郡久保村 the village of Kubomura in Tama there lived a farmer named 藤五郎 Kikugoro, whose son named 藤蔵 Fujikura died when he was six years old. At the funeral there came an old man with white hair and took away the spirit of Fujikura (some say the body of the boy who was still alive). Fukukura lived in a dark place for three years and then came back to the world of men. Now he was born in the same Tama district in the village of 中野村 Nakano as the second son of 源蔵 Genzo, named 勝五郎 Katsugoro.
When Katsugoro was nine years old, he said he was in fact the son of Kikugoro and could tell all the stories of Kikugoro's family and the son Fujikura.

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onnen 怨念
武蔵国多摩郡中野に陣取り、奸計により討死した平将頼の霊が戦場にとどまり人々に祟をなした。４８０年程の間怨念は残っていたが、延文の頃一遍上人の３代目真数坊が芝崎村に草庵をつくり供養した。後の神田橋日輪寺である。また将頼の兄将門を神にした。東国に祟をなした霊は将門ではなく将頼のようだ。

takejo 竹女 shiun 紫雲
元和寛永の頃、武蔵国比企郡に戒行堅固という、日頃から正身の大日如来を拝みたい僧がいた。そして出羽の羽黒山に登山した時、夢想に江戸にいる佐久間某の召使い竹女を拝せという。そこで江戸に向かうと、佐久間某も同じ夢想があった。そして竹女を拝むと、全身から光明を放っていた。寛永15年3月21日の暁に、屋上に紫雲がたなびき、異香が漂っている中で竹女は大往生を遂げたという。

.................................................................................　Kanagawa 神奈川県
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川崎市 Kawasaki

kappa かっぱ
武蔵国河ごえのそばに、たてという所がある。子供が馬を洗おうと川に入ったら、急に馬が暴れて子供は川に投げ出された。人々が川を見ると、その子供のそばにかっぱがいたので捕らえて殺そうとした。しかし近くの寺の和尚が哀れに思い、里人に命乞いをして助けた。かっぱは二度と人馬を捕らえないと約束し川に帰った。その晩に和尚の枕の側に、お礼の鮒が2匹置いてあった。

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川崎市 Kawasaki 中原区 Nakahara ward

yoogooseki 影向石
天平11年、光明皇后が重病となったとき、聖武天皇の夢枕に立った僧が、武蔵国橘にある霊地の霊石に薬師如来像を祀れば治癒すると告げた。その通りにすると、皇后は治癒した。後にも、ひとりでに動くなどという不思議なことが、この薬師如来像には起こった。

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多摩区 Tama ward

koshoo 古松 the old pine
橘樹郡宿河原村 In the Tachibana district, Shukugawara village there is an old pine on the top of the mountain.
Around 1834 is suddenly withered and all villagers were very sad. In this year, a young man from the next village had used some branches for firewood, but he came down with a high fever. So his family took the remainder of the branches, placed them around the old tree and said prayers and apologies. Soon the young man became well again.

. matsu 松と伝説 pine legends .

.................................................................................　Saitama 埼玉県
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川口市 Kawaguchi

zenibashi 銭橋 Zenibashi bridge
家康が放鷹の時に、青木村の畔道が崩れて、通ることができなかった。これを村民が銭を埋めて橋とした。これを銭橋と呼んでいる。

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大里郡 Osato district 寄居町 Yorii

tanuki 狸 Monster Tanuki
武蔵国秩父の郡鉢形は大城の跡で狐狸も多く住み着いている。夜、寺で連歌をしていると丑2つ刻に火桶の下から笑い声がした。火桶を動かすと下から黒い獣が仏像の方へ逃げた。夜が明けて調べると仏像が笑い出した。仏像を打ち壊そうとすると黒い獣が逃げていった。

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さいたま市 Saitama city

happyaku bikuni 八百比丘尼
武蔵国足立郡水波田村慈眼寺仁王門の傍に榎の伐株がある。周囲2丈ほどで、筵6畳を敷く。これは若狭の八百比丘尼が植えた木だと言い伝わっている。ここに掘り出しの地蔵というものがある。その石櫃に八百比丘尼大化元年と彫ってある。寛保まで一千百余歳である。

