[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo 江戸の名所 .
- - - - - Shitaya and Iriya
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Taitoo, Taitō 台東区 Taito Ward
- quote
Taitō (台東区 Taitō-ku) is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. In English, it is known as Taito City.
- source : wikipedia
Taito is a rather new name from 1947, combining the old Shitayaku 下谷区 Shitaya Ward and
Asakusaku 浅草区 Asakusa ward. Asakusa and Ueno were rather famous places since the Edo period.
- - - - - Its sub-districts are :
Ueno 上野
Ameyoko アメ横
Yanaka 谷中
Asakusa 浅草
Asakusabashi 浅草橋
They all have their separate entries in this Edopedia.
..............................
Shitayaku, Shitaya ku 下谷区 Shitaya Ward
One of the original 15 wards of Tokyo (1889).
Shitaya Hirokoji 下谷広小路 Utagawa Hiroshige
. Shitaya Jinja 下谷神社 .
to pray for 円満和合 a happy couple
- and 小野照崎神社 Onoterusaki jinja to pray for 学問芸能 Learning and progress in the arts
. Shitaya Sakamoto Fuji 下谷坂本富士 - Fujizuka 富士塚 mound .
(within the grounds of the Onoterusaki shrine)
. Chokugaku Fire 勅額火事 - October 9, 1698 .
from Surugadai to Shitaya 下谷, Then to 下谷池之端 Shitaya Ikenohata and on to Asakusa.
... Kobayashi Issa 小林一茶 and the Shitaya Fire Haiku. Issa lived in Shitaya at that time.
- - - - - Iriya 入谷 - - - - -
- quote -
Iriya / Shitaya Area Guide
Shitaya and Iriya are neighbourhoods just north-east of Ueno Park on the other side of the railroad tracks. Taito Ward is the ward in which the bulk of Old Tokyo remainders can be found. However, it is not only Ueno and Asakusa where some gems can be discovered, the number of small temples and shrines in Iriya/Shitaya is impressive, and it retains the shitamachi feel that is common in several old Tokyo communities. When strolling through the streets, you will see many old houses in between the relics of worship. In particular check the streets around Hoshoji and
手児奈せんべい Tekona Senbei.
The good thing about Shitaya and Iriya are that there are actually no major tourist attractions and it is therefore likely one of the most authentic shitamachi areas in Tokyo. I visited this place at the start of the year, when many Japanese people were doing a 7 lucky gods pilgrimage and I could not spot many tourists. Iriya/Shitaya is just a couple of minutes away from Uguisudani Station on the Yamanote line, which gives easy access to the rest of Tokyo.
One major event in this area of Tokyo
is related to the Iriya Kishimojin (Shingen-ji Temple). Every year in July, the Morning-Glory Festival (Iriya Asagao Matsuri) is held at the temple grounds around Tanabata on 7 July. This festival at Iriya Kishimojin began in the Meiji period after a gardener planted morning glory flowers in various parts of Iriya. It grew to become a festival in which around 120.000 plants are on display, attracting 400.000 visitors over three days. It was organised for the 68th time in 2017.
You might see the name "Shitaya" pop up in the wider neighbourhood as well (such as Shitaya Shrine), as Shitaya used to be the name of a whole ward before the administrative reform of 1936. The same is true for Iriya, which spanned a larger area than is now apparent from the postal address system. ...
- 英信寺 Eishinji Temple -
This temple has a large string of prayer beads (called juzu) in front of its main shrine building that crackles as fireworks when you pull them to pray. It also enshrines Daikokuten, one of the seven lucky gods. Interesting is that if you look at the statue of Daikokuten, it resembles Benzaiten on the right side, Bishamonten on the left side, so you get 3 lucky gods at the same time. The birds they keep at this place are also nice.
- 法昌寺 Hoshoji Temple -
Hoshoji temple sports a huge colorful buddha poster and was very popular as one of the stops on the local 7 lucky gods pilgrimage as it has a small shrine on its grounds dedicated to Bishamonten.
- source : old-tokyo.info/shitaya-and-
. Iriya Kishimojin 入谷鬼子母神 Iriya Kishibojin .
and the market selling Morning-Glories, asagao ichi 朝顔市
Iriya asagao ichi 入谷朝顔市 morning glory market at Iriya
There is another famous Kishibojin Hall in Zōshigaya 雑司谷鬼子母神堂 / 雑司ヶ谷 Zoshigaya.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Exhibition 浮世絵でめぐる台東区
浮世絵師が描く江戸のまち
- reference source : city.taito.lg.jp/index -
..............................
