本郷
HONGŌ
Hongō was a separate ward of Tokyo until it was merged with Koishikawa to form Bunkyō Ward in 1947. In the Edo period, it was the location of many samurai residences. In the Meiji period, several schools of higher education were founded in the area. These were merged to form what is today the University of Tokyo. The area included a brothel district that was moved to Fukagawa in 1888 as it was proving distracting to the students. It was also the location of the Hongō Congregational Church, one of the first churches in Japan not under the control of foreign missionaries.
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University of Tokyo / Tōkyō Daigaku 東京大学
The main campus of Japan’s most prestigious university is a mixture of recently built and older structures. As would be expected on such a busy campus, much of the space is taken up by buildings, but even so there are plenty of open areas with greenery. It is often near these where one sees the older buildings. This is especially the case on the west side of the campus near the main gate.
https://www.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/
Akamon 赤門
Dating from the 1820s, this gate was originally built for Yasuhime, the twenty-fourth daughter of shōgun Tokugawa Ienari, on the occasion of her marriage to Maeda Nariyasu, the daimyō of Kaga. The formal name of the gate is actually Goshudenmon, as daughters of shōguns who married into families of a certain rank would be given the honorific title of Goshuden. The aka in Akamon means red, referring to the color of the gate. There are small guardhouses on each side of the gate with namakokabe walls, which have a black background and a white lattice pattern. The circular roof tiles are capped at the ends with the Maeda family crest of an ume flower, and the large tiles have a wild ginger motif for the Tokugawa family. One interesting addition made after the Great Kantō Earthquake are some end tiles that have the kanji for gaku (learning) on them. These replaced tiles that had fallen in the earthquake. The gate is located on the western edge of Tokyo University on Hongō Dōri and is classified as a national treasure. Its function as a major entrance to the campus makes it a symbol of the University. It is one of only three such major gates in Tokyo that survive from the Edo period.
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Sanshirō Pond / Sanshirō ike 三四郎池
This pond on the University of Tokyo campus is what remains of the Maeda daimyō estate garden, which was constructed in 1638. The official name of the pond is Ikutokuen Shinji Ike (育徳園心字池). The commonly used nickname comes from the Natsume Sōseki novel Sanshirō, where a famous scene takes place at the pond. The pond is surrounded by a small forest and has trails leading down to it, making it a peaceful location in the busy campus.
Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall / Yokoyama Taikan Kinenkan 横山大観記念館
Yokoyama Taikan was a major figure in the Nihonga art movement of the early 20th century. This building was his home for many decades. The building was destroyed in World War II and rebuilt in 1954. Taikan lived here until his death. After his wife died in 1976 the house became the memorial hall. It contains works by Taikan and by other artists associated with him.
The entrance is on the east side of the grounds.
Sakai Inari Jinja 境稲荷神社
This shrine is located on a small plot of land between a wall of the University of Tokyo and a busy side street. Be careful crossing here as the street curves, so visibility is limited for both drivers and bicyclists. The location is marked by a large red torii and red picket fence. The shrine was likely founded in the 15th century. Behind the shrine is a well that legend says was found by the famous warrior monk Benkei in the late 12th century. After the firebombings of World War II this well provided water for many of the locals. There is an old hand pump at the well that still works.
Yayoi Museum / Yayoi Bijutsukan 弥生美術館 and the Takehisa Yumeji Museum / Takehisa Yumeji Bijutsukan 竹久夢二美術館
Two museums devoted to two famous illustrators of the Taishō and Shōwa periods. The museums share a common entrance and access to each other. The Yayoi Museum was established in 1984 by Kano Takumi, a friend of Takabatake Kashō, whose art works are displayed here. Not much later the Takehisa Yumeji Art Museum was established by Kano to display Yumeji’s works. The two museums also display illustrative art from other artists of the Taishō and early Shōwa period. Both artists did extensive work for magazines aimed at young women and were highly popular for their illustrations of slender young women stylishly dressed in kimono or modern styles. Their work would influence illustrative art down to the present. Such magazines played a major role in establishing a certain autonomy in girl’s culture and published several famous writers such as Kawabata Yasunari. There is a small gift shop with some interesting materials and books. As you hunt for the museums keep a sharp eye out—it is easy to miss the entrance since it is slightly away from the street.
http://www.yayoi-yumeji-museum.jp
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Reiunji 霊雲寺
Reiunji was established in 1691 by fifth shōgun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi as a Shingon temple for offering prayers for peace. The temple was destroyed in both the Great Kantō Earthquake and the firebombings of World War II; the present building dates from 1976. A magnificent tree survived and adds beauty to the grounds. The grounds are spacious but rather barren, with a large parking lot taking up a significant portion. The gate at the south end of the enclosure is impressive, as is the main hall. You can also access the grounds from the west.