.................................................................................　Tokyo 東京都
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日野市 Hino

umare-kawari
武蔵国多磨郡（多摩郡）程窪村の半四郎という者の息子、藤蔵は死んで後、同郡柚木領中野村谷津入の源蔵という男の子どもとして生まれて、勝五郎と名付けられた。９歳のとき、自分はここへ生まれ変わってきたといったので、言うことをたよりに、半四郎の住所を尋ねていったところ、本当のことだと判った。

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港区 Minato ward

heihaku to taiga ga furu 幣帛と大牙が降る
一条院の寛弘2年9月に、武蔵国日比谷村に幣帛と大牙が降り、さらに託宣があったので祠を建てたという。いまの芝神明社がこれにあたる。

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練馬区 Nerima ward

Yamata no orochi 山田の大蛇 - shinken 神剣
日本には素盞鳴の尊が山田の大蛇を退治するころまで剣を鋳造するということはなかった。武蔵国豊島郡下石神井村の石神の神社には神代以前の鉄剣がある。

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渋谷区 Shibuya ward

Fudo Myo-O
荘厳寺の不動明王像は、将門討伐の際に藤原秀郷が勝利を祈誓し、霊験を示した霊像である。幾多の戦乱を経て様々な武将に奪われ、遂には武蔵国多摩郡の三光院に移されたが、ある夜住職の夢に如来が現れ、霊像を荘厳寺に返すようお告げがあった。調べるとその通りだったので、盛大な法会を営んで返した。

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立川市 Tachikawa

reiken 霊験
武蔵国多摩郡芝崎村鎮守八幡宮の本地仏は弘法大師御作で霊験あらたかである。昔火事で堂守が消失した時尊像がどこかへ飛んでいった。宝永の頃堂を再建すると境内の松の根元が輝いているので掘るとそこから現れた。盗まれた時もある日突然帰ってきた。

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Higashimurayama city 東村山市

- quote
..... a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. As of 1 February 2016, the city had an estimated population of 150,984, and a population density of 8810 persons per km². Its total area is 17.14 square kilometres (6.62 sq mi).
Higashimurayama is approximately in the north-center of Tokyo Metropolis, on the Musashino Terrace.
- History
The area of present-day Higashimurayama has been inhabited since Japanese Paleolithic times, and numerous remains from the Jōmon, Yayoi and Kofun periods have been discovered.
During the Nara period, it became part of ancient Musashi Province.
During the Kamakura period, it was the location of the Battle of Kumegawa in 1333.
In the post-Meiji Restoration reform of April 1, 1889, several villages merged to form Higashimurayama Village in Nishitama District, at that time part of Kanagawa Prefecture.
The entire district was transferred to the control of Tokyo Prefecture on April 1, 1893.
On April 1, 1942, Higashimurayama Village became the town of Higashimurayama. On April 1, 1964, Higashimurayama was elevated to city status.
- source : wikipedia

秋津町 Akitsu // 青葉町 Aoba // 久米川町 Kumegawa // 諏訪町 Suwa ・野口町 Nogushi // 多摩湖町 Takako ・廻田町 Megurita // 本町 Honcho ・栄町 Sakaecho // 恩多町 Onta // 美住町 Misumi ・富士見町 Fujimi // 萩山町 Hagiyama
- reference source : city.higashimurayama.tokyo.jp... -

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

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Kumegawa mura 久米川村 Kumegawa village
東村山市久米川村

As you can see on the map above, Kumegawa village is just in the middle of Higashimurayama city.
Its name dates back to a Kume clan　久米部 Kumebe, Kume-Be / 久米氏 Kume Shi
The Kumebe were one of the five military clans : the Otomo, Kume (Kumebe), Imibe, Mononobe, and Nakatomi. The Kuma clan held the land on both sides of the 川 river, soon named after them.

久米川　（江戸名所図会より）

It was a postal station along the
Kamakura Kaido 鎌倉街道
Kamakura Kaidō, Kamakura Highway or Highways during the Kamakura Period.

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Higashimurayama 東村山市

keyaki 欅 zelkova tree
There was a huge zelkova tree along the highway. They say it used to cry to let his owner know that it did not want to be cut down.

