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. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
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Toranomon 虎ノ門 / 虎の門 / 虎門 "Tiger Gate" district
東京都港区虎ノ門 一丁目から虎ノ門五丁目 Minato ward, Toranomon、from the first to the fifth sub-district
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The gate is on the right, with a green dot.
- quote -
Toranomon (虎ノ門) is a business district of Minato ward.
- History
Literally meaning "Tiger's Gate," Toranomon was the name of the southernmost gate of Edo Castle. The gate existed until the 1870's when it was demolished to make way for modern developments.
The Toranomon Incident (虎ノ門事件 Toranomon Jiken) was an assassination attempt on the Prince Regent Hirohito of Japan on 27 December 1923 by communist agitator Daisuke Namba.
The district is home to many corporate headquarters. From the 1970s[ through the mid-1990s Japan Air System (originally Toa Domestic Airlines) was headquartered in the Mori Building (森ビル Mori Biru) in Toranomon. Air China has its Tokyo offices in the Air China Building in Toranomon.[ TV Tokyo,[ Japan Tobacco, Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines have their headquarters in Toranomon.
The Okura Museum of Art and Hotel Okura Tokyo are also located in Toranomon.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !
![]()
The Toranomon (Tiger Gate), demolished in the 1870s
..............................................................................................................................................
- quote
Toranomon is an area in Tōkyō that is known to have been named after one of the gates of Edo Castle. The gate and the moat and bridge system that made up the area no longer exist.
It’s based on 四神思想 shijin sōō, a Chinese precept that stated that the 4 seasons and 4 compass directions were controlled by 4 distinct deities.
玄武 genbu the black tortoise, guardian of the north
朱雀 suzaku the vermilion sparrow, guardian of the south
青龍 seiryū/seiryō the blue dragon, guardian of the east
白虎 byakko the white tiger, guardian of the west
Pre-modern Japanese cities, or at least castles and religious buildings, were often laid out according to Chinese principals of 風水 fū sui feng shui and other similar mythologies. This theory states that the 虎 tora tiger is a reference to the White Tiger.
This surprised me because Toranomon is actually the southernmost gate of Edo Castle.
So I did a little more research and I found out that the White Tiger and Blue are considered polar opposites in feng shui. Among other things, the Blue Dragon represents the left-hand side, which the White Tiger represents the right-hand side.
This also seems strange
because if say north is the top and south is the bottom and the southernmost portion of the castle is the “front,” Toranomon is still south (not west) and just a tad to the left. In fact, if we continue this assumption, there is handful of other gates on the “right side” of the castle – including the actual front gate, 大手門 Ōtemon.
..... The gate was demolished/knocked down in 1873 (Meiji 6) but the name continued to be used for the area, in particular the main intersection (many Tōkyō neighborhoods derive their place names from old local landmarks that persist in intersection names that became train station and bus stops in the Meiji and Taishō Eras).
In 1949
the area got the official name 虎ノ門町 toranomon-chō. In 1977, it received an official postal code under the name 虎ノ門 Toranomon.
- source : japanthis.com/2013...
..............................................................................................................................................
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- quote -
Toranomon
Located between present day 港区芝虎ノ門一丁目 Kasumigaseki 1 chome and Toranomon 1 chome and refers to the area around the Tora-no-mon Gate.
There are several theories about the origin of the name Tora-no-mon Gate such as there was a cherry blossom tree called 虎の尾 tora no shippo (tiger's tail) in the residence near the gate.
Another theory is that Ota Dokan named the gate for the historical fact of the tiger when he went off to war, and also a theory which said that when they tried to bring in a tiger gifted from Korea, the cage was too big to pass through the gate and they rebuilt it.
The state of water over the floodgate and flowing into the cistern, 葵坂 Aoi-zaka Hill and 金刀比羅宮 Kotohira-gu Shrine was often painted in nishiki-e.
- source : National Diet Library -
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Kamiyachoo 神谷町 Kamiyacho, Kamiya district
港区虎ノ門五丁目 Minato ward, Toranomon 5th district
![]()
Around 1614, the layout of Edo city was more or less shaped.
The living quarters of Bakufu officials (temawari 手廻, 中間 chuugen, 御小人 okobito .. others see below) were located in Asabu.
The area of official living quarter (kumiyashiki 組屋敷) was moved to Nichikubotachoo 西久保田町 Nishi-Kubota.
In 1696, the Machibugyo Governor of Edo decided there ware too many place named with TA 田 "field" and re-named the district after the place of origin of the Temawari group.
