Darumapedia

4 Jul 2018

EDO - Tanashi district Nishitokyo

https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2018/06/nishitokyo-tanashi-district.html

Nishitokyo Tanashi district

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... a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis,
- - Neighborhoods
- - - - - former city of 保谷市 Hoya
Fuji-machi, Hibarigaoka, Higashi-cho, Higashi-fushimi, Hoya-cho, Izumi-cho, Kita-machi, Naka-machi, Sakae-cho, Shimo-hoya, Shin-machi, Sumiyoshi-cho, Yagisawa
- - - - - former city of 田無市 Tanashi
Kitahara-cho, Midori-cho, Minami-cho, Mukodai-cho, Nishihara-cho, Shibakubo-cho, Tanashi-cho, Yato-cho
The area of present-day Nishitōkyō
was part of ancient Musashi Province. In the post-Meiji Restoration catastral reform of July 22, 1878, the area became part of Kita-Adachi District in Saitama Prefecture. The villages of Hoya and Tanashi were created on April 1, 1889 with the establishment of municipalities law. The southern portion of Kitaadachi District was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis on April 1, 1907.
The modern city of Nishitōkyō was established on January 21, 2001.
Before that date, the area was two separate cities Hoya and Tanashi.
- source : wikipedia

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Nishitokyo City Multicultural Center
Nishitokyo City Living Guidebook
Nishitokyo News Letter
Japanese Classes by Volunteers in Nishitokyo
- - Introduction to Nishitokyo City and other information are shown.
- source : city.nishitokyo

. Musashi no Kuni 武蔵国 Musashi Province .

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Tanashi choo 田無町 Tanashi district
西東京市　田無町一丁目から田無町七丁目 Nishitokyo Tanachi from the first to the seventh sub-district
青梅街道と所沢街道の北東が田無町一丁目、その他は青梅街道を挟んで南側が東から田無町二丁目、田無町四丁目、田無町六丁目と並び、北側が東から田無町三丁目、田無町五丁目、田無町七丁目と並ぶ。

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Tanashi (田無市 Tanashi-shi)
was a city located in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis, Japan.
Tanashi means the land without rice fields.
Because of the area's elevation relative to the Tamagawa River, traditional irrigation and rice farming was impossible. Hence, the area was named Tanashi.
At the time of its merger, the city had an estimated population of 78,165 and a density of 11,495 persons per km². The total area was 6.8 km².
The area of modern Tanashi
prospered during the Edo period as a post station on the Ome Kaido and Tokorozawa Kaido, and was part of ancient Musashi Province. After the Meiji Restoration it came under the jurisdiction of the short-lived prefectures of Shinagawa (1868) and Irima (1871), before becoming part of Kanagawa in 1872. During the early Meiji period (1878) catastral reform, it became the town of Tanashi within Kitatama District in Kanagawa.
The entire district was transferred to the administrative control of Tokyo Metropolis in 1893. Tanashi was connected to central Tokyo by train from 1927. Tanashi was elevated to city status in 1967.
On January 21, 2001,
Tanashi was merged with the neighboring city of Hoya to create the city of Nishi-Tōkyō, and thus Tanashi thus no longer exists as an independent municipality.
- source : wikipedia -

The area was without much water until the canals 田無用水 Tanashi Yosui and 野火止用水 Nobidome Yosui were built around 1688.

The postal station Tanashi juku 田無宿 was located along the Ome Kaido
about 24 km from Edo and 32 km from Ome and was very busy with travelers.

. Ome Kaido 青梅街道 highway from Shinjuku to Kofu. .

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Tanashi Jinja 田無神社 Tanashi Shrine
Tokyo, Nishitokyo, 田無町3−7−4

The Shrine was founded around the 13th century and moved to its present location in 1670.
This shrine is known for beautiful wood carvings by Shimamura Shunpyo, dating back to 1875.
It is dedicated to the Dragon, Deity of Water.

goshiki ryuujin 五色龍神 Dragon Gods of five colors

source : yorokobii.exblog.jp

金龍神 Golden - 白龍神 - White - 黒龍神 Black - 赤龍神 Red - 青龍神 Green

Deity in residence :
Ookuninushi no Mikoto 大国主命

- HP of the Shrine
- tanashijinja.or.jp... -

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Go along the approach of Tanashi Shrine!
It is Dousoshin-God (right back), and the stone guardian's face is pleasant.
You can fish a Omikuji (lottery/red snapper) with a fishing rod.

The hall of worshipers of Tanashi Shrine was said to have been made by local carpenters in 1875.
- source and many photos : i-love-japan.info... -

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　西東京市 Nishitokyo

Tengu no koshikakegi 天狗の腰掛樹 tree where the Tengu sits
At a certain home there was a big sugi 杉 cedar tree on the corner. They had it cut town by a wood cutter, but soon after the family members became very ill.
A priest told them that this was a tree sacred to the Tengu and now they had to suffer his curse.

. Tengu, sugi 天狗と杉と伝説 Legends about Tengu and Cedar trees .