- quote -
　梅岩寺　Zelkova Tree of Baigan-ji Temple

Baigan-ji Temple is an ancient temple of Sotoshu sect, said to be refounded by Asan Donseki in 1651.
There are two Japanese Zelkova trees on both sides of Sanmon entrance gate. The tree on the left side of the gate is “Zelkova Tree of Baigan-ji Temple” designated as Natural Monument of Tokyo. According to the topography “Shinpen Musashi Fudoki-ko” edited in Bunka and Bunsei era (1804-1830), the mention about this temple is found in the article of ‘Kumegawa Village’. Also, there is the mention about this Zelkova tree in the article; ‘There are two trees on the both side of the gate. One is an old Zelkova tree of 2 jyo in circumference. Another is Kajyu of 1 syaku 2jyo’.
This tree has about 27 meters in height and about 7.3 meters in circumference. Its main trunk branches off into several thick limbs at a height of about 3 meters and the branches widely spread out. It grows thick and has a strong vitality.
Furthermore, the tree mentioned as ‘another is Kajyu of 1 syaku 2 jyo’ in the topography indicates the Kaya tree on the right side of the gate.
This tree is “Kaya Tree of Baigan-ji Temple” designated as Natural Monument of Higashimurayama City.
- reference source : syougai.metro.tokyo.jp/bunkazai... -

. keyaki 欅と伝説 Legends about the Zelkova tree .

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恩田町 Onda

Tenno Sama 天王様 deity "Heavenly King"
In a part of the village it was not allowed to grow cucumbers or pumpkins, without the special permission of the Deity.
This was due to the fact that the family crest of the Gion Shrines, where Gozu Tenno is venerated, looked very similar to the form of a cut through a cucumber.

. the Deity Gozu Tennō 牛頭天王 and the Gion shrines .

. The Shrine crest of the Gion shrine .
鹿児島県 Kagoshima 伊佐郡 Isa district

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #higashimurayama #kumegawa - - - -
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- quote
According to the 10th century book, 和名類聚抄 Wamyō Ruiju-shō (Japanese Names for Things), there was a place here written 御田 Mita.
(It’s referred to as 御田郷 Mita-gō, the 郷 gō just means “hamlet” or “small village”). That place name was originally written 屯田 Mita and fell under direct control of the Emperor and his court before the Taika Reform (645). 屯田 was specifically used for production of rice for the Imperial Court in Kyōto.
The Taika Reform
enacted sweeping land reforms and it makes sense that place names might change as the use of land changed. For a little while, the area was then used as a 神田 shinden (a rice field affiliated with a shrine), with the rice and/or its proceeds going to 伊勢神宮 Ise Jingū Ise Grand Shrine in Mie Prefecture.
The kanji 神田 can also be read as mita.
By the middle of the Edo Period, the area was coming to be increasingly written as 三田, which you have to admit is a lot simpler than the older ways. The reason is most likely that
御田 can be read as oden, onta, onda, and mita, while
神田 can be read as shinden, kamita, kanada, kada, kanda, kōda, and mita.
三田 also has variant readings, but is usually read as mita - or sanda, sata and mitsuda.
- source : japanthis.com/2013...

- quote -
... a district of Minato, Tokyo, located near Akabanebashi Station on the Toei Ōedo Line, Tamachi Station on the Yamanote Line, and Mita Station on the Toei Mita Line.
Mita is home to Keio University, Mita Hachiman Jinja, and the diplomatic missions of Kuwait, Italy, Hungary, Papua New Guinea and Australia.
- - - - - Slopes
Many roads up to the Mita plateau have named slopes of historical significance. Each is marked by a wooden post which explains the name.
Hijiri zaka 「聖坂」
corresponds to the ancient Tōkaidō 「東海道」 road. As for the slope, the name changes from the top of Isarago zaka 「伊皿子坂」to the Nihon enoki dori 「二本榎通り」.
Gyoranzaka (魚藍坂)
is a hill road in Mita 4-chōme. It reaches the promontory from Gyoranzaka Crossing which results from the summit in Isaragozaka.
Katsurazaka (桂坂)
is a hill road which lies between Takanawa 2-chōme and 3-chōme. A long time ago, ivy and vines covered the surface of this hill, though an alternate etymology says that a Buddhist priest who wore a wig (鬘 katsura) died along this slope suddenly on a return trip from Shinagawa.
Zakurozaka (石榴坂)
is a hill road which crosses between Takanawa 3-chōme and 4-chōme. The area has many hotels. The street was probably named because there was a pomegranate tree (石榴 zakuro) in the middle of a slope a long time ago.
Hebizaka (蛇坂)
is a slope which is in district four of Mita. Hebi means snake.
Anzenjizaka (安全寺坂)
is a hill road crossing between Mita 3-chōme and 4-chōme. The temple of Anzenji was built here in the Edo era.
Horazaka (洞坂)
is a hill road in Takanawa 3-chōme. The name means "cavernous slope," in Japanese. It is alternatively called Horazaka (法螺坂) or "conch shell slope" and Borazaka (鯔坂) or "herring slope."
Hiyoshizaka (日吉坂)
is a hill road which forms the border of Shirokane 2-chōme and 4-chōme. It goes from Meguro-dori in the southwest to Sakurada-dori in the northeast, and goes past the Kuwaharazaka (桑原坂) to the south.
The name originates from the Noh actor Hiyoshi Kahei who lived nearby.
Tsunazaka 綱坂
Mita Second district.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Tsunazaka 綱坂