(also called 御手廻（おてまわり）仲間（ちゅうげん） O-temawari chugen)
They had come from 三河の国 Mikawa no Kuni (now Aichi) 八名郡 Yana district 神谷村 Kamiya mura village. So he named the area Kamiya cho.
Later other townspeople came to live here too.
- quote -
Kamiyacho
Served by Kamiyacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Kamiyacho is a predominantly business neighbourhood wedged between Roppongi and Toranomon within spitting distance of Tokyo Tower. Despite the lack of families, there are plenty of family restaurants in Kamiyacho.
There are also the usual chain food/coffee places like Sukiya and Doutor.
- source : tokyocheapo.com/locations/central-tokyo ...-
......................................................................
Kamiyachō Station (神谷町駅 Kamiyachō-eki)
March 25, 1964 Opened.
January 27, 1968 A rolling stock fire by Tobu 2000 series occurred.
March 20, 1995 Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway occurred. Due to the significant impact of this incident, the station was frequently mentioned in news reports in the aftermath of attack.
April 1, 2004 As Teito Rapid Transit Authority became private company, this station's operator became Tokyo Metro
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !
![]()
Kamiya station is very close to Tokyo Tower
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government and Administration .
- quote -
Edo goyaku 五役（ごやく） the five official workers of Edo
Positions for lower Samurai, involving for example cleaning and keeping the official buildings and gardens clean.
御駕籠之者（おかごのもの）okagonomono, o-kago no mono
御中間（おちゅうげん）ochuugen, o-chugen
御小人（おこびと）okobito, o-kobito
黒鍬之者（くろくわのもの）kurokuwa no mono
御掃除之者（おそうじのもの）gosooji no mono, go soji no mono
御目見以下の御家人が就任する職で、番衛・御使・土木・運搬・清掃といった江戸城城内の雑事を担当した。それぞれの役の頭を「五役の頭」といった。目付の配下で、全て譜代席で世襲制であった。そのため、病気などで勤務ができない者は小普請に編入され、後に目付支配無役となった。
なお、ここでいう御中間は、武家奉公人の中間とは異なる。
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
. 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 - The Japanese Home .
. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #toranomon #kamiyacho #kamiyadistrict #kamiya #bakufu #goyaku #edogoyaku - - - -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Toranomon 虎ノ門 / 虎の門 / 虎門 "Tiger Gate" district
東京都港区虎ノ門 一丁目から虎ノ門五丁目 Minato ward, Toranomon、from the first to the fifth sub-district
The gate is on the right, with a green dot.
- quote -
Toranomon (虎ノ門) is a business district of Minato ward.
- History
Literally meaning "Tiger's Gate," Toranomon was the name of the southernmost gate of Edo Castle. The gate existed until the 1870's when it was demolished to make way for modern developments.
The Toranomon Incident (虎ノ門事件 Toranomon Jiken) was an assassination attempt on the Prince Regent Hirohito of Japan on 27 December 1923 by communist agitator Daisuke Namba.
The district is home to many corporate headquarters. From the 1970s[ through the mid-1990s Japan Air System (originally Toa Domestic Airlines) was headquartered in the Mori Building (森ビル Mori Biru) in Toranomon. Air China has its Tokyo offices in the Air China Building in Toranomon.[ TV Tokyo,[ Japan Tobacco, Fuji Fire and Marine Insurance, and Mitsui O.S.K. Lines have their headquarters in Toranomon.
The Okura Museum of Art and Hotel Okura Tokyo are also located in Toranomon.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !
The Toranomon (Tiger Gate), demolished in the 1870s
..............................................................................................................................................
- quote
Toranomon is an area in Tōkyō that is known to have been named after one of the gates of Edo Castle. The gate and the moat and bridge system that made up the area no longer exist.
It’s based on 四神思想 shijin sōō, a Chinese precept that stated that the 4 seasons and 4 compass directions were controlled by 4 distinct deities.
玄武 genbu the black tortoise, guardian of the north
朱雀 suzaku the vermilion sparrow, guardian of the south
青龍 seiryū/seiryō the blue dragon, guardian of the east
白虎 byakko the white tiger, guardian of the west
Pre-modern Japanese cities, or at least castles and religious buildings, were often laid out according to Chinese principals of 風水 fū sui feng shui and other similar mythologies. This theory states that the 虎 tora tiger is a reference to the White Tiger.
This surprised me because Toranomon is actually the southernmost gate of Edo Castle.
So I did a little more research and I found out that the White Tiger and Blue are considered polar opposites in feng shui. Among other things, the Blue Dragon represents the left-hand side, which the White Tiger represents the right-hand side.