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下保谷　Shimo-Hoya

magari matsu 曲がり松
鎌倉街道の傍らに円形塚が今尚残っている。昔この塚の上には幹の曲がりくねった一本の古松がはえていた。この松を切ると大病におかされると、村人は信じていた。だがとうとうある日老人が、多くの人々が止めるのも聞かず松を買い取り切り倒した。その後老人は病にかかりこの世を去った。松はないが、曲がり松という漠然とした地名は残った。

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- reference : nichibun yokai database -

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

田無団地初鴬に明けにけり
Tanashi danchi hatsu uguisu ni ake ni keri

Tanashi apartments -
this day begins with the song
of the first nightingale
Tr. Gabi Greve

岡田日郎 Okada Nichio (1932 - )

. WKD : ugusiu うぐいす、鶯 nightingale .
- - hatsu uguisu, kigo for spring - -

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- - - To join me on facebook, click the image !

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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 - 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 . ]
- - - - - #nishitokyo #tanashi - - - -
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1 Jul 2018

HEIAN - Tengubi fire yokai

https://heianperiodjapan.blogspot.com/2018/06/tengubi-tengu-no-hi-fire.html

Tengubi Tengu no Hi Fire

- BACK to the Daruma Museum -
. Japanese legends and tales 伝説民話昔話 - Introduction .
. Tengupedia - 天狗ペディア　- Tengu ABC-List.
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Tengubi 天狗火 - a Yokai / Tengu no hi 天狗の火 Tengu fire

. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .
- Introduction -

source : wikipedia
- Tengubi called 松明丸 Taimatsu Maru
鳥山石燕 Toriyama Sekien 『百器徒然袋』 Hyakki tsurezurebukuro

Tengu no gyoroo 天狗の漁撈 Tengu no gyoro, Tengu fishing

The Tengubi Yokai appears near or over water.

. Hinotama 天狗と火の玉伝説 Legends about Tengu and fire balls .

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Tengubi 天狗火

APPEARANCE:
Tengubi is a fireball phenomenon seen near rivers in Aichi, Shizuoka, Yamanashi, and Kanagawa Prefectures. It appears as one or more (up to several hundred) reddish flames which float about in the sky. These supernatural fires are said to be created by tengu.

BEHAVIOR:
Tengubi descends at night from the mountains to the rivers. Often it starts as a small number of fireballs which split into hundreds of smaller flames. These flames hover above the water for some time, as if dancing. Afterwards, they return to the mountains.

INTERACTIONS:
In most cases, humans who witness tengubi invariably meet with disaster—usually in the form of a serious illness contracted shortly after the encounter. Because of this, locals who lives in areas where tengubi is common greatly fear this phenomenon. If a local happens to see a tengubi, they will immediately drop prone and hide. Oftentimes they will cover their heads with their shoes or sandals.
Occasionally, tengubi can he helpful to humans. During times of drought, it was common for rice farmers to secretly steal water from their neighbors by redirecting water from the canals into their own fields during the night. This caused a great deal of conflict among the people involved. However, when tengubi appeared above the canals, would-be thieves were thwarted—either out of guilty consciences or because the light from the tengubi made it impossible to sneak around.

ORIGIN:
Tengubi is created by kawa tengu—"river tengu" who prefer the riversides over the deep mountain valleys where tengu normally live. It is used by these tengu to catch fish at night. For this reason it is also known as tengu no gyorō ("tengu fishing").
Toriyama Sekien
included this phenomenon in his book Hyakki tsurezure bukuro under the name taimatsu maru (taimatsu meaning "torch," and maru being a popular suffix for boys' names). He described it not as a tool for tengu to help with fishing, but as a way for them to hinder and interfere with the religious practices of ascetic monks.

LEGENDS:
Long ago, tengubi was frequently seen in the villages of Kasugai City, Aichi Prefecture. One night, a villager was caught out in the mountains in a sudden thunderstorm. It was cold, and too dark to find his way back home, so he took shelter under a tree and shivered. Before long, mysterious fires began appearing around him. Not only did they warm his chilled body up, but they provided enough light for him to find the road and make it safely back to his village.
It was a common superstition in that village not to go outside of your home on nights when tengubi appeared. If you did, it was said that you would be spirited away into the mountains. One night a particularly foolhardy young man defied the superstition. He walked out of his house, faced the tengubi, and called out, "If you can take me, come and get me!" Suddenly, a large black shape appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the young man. It picked him up and flew away into the mountains. The young man was never seen again.
- source : Matthew Meyer -

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松明丸　Taimatsumaru by Shota Kotake
Taimatsumaru is a Japanese Yokai monster folklore illustrated in a book "Hyakki Tsurezure Bukuro" written by Sekien Toriyama in 1784.
Teimatsumaru is a kind of Tengubi fire that Tengu creates. It look like a Raptores in fire. It appears in deep forest. It disturbs training monks in the mountain.

source : deviantart.com/shotakotake...

仏道修行を妨げる妖怪とされる。

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............................................................................... Aichi 愛知県　
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岡崎市 Okazaki city

tengu no hi 天狗の火 Tengu fire
If people happen to see a "Tengu fire", they throw their geta 下駄 wooden sandals or zoori 草履 straw sandals to make it go away.

............................................................................... Ishikawa 石川県　
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石川郡 Ishikawa district 白峰村 Shiramine mura

tengu no hi 天狗の火 Tengu fire
If a child plays with fire, a Tengu will find out and then put the whole house on fire. Such a fire, caused by a Tengu, can not be extinguished.
Such a fire can spread in any direction, unrelated to the flow of wind. This is called
天狗の火鳥が歩く A Tengu firebird is walking.