- reference and more photos : tokyosaka -

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Mita Hachimangū 三田八幡宮 /　御田八幡宮 Shrine Mita Hachimangu
- Deities in residence:
Hondawakeno Mikoto (誉田別尊命)
Amenokoyaneno Mikoto (天児屋根命)
Takenouchi Sukuneno Mikoto (武内宿禰命)

- quote -
This Jinja is one of the four candidates to be the Hiei Jinja mentioned in the Engi-shiki. Said to have been established in August 709 to enshrine the guardian deity of Japan’s eastern provinces. In 1011 the shrine was moved to what was then Mita District in Musashi Province and became a centre of worship of the tutelary kami of the Watanabe clan, a tributary family of the 52nd emperor, Saga (809-823).
Construction of a main hall at what is the present site of the shrine was completed in 1628. In 1668, however, it was destroyed by fire: rebuilding was completed in 1672. In September 1869 the shrine was renamed Hiei Jinja, before being again renamed, as Mita Hachiman Jinja in 1874. Come the fire bombings of 1945 and the main hall, which had survived since 1672, was burnt to a cinder, along with the rest of the shrine. Rebuilding was completed in 1954.
- source and photos : Rod Lucas -

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

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三田用水 Mita Yosui Waterway
三田上水 (1664) = Mitagawa

source : massneko.hatenablog.com...

The 三田上水 Mita Josui aqueduct was first constructed above ground in 1864 by 中村八郎右衛門 Nakamura Hachiroemon and 磯野助六 Isono Sukeroku.
It brought drinking water to 三田、芝、金杉 Mita, Shiba and Kanesugi.

In 1722, the 8th Shogun Yoshimune ordered some josui上水 (waterways on the ground) to be put under ground, because some thought the wooden waterways would be at risk of fire.
Since 1724 the water from 三田用水 Mita Yosui was used for farming in 14 villages in Mita, Meguro and further downstream.
Because the Mita waterway came from a plateau, they could use water mills further downstream, since Meiji even for industrial purposes in Meguro.
After the war, the Mita waterway was abolished and now only a memorial stone in Meguro reminds of its existence.

目黒の富士 Mount Fuji seen from Meguro - including the Mita Yosui.
Hiroshige 広重

- quote -
View of a mini-Fuji built in 1829 on the estate of a shogunal retainer named Kondo Iuzo, well known for his exploration of the northern island of Hokkaido. It was a late Edo practice to construct miniature replicas of Mount Fuji. The first such mini-Fuji was built in 1779 in Takata (now the site of Waseda University) by a practitioner of Fujiko, a popular religion that worshipped Mount Fuji as a transcendent god. The miniature replicas enabled women, children, the elderly and infirm to climb Fuji.
The mountain shown in this print is smoother than most mini-Fujis, which were generally built of rough lava transported from Mount Fuji itself and the zigzag path mimicked the route up the real mountain. The Kondo Fuji came to be known as the "New Fuji," in distinction to the early mini-Fuji nearby, (shown in the following print). Known as a religious site it was also a pleasure spot, for the splendid view it offered of the real Mount Fuji, shown in the distance.
The stream below is the Mita Aqueduct, which ran along the bluff and around the New Fuji, and the shrine hidden in the trees in the middle distance is the popular Meguro Fuco, probably the destination for visitors stopping off at the mini-Fuji.
Seven years after the founding of the New Fuji, Kondo Iuzo's son killed a neighboring farmer and his family in a dispute in a right to sell souvenirs to mini-Fuji visitors, resulting in the disgrace of the Kondo family. The mini-Fuji was leveled in 1965 for the construction of a research institute of KDD, Japan's international telephone and telegraph company. Stone markers from the "New Fuji" are still preserved behind the hedge on the south side of the institute lawn.
- source : brooklyn museum -

. The many waterways of Edo - Introduction .