This also seems strange
because if say north is the top and south is the bottom and the southernmost portion of the castle is the “front,” Toranomon is still south (not west) and just a tad to the left. In fact, if we continue this assumption, there is handful of other gates on the “right side” of the castle – including the actual front gate, 大手門 Ōtemon.
..... The gate was demolished/knocked down in 1873 (Meiji 6) but the name continued to be used for the area, in particular the main intersection (many Tōkyō neighborhoods derive their place names from old local landmarks that persist in intersection names that became train station and bus stops in the Meiji and Taishō Eras).
In 1949
the area got the official name 虎ノ門町 toranomon-chō. In 1977, it received an official postal code under the name 虎ノ門 Toranomon.
- source : japanthis.com/2013...
..............................................................................................................................................
- quote -
Toranomon
Located between present day 港区芝虎ノ門一丁目 Kasumigaseki 1 chome and Toranomon 1 chome and refers to the area around the Tora-no-mon Gate.
There are several theories about the origin of the name Tora-no-mon Gate such as there was a cherry blossom tree called 虎の尾 tora no shippo (tiger's tail) in the residence near the gate.
Another theory is that Ota Dokan named the gate for the historical fact of the tiger when he went off to war, and also a theory which said that when they tried to bring in a tiger gifted from Korea, the cage was too big to pass through the gate and they rebuilt it.
The state of water over the floodgate and flowing into the cistern, 葵坂 Aoi-zaka Hill and 金刀比羅宮 Kotohira-gu Shrine was often painted in nishiki-e.
- source : National Diet Library -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Kamiyachoo 神谷町 Kamiyacho, Kamiya district
港区虎ノ門五丁目 Minato ward, Toranomon 5th district
Around 1614, the layout of Edo city was more or less shaped.
The living quarters of Bakufu officials (temawari 手廻, 中間 chuugen, 御小人 okobito .. others see below) were located in Asabu.
The area of official living quarter (kumiyashiki 組屋敷) was moved to Nichikubotachoo 西久保田町 Nishi-Kubota.
In 1696, the Machibugyo Governor of Edo decided there ware too many place named with TA 田 "field" and re-named the district after the place of origin of the Temawari group.
(also called 御手廻（おてまわり）仲間（ちゅうげん） O-temawari chugen)
They had come from 三河の国 Mikawa no Kuni (now Aichi) 八名郡 Yana district 神谷村 Kamiya mura village. So he named the area Kamiya cho.
Later other townspeople came to live here too.
- quote -
Kamiyacho
Served by Kamiyacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line, Kamiyacho is a predominantly business neighbourhood wedged between Roppongi and Toranomon within spitting distance of Tokyo Tower. Despite the lack of families, there are plenty of family restaurants in Kamiyacho.
There are also the usual chain food/coffee places like Sukiya and Doutor.
- source : tokyocheapo.com/locations/central-tokyo ...-
......................................................................
Kamiyachō Station (神谷町駅 Kamiyachō-eki)
March 25, 1964 Opened.
January 27, 1968 A rolling stock fire by Tobu 2000 series occurred.
March 20, 1995 Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway occurred. Due to the significant impact of this incident, the station was frequently mentioned in news reports in the aftermath of attack.
April 1, 2004 As Teito Rapid Transit Authority became private company, this station's operator became Tokyo Metro
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !
Kamiya station is very close to Tokyo Tower
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government and Administration .
- quote -
Edo goyaku 五役（ごやく） the five official workers of Edo
Positions for lower Samurai, involving for example cleaning and keeping the official buildings and gardens clean.
御駕籠之者（おかごのもの）okagonomono, o-kago no mono
御中間（おちゅうげん）ochuugen, o-chugen
御小人（おこびと）okobito, o-kobito
黒鍬之者（くろくわのもの）kurokuwa no mono
御掃除之者（おそうじのもの）gosooji no mono, go soji no mono
御目見以下の御家人が就任する職で、番衛・御使・土木・運搬・清掃といった江戸城城内の雑事を担当した。それぞれの役の頭を「五役の頭」といった。目付の配下で、全て譜代席で世襲制であった。そのため、病気などで勤務ができない者は小普請に編入され、後に目付支配無役となった。
なお、ここでいう御中間は、武家奉公人の中間とは異なる。
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !
:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
. 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 - The Japanese Home .
. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #toranomon #kamiyacho #kamiyadistrict #kamiya #bakufu #goyaku #edogoyaku - - - -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::