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七尾市 Nanao city

tengu no hi 天狗の火 Tengu fire / kumo no hi 蜘蛛の火 spider fire
If people see a red fire on the open sea, this is a caused by a Tengu.
If they see a smaller, bluish fire, this is caused by s spider.

. kumo 蜘蛛と伝説 Legends about spiders / Spinnen .

............................................................................... Shizuoka 静岡県　

If a fisherman sees a Tengubi and calls "Oi, oi オイオイ come here, come here!" the ball of fire will come closer.

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nana fushigi 遠江七不思議 One of the seven wonders of Totomi :

tengu no hi 天狗の火 Tengu fire
Tengu no Hi as a messenger of 秋葉山 Mount Akibayama and Mount 光明山 Komyosan.

. 秋葉山 Akibayama, Akiba Yama, a Tengu Mountain .
光明山古墳 Komyosan Kofum Tumulus Mound
浜松市中区元城町103-2

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磐田郡 Iwata district 水窪町 Misakubo

tengubi 天狗火 Tengu fire
In the summer of 1970, a man saw a Tengu fire. It looked like 20 or 30 lampions hanging over the mountain ridge and seemed to climb upwards all the time.
There was no sound of feet walking or people talking.

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磐田郡 Iwata district 佐久間町 Sakuma

tengubi 天狗火 Tengu fire
It is often seen on the mountain ridges, like blinking lanterns.
Often seen on the pass between 佐久間町の草木と西浦の間 Kusaki village and Nishiura village.

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

tengubi 天狗火 Tengu fire
Tengubi is an expression of the supernatural power of a Tengu.

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- reference : nichibun yokai database 妖怪データベース -

Tengu dance during a fire festival

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. Tengu 天狗と伝説 Tengu legends "Long-nosed Goblin" .

. Tengupedia - 天狗ペディア　- Tengu ABC-List.

. Legends about Kobo Daishi Kukai - 弘法大師　空海 - 伝説 .

. Japanese legends and tales 伝説　民話　昔話 - Introduction .

- Yookai 妖怪 Yokai Monsters of Japan -

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. Join the Tengu friends on Facebook .

. Join the friends on Facebook ! .

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[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
[ . BACK to WORLDKIGO . TOP . ]
- - - - - #tengubi #tengunohi #tengufire -
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30 Jun 2018

EDO - Omori district Ota ward

https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2018/06/omori-district-ota.html

Omori district Ota

[ . BACK to DARUMA　MUSEUM　TOP . ]
. Famous Places and Powerspots of Edo　江戸の名所 .
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Oomori, Ōmori 大森 Omori district "Great Forest"
Oota 大田区大森東. 大森西, 大森北, 大森本町, 大森中 Sub-districts in the East, West, North, Main Omori and Central Omori.

It used to be written 大杜 and later renamed Omori mura 大森村 Omori Village in the Edo period.
Omori mura was a very large rural area, the parts on the beach were fishing villages.
In the Edo period it was located along the Tokaido Highway, between
1. Shinagawa-juku 品川宿 (Shinagawa) and .2. Kawasaki-juku 川崎宿 (Kawasaki).
It was often called
Ai no Shuku 間の宿 Station inbetween.
The farmers used rice straw to make small figures of animals and sell them to the travelers.
There were also three merchants selling Wachuusan 和中散 Wachusan, a powder medicine loved by tired travelers. Tokugawa Ieyasu used to take this medicine for stomach troubles.

. The 53 Stations of the Tokaido Highway .

When Ota Dokan visited here, he wrote the following poem

大森の木の下かげの涼しさに知るも知らぬも立ちどまりけり

. 太田道灌 Ota Dokan (1432 - 1486) .
Founder of Edo Castle.

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Ōmori is a district located a few kilometers south of Shinagawa, Tokyo, Japan accessed by rail via the Keihin Tohoku line, or by road via Dai Ichi Keihin. Ōmorikaigan, the eastern area of Ōmori, can be reached via the Keikyu line.
Ōmori is one of many areas in Tokyo's largest ward, Ōta-ku,
and was formerly home to the German International School before its relocation to Yokohama. High quality residential and retail developments that the German school attracted are present in the Ōmori-sannō area. Ōmori is home to the headquarters of the automotive company Isuzu, which has offices in the Belport complex a few hundred metres from Ōmori station.
Prior to its development as a convenient residential and business location, Ōmori was laced with a network of small rivers which were used by many locals for drying harvested nori (seaweed), a staple of the Japanese diet. Modern Ōmori is built on mostly reclaimed land, and is very much a traditional Shinto area; there are many shrines in the area, and during the August o-bon festival, mikoshi parades are very common.
Ōmori-sannō, to the west of Ōmori station,
is an upscale neighbourhood compared to the other side of the tracks, and Ōmori-sannō is known to be traditionally an area where Japanese poets, philosophers and writers have made their home.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