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
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[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Nerima　練馬区　Nerima ward

- quote
Nerima-ku, "Training Horses ward" is a special ward in Tokyo. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City.
As of 1 May 2016, the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons per km². 121.6% of the ward's population is over the age of 65.
The total area is 48.08 km².
- History
In the Edo period, the area was mostly farmland producing vegetables like daikon radishes, gobo burdocks, and potatoes. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, many people from central Tokyo moved to the area.
In October 1, 1932, Nerima town, and Kami-Nerima, Naka-Arai, Shakujii and Ōizumi Villages were incorporated in Old Tokyo City. Prior to the creation of the ward on August 1, 1947, the area had been part of Itabashi. In 1952, the Japan Self-Defense Forces established a base there. The first division of the eastern group of the Ground Self-Defense Force has its headquarters there. The United States Forces Japan already had a base, Grant Heights, which it returned to Japanese control in 1973. Grant Heights had been Narimasu airfield under the Imperial Japanese Army until the end of World War II. The runway is now the main street in front of the IMA department store in Hikarigaoka
- source : wikipedia

- quote -
下練馬村（しもねりまむら）Shimo-Nerima mura
現在の北町、錦、平和台、氷川台、早宮、羽沢、栄町、桜台、練馬
上練馬村（かみねりまむら）Kami-Narima mura
現在の田柄、光が丘（一部）、春日町 Kasuga、高松、向山、貫井 Nukui
中新井村（なかあらいむら）Naka-Arai mura
現在の豊玉上、豊玉北、豊玉中、豊玉南
中村（なかむら）Nakamura
現在の中村北、中村、中村南
谷原村（やわらむら）Yawara mura
現在の谷原、高野台、富士見台
田中村（たなかむら）Tanaka mura
現在の南田中、三原台の一部
下土支田村（しもどしだむら）Shimo-Doshida mura
現在の旭町、土支田、光が丘の一部
上土支田村（かみどしだむら）Kami-Doshida mura
現在の東大泉、三原台（2、3丁目の一部）、大泉町（2丁目の一部）
下石神井村（しもしゃくじいむら）Shimo-Sakujii mura
現在の石神井町、下石神井、上石神井南町
上石神井村（かみしゃくじいむら）Kami-Shakujii mura
現在の石神井台、上石神井
関村（せきむら）、竹下新田（たけしたしんでん）Seki mura, Takeshita shinden
現在の関町北、関町南、関町東、立野町
橋戸村（はしどむら）Hashido mura
現在の大泉町
小榑村（こぐれむら）Kogure mura
現在の大泉学園町、西大泉、南大泉
上板橋村（かみいたばしむら）Kami-Itabashi mura
現在の小竹町、旭丘
武蔵国（むさしのくに）Musashi no kuni、豊島郡（としまぐん）Toshima district、新座郡（にいざぐん）Niida district
- reference source : city.nerima.tokyo.jp/annai... -