- quote -
The Taito-ku Shitamachi Museum
Alan Gleason
One of central Tokyo's 23 wards, Taito-ku contains some of the most historic sites and popular tourist destinations in the entire metropolis -- the museums and zoo in Ueno Park, the Asakusa entertainment district, Sensoji temple with its big red lantern. The area's reputation as an adult amusement mecca extends several centuries back into the Edo period, when it also contained the bustling Yoshiwara red-light district, backdrop to many a Kabuki play and ukiyo-e print.
Over the past century, Taito-ku has gone through some wrenching changes -- leveled by fire twice, after the Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the fire-bombings of 1945, then subject to rapid, often indiscriminate postwar development like the rest of the city. Yet the district has managed to hang on to some of the old flavor of the shitamachi once inhabited by plebeian Edoites. It has also displayed sufficient civic pride to build its own museum, with funding and exhibit materials donated by local residents, in homage to the shitamachi culture. ...
Ueno-koen 2-1, Taito-ku, Tokyo
- source : dnp.co.jp/artscape/eng -
. Shitamachi 下町 and Yamanote 山の手 .
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
Asakusa Kannon 浅草観音 and temple 浅草寺 Senso-Ji, Asakusadera .
Around the year 1802, a country bump came to Edo for sightseeing. After visiting the Asakusa Kannon he then was on his way back home. On the bank of the river he met a very drunk man who attacked him and killed him . . . at least the man lost his conscience and fell to the ground. When he came back to his senses, he felt for the amulet of the Asakusa Kannon, which he had placed into his breast pocket. The imprint of Kannon had disappeared from the paper. Now he knew that Kannon had taken his place and saved his life.
. More Legends about Asakusa Kannon 浅草観音 .
..............................
akuryoo 悪霊 evil spirit
At the pond 忍ばずの池 Shinobazu no Ike lived the family of 山名勘十郎 Yamana Kanjuro.
. jishin 地震 Legends about Earthquakes .
..............................
amagoi 雨乞い praying for rain
A disciple of 松尾芭蕉 Matsuo Basho, Shinshi, wrote a haiku to pray for rain at the Shrine
三囲稲荷社 Mimeguri Jinja
雨乞や田を見めぐりの神ならば
amagoi ya ta o mimeguri no kami naraba
And indeed, it started to rain after that.
. Takarai Kikaku 宝井其角 / Enomoto Kikaku (1661-1707) 榎本其角 .
Shinshi Ki 晋子忌 Shinshi Memorial Day
..............................
daija 大蛇 huge serpent
The beautiful daughter of the 禁丹屋 Kintan shop had attracted the attention of the huge serpent in the pond Shinobazu no Ike and disappeared in the pond.
Later when part of the pond was filled with land and water became scarce, one beautiful lady was seen coming out of the pond, taking a ride in a wooden cart all the way to a lake in Chiba. and continued to live there.
..............................
okame おかめの 面 face mask of O-Kame san
Once an 鳴物師 instrument maker picked up the mask of おかめの面 O-Kame san. Since he had picket it up, his family experienced a lot of misfortune. And every time before something bad happened, the mask opened her mouth and laughed. He finally broke the mask and burned it in a fire. But even after everything was reduced to ashes, when he turned around the mask was again sitting on the chest of drawers, with an open mouth, laughing loudly.
. Okame, Okamesan おかめ【お亀／阿亀】O-Kame San .
. Narimono no Kamisama 鳴り物の神様 "Deity of Instruments" - Ebisu .
..............................
Taira no Masakado 将門
After the beheading of Masakado, his head flew to the shrine 鳥越神社 Torigoe Jinja, which is located in 東京都台東区鳥越 Taito ward, Torigoe.
. Taira no Masakado 平将門 (? - 940) .
..............................
yuurei 幽霊 ghost
Around 1884 there lived a monk named 霊瞬 Reishun at 三縁山 Sanenzan. He frequently went to the pleasure quarters of Yoshiwara and eventually fell in love with 琴柱 Lady Kotoji. He told her about his miserable life and how all would change if he had some money to get a better job. So Kotoji gave him all her money, made him promise never to go to Yoshiwara again and committed suicide.
When he went back anyway, the ghost of Kotoji showed up and scolded him severely. Now finallyt he changed his easy-going way and later became a high-ranking priest.
. Yoshiwara 吉原 pleasure quarters of Edo .
..............................
- reference : nichibun yokai database -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
- - - 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 - Interior Design - The Japanese Home .
. Legends and Tales from Japan 伝説 - Introduction .
[ . BACK to DARUMA MUSEUM TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #taitoward #taitoedo #taidotokyo - - - -
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
--
Posted By Gabi Greve to Edo - the EDOPEDIA - on 7/10/2017 03:41:00 pm