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..... it's part of the coastal area that was called 品川沖 Shinagawa-oki, an ambiguous term that in the Edo Period could refer to a coastline or the open sea or, well, just the sea.
..... the closest station to the ruins of Suzugamori Execution Ground is called 大森海岸駅 Ōmori Kaigan Eki, literally Ōmori Coast Station but that area is still in Shinagawa Ward.
..... What comes to mind are things like - execution grounds, fishing villages, and trees. Lots and lots of trees.
..... Edward Morse,
an American naturalist/zoologist who specialized in shellfish, came to Japan in 1877 and helped the first incarnation of Tōkyō Daigaku 東京大学 Tōkyō University establish a zoology department. Along the way, and perhaps by accident, he launched archaeology and anthropology in Japan when he discovered a 貝塚 kaizuka midden (a mound made of discarded shellfish) in Ōmori. This was Japan's first archaeological dig and it was a major discovery in that it showed the Japanese that their origin wasn't really recorded in books like the 日本書紀 Nihon Shoki. It showed that science could prove that Japan's history actually went way farther back than anyone had ever imagined. The shells and pottery fragments dated from the Late Jōmon Period, about 2000-1000 BCE. The term Jōmon which all Japanese will recognize as a legitimate prehistoric era is actually a translation of Morse's English description of the pottery samples he found. He noticed rope-like patterns and called them "cord marked" which was translated into Japanese as 縄文 "rope-design."
..... this part of Edo Bay was renowned for its fish and nori 海苔 seaweed. This local specialty was generally referred to as Edo-mae nori 江戸前海苔 seaweed from Edo Bay, but each area had its unique brands. 品川海苔 Shinagawa Nori, 大森海苔 Ōmori Nori, and 芝町海苔 Shiba Machi Nori were some of the most sought after brands, the latter being the most prestigious. The development and modernization of Tōkyō Bay in the 50's and 60's more or less put an end to the fishing and nori cultivation that typified the area for centuries.
One unique aspect of Ōmori
as opposed to other areas that were developed in the late Edo Period and "modern eras," is that the actually coastline is still preserved to a certain extent. The ruins of Suzugamori Execution Ground are located next to Ōmori Kaigan Eki 大森海岸駅 Ōmori Coast Station. A short walk from the station will bring you to small inlet which is basically where the shoreline began in the Edo Period.
- source : japanthis.com/2014...

. Suzugamori keijoo 鈴ヶ森刑場 Suzugamori execution ground .

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source : oomori-aoiro.org/mall...

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Omori is peppered with historical significance and is located just south of central Tokyo. During World War 2, the Tokyo Base Camp and a prisoner of war camp was located here on an artificial island, now called Peace Island. Centuries before, this area was known for its shrines and for its villagers drying nori seaweed.
Shinagawa Historical Museum
is located just a 15 minute walk from Art Hotels Omori and has a lot of various artefacts dating back to the Edo period (1603 - 1868). An English leaflet is available which has most of the information about the exhibits There are also various models and videos around the museum and although they are not in English, you can understand it through the various sculptures, videos and photographs.
Kashima Shrine
has a thousand years of history and was considered one of the three great shrines in suburban Edo, the old name for Tokyo. Considering the shrine is only a 10 minute walk from Art Hotels Omori it is work checking out, and the area has various shrines, museums and shops. The main building has several seats which are used for ceremonies. Here they have various services such as a good luck amulet prayer, blessings for baby and a memorial service for aborted fetuses. This peaceful shrine is located just a few minutes from the Shinagawa Museum.
Naritasan Ennoji Temple
was established in 1571 and hosts multiple shrines and a graveyard. It's a quiet place to relax, but watch out for the mosquitoes in summer. The big Buddha statue is situated just in front of the temple entrance and if you look through the window you can see various beautiful decorations inside the temple. This was one of my favourite temples with a peaceful and tranquil atmosphere.
Other local attractions here include
Shinagawa Kumin Park, Shinagawa Aquarium and Ohi Racecourse, which is also famous for its weekend flea markets.
- source : tokyo/exploring-omori... -

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大森和中散 Omori Wachusan
Edo Meisho Zue

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Plum Garden, Kamata (Kamata no Umezono)
Utagawa Hiroshige (Ando)
The entire Kamata area south of Ōmori was known for the cultivation of plum trees and was celebrated more for its early summertime fruits than its springtime blossoms.
The gentle beauty of this print tends to distract the viewer from the structure intruding from the right. It is a cushioned palanquin known as a yamakago ("mountain palanquin"), once widely used for travel in Japan. The overgarment left casually on top suggests that a traveler has recently stopped off for a brief rest from the nearby Tokaido highway that linked Edo to Kyoto.
- View of the extensive Plum Garden in the Kamata area. The estate which was open to the public complete with teahouses and a restaurant dated from the early Bunsei Period (1818-1830) and came to be known as
the "Plum Mansion" (Umeyashiki), with its several hundred trees extending into the distance. The owner of the mansion was a medicine dealer from Omori, whose chief product was a cold remedy called Wachusan.
The structure on the right is an indigo cushioned palanquin of the simple A-frame type known as a "yamakago" ("mountain palanquin") and was used widely for travel in Japan, suggesting that a traveler had stopped off from nearby Tokaido for a rest, leaving an over garment on top.
- source : brooklyn museum -

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- CLICK for more photos !