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- quote -
..... Before Tokugawa Ieyasu, there was Ōta Dōkan.
Before him there was the Toshima-shi 豊島氏 Toshima Clan and the Edo Clan.
練 neri training, kneading // 馬 (u)ma horse
- One of the oldest stories, documented from the Kamakura Period says that sometime between 700 and 800, there was a road connecting 武蔵国 Mushashi no Kuni Musashi Provice and 下総国 Shimōsa no kuni Shimōsa Province. On that road the Toshima clan had a shukueki 宿駅 a horse relay station. The name of the relay town was Norinuma, 乗沼 ride-swamp”. This etymology claims that because the area was a wetland it had many lakes and, well, you could refresh your horses there, too. The local accent changed “Norinuma” to “Nerima” and eventually the kanji was changed to ateji.
- Another theory says vassals of the Toshima family were training horses here. This is the most believable story, though it isn’t attested as early as the previous theory. So the name “training horses” is literal.
- Another literal theory says some dude was stealing horses and keeping them here and then training them for resale. This kind of etymology, while entertaining, is unlikely IMO.
- Another clay theory uses an alternate meaning of the kanji 練 neri. The kanji can also mean “knead” as in “knead bread” or “knead clay.” Supposedly there was an abundance of great clay for pottery making and the place was famous for kneading clay. This etymology says the name was originally Neriba練場 Kneading Place. There are many examples of diachronic changes and dialect variants where ば ba becomes ま ma (and vice-versa). So linguistically speaking, it’s not impossible. On the site of the former Nerima Village (present day 貫井 Nukui), archaeologists discovered a type of kiln which was rare in the Edo-Tōkyō area.
- Another clay theory claims that the dirt and clay in the area was sticky as if it had been kneaded professionally. Thus the area was called Neriba, 練場 just as in the theory I just mentioned. Over time the pronunciation changed from Neriba to Nerima. The clay hypotheses are intriguing.
- or
The Shakujii Basin lowlands were an expanse of lakes and swamps and so if you looked at water filled rice-paddies they looked really deep, as in “deep to the roots.” 根 ne root + 沼 numa swamp, marsh = Ne no numa 根の沼 root deep swamp, which changed to 根沼 Nenuma root swamp. Eventually Nenuma changed to Nerima and the kanji was changed to ateji.
- source : japanthis.com/2013... -

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. Kasugachoo 春日町　Kasugacho District, Kasuga-Cho

. Shakujii Park 石神井公園 Shakujii Kōen .

. Nerima daikon 練馬大根 radish from Nerima .

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Nukui貫井（ぬくい）"pulling out a well" village
上練馬村 Kami-Nerima / 貫井一丁目から五丁目 from 1 to 5 sub-districts

When Kobo Daishi Kukai visited the area, the villagers were suffering from a severe water shortage. So he slapped is walking staff into the ground and thus water begun gushing out of the new well.
There was also a swamp, 貫井の沼 Nukui no Numa and a river, 貫井川 Nukuigawa.

Now there are various sub-districts, 本貫井・東貫井・西貫井・南貫井・北貫井・向貫井・中貫井.

. Kobo Daishi Kukai 弘法大師　空海 . (774 - 835) .

The people from 貫井町 Nukui say, at a home where hitodama人魂 a supernatural fire ball has fallen down, there will soon a child be born.

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Nerima 練馬区

. Yamata no orochi 山田の大蛇 huge monster serpent .
a legendary 8-headed and 8-tailed Japanese dragon.

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. keyaki 欅と伝説 Legends about the Zelkova tree .
and daija 大蛇 huge serpent
白山神社境内にある2本の欅のうち、１本が大正12年12月25日の夜、突然怪火を出した。昭和４年の夏には、２本の欅の間に大蛇が横たわっているのを見たものもいる。

kitsune 狐 fox
寺に老いた狐が住んでいた。狐が鳴いて火事を知らせることが2・3度あった。そのため大火にならずに住んだ。そのため火消稲荷と呼ぶようになった。

sakana 魚 fish
石神井の池に棲む魚は鱗毎に鳥居の形がある。洪水でこの魚が田畑へ流れ出ても石神井の使者といって村民はこれを捕らないという。

.................................................................................　Toshima 豊島区

ubugami 産神
練馬在池袋村出生の女子が、池袋の産神氏子を惜しみ、他に出て密通などした場合、必ずその家に怪があるという。ゆえに大方は村内で縁組みをして他に出さなかった。

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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盆の月あげて練馬に森のこる
bon no tsuki agete Nerima no mori no koru

宮津昭彦 Miyatsu Akihiko (1929 - 2011)

. Bon Festival お盆 O-Bon, Obon .
- - kigo for early autumn - -

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government .

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

. Doing Business in Edo - 商売　- Introduction .

. shokunin 職人 craftsman, craftsmen, artisan, Handwerker .

. senryu, senryū 川柳　Senryu poems in Edo .

. Japanese Architecture - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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Kaga districts

Amanuma district

Sangenjaya district

Keishoin and Otowa

Tonegawa river

Kuki clan family

Kasumigaseki district

Otemachi district

Hibiya district

Hachioji district

Komagata district

Kiyosumi district

Itsukaichi Kaido Highway Ina

Horikiri district Iris Park

Tateishi village Katsushika

Teppozu district Akashi Ginza

Musashi Province

Higashimurayama Kumegawa

Mita district

Nerima ward