Ōmori Kaizuka 大森貝塚 Omori Shell Mound and Park
Excavation of Omori Shell Mounds
Omori Shell Mound was excavation by Dr. Morse from September to December in 1877 (10th year of the Meiji Era). Shell Mounds of Omori, Japan's first excavation report was published in 1879 (12th year of the Meiji Era). The reason why the Omori Shell Mounds are called as the birthplace of Japanese is because Dr. Morse's excavation was Japan's first academic excavation. Later, Shinagawa City carried out excavations on two separate occasions in 1984 and 1993. The two excavations found large amounts of traces of dwelling sites, earthenwares, accessories, bones of fish and animals, and so on. Shinagawa Historical Museum displays some materials which were found from the excavations.
The park is the place of learning about the Jomon Era and Omori Shell Mounds. There are interactive exhibits as well as the Omori shell Mounds Monument which was built in 1929 (4th year of the Showa Era), and a bronze statue of Dr. Morse. The park also has a sol sample of the shell layer on display like the one at Shinagawa Historical Museum.
- source : city.shinagawa.tokyo.jp... -

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. nori 海苔 laver, sea lettuce - Introduction .

大森の海苔　Omori no nori
歌川国芳 Utagawa Kuniyoshi

海苔のふるさと会 Ōmori Nori Museum
2-2 Heiwanomorikoen, Ōta, Tokyo

- CLICK for more photos !
- reference source : norinoyakata.web... -

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Omori 大森区

牛に生まれ変わった僧侶　a priest reborn as a bull
Since all priest does is eat and sleep, it was thought that after his death he would be reborn a bull.
Once the priest of a certain ○○寺 temple died and his parishioners wrote the name of the temple when they buried him.
A few years later when a farmer with his bull passed here, he heard a voice call out:
"Hey you there, this is the ○○寺 temple!"
This bull (the re-born priest) had some strangely colored hair that could be interpreted as looking like ○○寺.

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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 - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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- - - - - #omori #umeyashiki #kamata - - - -
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EDO - Setagaya ward

https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2018/06/setagaya-ward.html

Setagaya ward

- quote -
a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood and administrative district within the ward. The ward calls itself Setagaya City in English.
Its official bird is the azure-winged magpie, its flower the fringed orchid, and its tree the Zelkova serrata.
Setagaya
has the largest population and second largest area (after Ōta) of Tokyo's special wards.
Setagaya
is located at the southwestern corner of the Tokyo's special wards and Tama River separates the boundary between Tokyo Metropolis and Kanagawa Prefecture.
- History
The special ward of Setagaya was founded on March 15, 1947.
During the Edo period,
42 villages occupied the area. With the abolition of the han system in 1871, the central and eastern portions became part of Tokyo Prefecture while the rest became part of Kanagawa Prefecture; in 1893, some areas were transferred to Tokyo Prefecture. With the establishment of Setagaya Ward (an ordinary ward) in the old Tokyo City in 1932, and further consolidation in 1936, Setagaya took its present boundaries.
During the 1964 Summer Olympics, the district of Karasuyama-machi in Setagaya was part of the athletics marathon and 50 km walk event.
- Districts - with five 地域　main districts
--- Setagaya 世田谷地域
Sangenjaya　三軒茶屋
Setagaya
--- Kitazawa 北沢地域
Shimokitazawa
Meidaimae (Meidai-mae) 明大前
--- Matsubara　松原
Higashi-Matsubara
--- Tamagawa 玉川地域
Futako-Tamagawa: Major commercial and residential district located by the Tama River.
Yōga　用賀
Kamata　鎌田
Todoroki
--- Kinuta 砧地域
Seijō　成城
Kinuta　砧
Soshigaya　祖師谷
- - - Karasuyama 烏山地域
粕谷 - 上北沢 - 上祖師谷 - 北烏山 - 給田 - 八幡山 - 南烏山
.- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

- quote -
English Booklet for Foreign Tourists is Available.

We have a lot of historic spots including Gotokuji Temple and Shoinjinja Shrine, and beautiful landscape in Setagaya-ku.
Why not go around Setagaya-ku with this booklet?
- reference source : city.setagaya.lg.jp/foreign... -

- quote
"Valley of the Eternal Rice Paddy"
This place name is ancient.
瀬戸 seto usually means a strait, as in the Strait of Gibraltar, but in Old Japanese, it could also be applied to 谷地 yachi a narrow marsh in a valley.
In the old dialect of the area, it's said that word seto was pronounced seta and written 瀬田 seta. Old Japanese had two possessive particles. Modern Japanese uses の no, but Old Japanese also used が ga. It survives in place names all over the country, the most famous being 関ヶ原 Sekigahara, which literally means "the checkpoint gatehouse's prairie/field." Thus 瀬田ヶ谷 seta ga ya meant something like 瀬田の谷地 seta no yachi "the narrow marsh in the valley's narrow marsh in the valley,"...
Eventually,
the first kanji was swapped out with 世 se "generation, world" because it's an auspicious character. 世田 sounds like rice paddies that are bountiful forever, hence my translation of "Valley of the Eternal Rice Paddy."
Also, 世 is a standard ateji character. It was so common in phonetic renderings that the shorthand form of 世 became katakana セ se.
The first attestation of the name is in 1376 as 世田谷郷 Setagaya-gō Setagaya Hamlet.
By the Edo Period, the town was listed as Setagaya Mura 世田谷村 Setagaya Village and this name lasted until the Meiji Era. In the Edo Period it was not part of the city of Edo, but of 荏原郡 Ebara-gun Ebara District of 武蔵国 Musashi no kuni Musashi Province[.
In 1871, when the haihan-chiken 廃藩置県 the abolition of domain and establishment of prefectures was enacted, the eastern section of what is now Setagaya Ward was absorbed into Tōkyō-shi 東京市 Tōkyō City within Tōkyō-fu 東京府 Tōkyō Prefecture. In 1936, the boundaries of present day Setagaya Ward were pretty much fixed. It became a special ward of the newly created Tōkyō Metropolis in 1946.
- source : japanthis.com/2013...

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Setagayamura 世田谷村 Setagaya Village
世田谷区世田谷豪徳寺 Setagaya Gotoku-Ji

Also written with the characters 瀬田, 勢田 or 勢多.
In 1633, there were 16 villages in the Setagaya district, including Tsurumaki 弦巻村

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. Karasuyama teramachi 烏山寺町 Karasuyama Temple Town district .
the Little Kyoto of Setagaya ward 世田谷の小京都.

. Sangenjaya 三軒茶屋 Sangen-jaya, "three tea stalls" district .

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. Setagaya boroichi 世田谷ぼろ市 Setagaya Antiques Flea Market .
This market dates back to 1574, when this was a market town connecting Edo with Odawara.

. Gootokuji 豪徳寺 Gotoku-Ji .
famous for its manekineko 招き猫 beckoning cat

. Setagaya Hachimangū 世田谷　八幡宮 Setagaya Hachimangu .

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. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

.................................................................................　Setagaya 世田谷区

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アシゲヅカ蘆毛塚 Ashigezuka mound
Under the mound the bones of a horse are buried. In this area people who posess a horse with four white legs will have misfortune.
The mound was lost during new construction work.

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. dojoo 泥鰌 Dojo, loach .
There was a well called 姥ヶ谷井戸 "well of the old hag".
Once a farmer used the water for his fields and caught a lot of loaches. But when he ate them, he turned all wild and furious.

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hitokui matsu 人喰松 "man-eating pine"
At the 渋谷道玄坂 Dogenzaka slope in Shibuya there is a pine tree with this name.
During the restructuring of modern Tokyo, this tree had to be moved. Two sisters living in Setagaya were very pious, chanting the 法華経 Hokekyo Sutra and got a message from the Deity.
In former times something bad had been buried under the roots of this tree and cursed the people. When they eventually dug below the roots, they found the bones of a hebi 蛇 serpent. During the recital of the Sutra, the serpent turned all white and made its way up into the heaven.

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. kuchisake onna 口裂け女 slit-mouthed woman .
at Sangenjaya 三軒茶屋 Sangen-jaya, "three tea stalls"
She likes the number three, so she likes to come here.

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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 - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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27 Jun 2018

PERSONS - Minamoto no Toru

https://heianperiodjapan.blogspot.com/2018/04/kawara-no-in-minamoto-toru.html

Kawara no In Minamoto Toru

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. sennin　仙人と伝説 Legends about Immortals .
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Kawara no In 河原院源融 Minamoto Toru
河原院大臣侍 Kawara no In / 河原院の大臣（おとど）の侍　Otodo　
Kawara no Sadaijin 河原左大臣 - Poet and statesman

He is Nr. 20 of
. 日本の仙人37人 - The 37 Immortals of Japan .

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- quote -
Minamoto no Tōru 源融 (822 – September 21, 895)
was a Japanese poet and statesman. He was born the son of Emperor Saga and a member of the Saga Genji clan. He is sometimes mentioned as the model for Hikaru Genji in important Japanese literary classic The Tale of Genji.
Under his title Kawara no Sadaijin (河原左大臣, Minister of the Left of Kawara), he is the author of poem 14 in the Ogura Hyakunin Isshu poetry anthology:

陸奥のしのぶもぢずり誰ゆゑに
乱れそめにしわれならなくに

Michinoku no
Shinobu-mojizuri
Tare yue ni
Midare somenishi
Ware naranaku ni

Like Michinoku prints,
Of the tangled leaves of ferns,
It is because of you,
That I have become confused;
But my love for you remains.

The poem originally appeared in the Kokinshū, no. 724. Here is another translation:

The dye with hare's-foot-fern, of Michinoku
who else would have made me feel as disturbed?

The poet is also famous for making a replica of the uta-makura Shiogama ("poetic place name") in his garden.
His tomb resides at the Seiryō-ji, a Buddhist temple situated on what was once Saga Moor in Kyoto.
- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

Shiogama in Kyoto 京都の塩竈

source : yomigaereshiogama.jp...

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. Matsuo Basho visiting Shinobu .

みちのく（陸奥）の　しのぶもぢずり（忍ぶ綟摺り）
誰ゆえに　乱れ染めにし　我ならなくに

shinobu mojizuri is a special cloth dyed in the region of the village
Shinobu gun Fukushima 福島県信夫郡.
Made from shinobugusa 忍ぶ草、hare's-foot fern, deersfoot fern
Davallia bullata and others
. Michinoku roads みちのく路 .

As wholly confused
as cloth dyed in moss-fern design
from Michinoku
so distraught is my heart now
and for no one else but you.
Tr. Steven D. Carter

and

I long to find a path
to the depths of Mount Shinobu
that I might fathom
the secrets of
another's heart
Tr. Shirane

- quote
Shinobu Mottling Rock, Fukushima
6 km north-east from Fukushima City sits the village of Shinobu (present-day Mojizuri). Three seemingly unconnected objects - a large, moss-dappled rock, the Michinoku (Tohoku) kimono design of mottled ferns made famous in the Heian period (794 - 1185), and an impossible love story - have together made Shinobu a vastly recognized and esteemed location of utamakura.
Utamakura is a place-name used in waka (traditional Japanese poetry) which, through alternative readings of the name's kanji (Chinese characters) or its associations with national histories and figures, can be used as an allusive tool towards sentiment and meaning within waka; an incredibly popular and admired poetic device which was employed even in everyday conversation at the Heian Kyoto Court.

In the 9th century, Minamoto no Toru (a high-ranking noble of the Heian Imperial Court in Kyoto) traveled to the "great north," Michinoku, which was at that time deemed an uncivilized land due to its distance from the shining capital. At some point, he passed through Shinobu, a village well-known by the Imperial Court for its unique production of a kimono design called Shinobu Mojizuri (fern mottle). It was not uncommon for high-ranking nobles to undertake vast journeys north for state affairs. And on these journeys, it wasn't completely unheard of to learn of nobles falling in love with villagers of little, or no, social status.

Unfortunately for Minamoto no Toru and the lady of Shinobu, he did just so. Staying with the lady's father and delaying his return to the capital for over a month, he was eventually called back to court and the separation was impossible to withstand for both of them. Minamoto no Toru did as all Heian courtiers in his day could do; he wrote a poem about it. And the lady of Shinobu took to her bed with grief, dying before the verse could reach her.
The verse adopts the word 'shinobu' and its three potential readings in Japanese: the name of the village Shinobu; the type of fern found in abundance around the village, called shinobugusa; and the verb shinobu, "to love secretly."
In just five lines, Minamoto no Toru encapsulates his sentiment, the history and relevance of the setting to his story, and appropriate similes for such a saddening poem in incredible subtlety and talent in his employment of utamakura.

Like the cloth printed
with ferns in far Shinobu
of the deep north —
if not for you
for whom would I dye my heart
with tangled love?

Since this all occurred over twelve centuries ago, Shinobu has welcomed such admirers of its history and poetry as Basho Matsuo, who came to compose a haiku on the subject in his Oku no Hosomichi pilgrimage of Michinoku utamakura locations.

早苗とる手もとや昔しのぶ摺

Deft hands that now pluck
seedlings, once you used to press
patterns from the stones.
Tr. Donald Keene

The mottling rock upon which the famous Michinoku kimono was mottled with fern is enshrined by an open gate. The two poems are also on the grounds, set in stone. All are surrounded by a wonderful view of Fukushima, the Kannon-Do Temple and Phoenix Pagoda, and a river also famous in traditional waka, the Abukumagawa.
- source : http://ja.japantourist.jp

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

................................................................................. Fukushima 福島県　

文知摺石 Mojizuri Ishi
Minamoto no Toru stayed some time at the residence of a rich family near the Mojizuri Ishi stone. He fell in love with the beautiful Torajo 虎女 (Tiger Woman), but eventually he had to go back to Kyoto. There was no further news from him.
Torajo was so sad, waiting and waiting for her lover. She made a vow to the stone, to show her the image of her lover Toru. After praying for many days, her wish was fulfilled and his figure appeared on the stone.

source :　HeartLand-Icho

mojizuri ishi 文字摺石 - 信夫文知摺石 mojizuri mottlilng stone, rock
shinobu mojizuri しのぶもじずり / 忍捩摺り／信夫捩摺り

The lower part of the stone has been used so often that it is all shining and the stone was once called
kagami ishi 鏡石 mirror stone.

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

tooru no daijin no rei 融の大臣の霊 / Tôru daijin / The Minister Toru
Most of the stories of ghosts are about people becoming ghosts and appearing as a skull.
One of the oldest records is the Nihon Ryooiki 日本霊異記 Nihon Ryoiki.
宇多院 Emperor Uda (867 - 931) made an official visit to 河原院 Kawara no In (the official residence of Minamoto no Tooru 源融 Toru (822 - 895).
The late owner of this Kawara residence, Toru, appeared clad in 衣冠 formal robes as a ghost to greet the visitor.

-
oni 鬼 demon
When 栄爵 Eishaku and his wife from the countryside came to Kawara no In to find work, she was taken away by a demon.

. Onipedia 日本の鬼 The Demons of Japan .

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- reference : Nichibun Yokai Database -

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. sennin 天狗と仙人伝説 Legends about Tengu and Immortals .

. sennin　仙人と伝説 Legends about Immortals .

. Japan - Shrines and Temples - Index .

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- - #kawaranoin #minamototoru #mojizuri -
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26 Jun 2018

EDO - Toranomon and Kamiya district

https://edoflourishing.blogspot.com/2018/06/toranomon-kamiya-district.html

Toranomon Kamiya 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

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- 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 ...-

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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

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. Edo bakufu 江戸幕府 The Edo Government and Administration .

お江戸の役人面白なんでも事典 Dictionary of the Edo Government Officials
中江克己 Nakae Katsumi
老中から勘定奉行、御庭番、定火消、奥医師、同心、与力…。江戸幕府260年におよぶ天下泰平は、あらゆる分野に配置された役人組織が支えていた、なかには、城内で魚や野菜を仕込む賄頭や、大奥で豆まきをする留守居など、侍らしからぬ役職も。さらに、出張先で芝居見物や接待に興じる奉行がいたり、今でもありそうな話に興味はつきない。知ればなるほど!江戸の役人事情。
read as google book -

- quote -
Edo goyaku　江戸五役（ごやく）　the five official worker groups of Edo castle
Positions for lower Samurai, involving for example cleaning and keeping the castle of Edo and its gardens clean.
The character 御 o expresses respect for the group.

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

御駕籠之者 okagonomono, o-kago no mono
They had to look after the kago 駕籠 palanquins for the Shogun and his heirs. (They were the private taxis of their time.)
They were divided in three groups. Each group had a special leader and about 30 members at the time of Tokugawa Ieyasu. They had special black hanten 半纏 jackets and were all rather large and strong in stature.
In 1616 they had three living quarters in 本郷湯島 Hongo Yushima. The area was called 駿河町 Suruga cho but then re-named to 三組町 Mikumi cho, District of the three groups.
In 1663, a fourth living quarter was established in 本所四つ目 Honjo Yotsume.
In 1772 after 明和の大火 the Great Fire of Meiwa the three quarters were relocated to 本郷春木町 Hongo Haruki cho. The quarter at 本所四つ目 Honjo Yotsume was relocated to 谷中の七面前 Yanaka and later to 巣鴨 Sugamo.
In 1790, the quarters were relocated to 四谷鮫ヶ橋 / 鮫河橋 Yotsuya Samegahashi.

御中間 ochuugen, o-chugen
They were responsible for the securtity of the castle, including the Women's quarters in Oku and the kitchen.
There were about 550 people, divided in 大中小 three groups.
The first group, 大組, had 4 leaders, the 中組 middle and 小組 last group had 3 leaders and 4 workers.
There were many sub-groups :
中間からの出役として、旗御指之者・御持鑓之者・御馬髪巻役（おうまのかみまきやく）・扶持賄・御供組頭・御中間目付・御使之者・御番・大奥塀仕切戸番・大奥御長屋門番・大奥締戸番・御太鼓櫓下土戸番・西丸御長屋門番・西丸御納戸口番・奥表仕切戸番・二の丸御長屋門番・二の丸御台所脇門番・西丸下御用屋敷門番・御厩定番・御広敷門番などがあった。

御小人 okobito, o-kobito
"The honorable "little people".
They were responsible for the security of the women's quarters, more than 500 were working. 10 people had to look after the robes of the Shogun. 2 had to hold the horses. One had to hold an umbrella, one had to prepare the sandals at the exit and more such small jobs.
小馬験役之者・亀井坊・御長刀役之者・御小道具役之者・扶持賄・御使組頭・草履取・御小人目付・西丸御小人目付・御日傘持・御小人押・御玄関番・西丸御玄関番・中之口番・西丸中之口番など。
They were divided into three groups 小人組, each with a leader.
Toward the end of the Edo period, their living quarters were at 本郷金助町 Hongo Kinsuke cho and 湯島切通 Yushima Kiridoshi.

黒鍬之者 kurokuwa no mono
"The men with the black hoes".

They were responsible for the cleaning and upholding the buildings, canals and waterways.
There were about 430 men in three groups with leaders.
They had special hoes, wider and stronger than usual and shorter handle, to make them easy to hit the ground.
These hoes were first made by 尾張の大野鍛冶 the blacksmiths in Owari

These special hoes ware also called hotorikuwa 畔鍬.

御掃除之者 go soji no mono
"The Cleaners" of various parts of Edo castle and the Shogun's places in Edo.

They were also running various errands and shopping. They usually wore white work robes.
There were about 200 working in 3 groups, with leaders. In times of illness they were released from their job and free to seek medical help on their own. When healed they could again apply for the job.
They were under the supervision of a 目付 Metsuke supervisor.

- some special groups :
Fukiage sooji no mono 吹上掃除之者（ふきあげそうじのもの）- about 47 people
Hama Goten sooji no mono 浜御殿掃除之者（はまごてんそうじのもの）- about 19 people
Sakurada goyoo yashiki sooji no mono 桜田御用屋敷掃除之者 - about 3 people

Momijiyama sooji no mono 紅葉山掃除之者 cleaners of Momijiyama
Momijiyama was the official graveyard of the Shogun in Edo. First there were only 10 people, later they grew to more than 70.

Momijiyama "Maple Mountain" is located in the Northern part of Nishinomaru. There were various Shinto shrines to venerate the Shoguns.

江戸城御掃除之者！
平谷美樹

- - - More in the WIKIPEDIA !

　Edo joo 江戸城 Edo jo, the Castle of Edo
Das Schloss von Edo

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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 - The Japanese Home .

. Interior Design - The Japanese Home .

. Legends and Tales from Japan　伝説 - Introduction .

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