Yushima Tenmangū 湯島天満宮
Also referred to as Yushima Tenjin (湯島天神), this shrine was founded in 458. The current buildings date from 1995. They are built from 250-year-old cypress and employ a special fire suppression system to be exempt from certain fire codes. The kami enshrined here when the temple was founded was Ame no Tajikarao, and in 1355 the spirit of Sugawara no Michizane (Tenjin sama) was added. Students come here to offer prayers to Tenjin for success in entrance exams. Other popular subjects to pray for are success in the entertainment business and good fortune. Depending on when you visit, you will see large numbers of ema with prayers written on them tied to special racks. The temple is also famous for its grove of some twenty varieties of ume trees, which were planted around 1355. This is considered the best spot in Tokyo to see flowering ume in the spring. The grove is the location of the most famous scene in the 1908 play Onna Keizu (A Woman’s Lineage) by Kyōka Izumi. A memorial, where Kyōka’s writer brushes are buried, is located in the grove.
Festivals are held here on the following dates: November 1–23, Chrysanthemum Festival; February 8–March 8, Ume Matsuri (Plum Festival); May 25, including the weekend before or after, Reitaisai (Annual Festival), in which you can view mikoshi being brought out.
Access is from the south, east, and north.
http://www.yushimatenjin.or.jp/
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Tsuboya 壺屋
It is said that this small pastry shop established some 400 years ago was planning to close in the Meiji period when Katsu Kaishū asked them to try to stay open. They took the advice of this national hero and the shop is still with us today. When you are facing the counter, look up and you will see a framed piece of calligraphy by Kaishū. The shop does not permit photography, but if you ask they will allow you to take a picture of the calligraphy. I recommend the monaka, a confection shaped like a jar and filled with sweet bean paste.
Rinshōin 麟祥院
A Rinzai Zen temple also known as Karatachidera “Orange Tree Temple” after a hedge made of karatachi. Lady Kasuga, the wet nurse of the third Tokugawa shōgun Tokugawa Iemitsu, requested that the temple be established. After ten years she took Buddhist vows and was given the religious name of Rinshōin Den Ninen Ryōgini Daishi. She passed away at the age of 64 and is buried here. Her grave is marked with an impressive gravestone that has holes bored all the way through it. The holes were done at her request so that she could watch over the land of Japan. The temple was originally called Tentakuji; the name was changed using the Rinshōin from her Buddhist name. As with many of my wanderings in Tokyo, I only knew the name and location of the temple when I first visited. The young woman at the office near the gate spoke excellent English and gave us some directions. My fellow traveler was an amateur photographer with a love of cemeteries. Both of us felt the one here was especially lovely and impressive.
Please be very quiet when you visit, as people are often practicing meditation at this temple. The early morning meditation is open to the public. If you wish to practice, you should contact the temple for more information.
The University Museum, The University of Tokyo / Tōkyō Daigaku Sōgō Kenkyū Hakubutsukan 東京大学総合研究博物館
This museum grew out of the University Storage Center for Research Materials, which was founded in 1966. The present museum was established in 1997 and is the main building; there are branches and other museums in the university system, such as the Koishikawa Annex in the Koishikawa Botanical Garden. Exhibits cover a wide range, with many on the natural sciences and history.
http://www.um.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_en.html
Kyū Iwasaki-tei Garden / Kyū Iwasaki-tei teien 旧岩崎邸庭園
Built on the location of the Echigo Takeda clan’s Edo residence, this garden is the former estate of the Iwasaki family, the founders of Mitsubishi. The house was built in 1896 as a complex of Japanese- and Western-style buildings by order of Iwasaki Hisaya. The Western-style mansion and Swiss-style billiard house were designed by Josiah Conder. The Japanese section was designed by Ōkawa Kijūrō. The paintings in the tokonoma and on the fusuma are mainly the work of Hashimoto Gahō, a major artist of the time. The garden is a mix of Japanese and Western styles; apparently it was originally a Japanese-style garden that was changed by later generations. The present grounds are only one-third of the original size and most of the Japanese-style buildings were destroyed some time ago. The family lived in the Japanese residence, and the Western-style building was for guests and special events. After World War II, the site became the property of the Japanese government and housed the Judicial Research and Training Institute of the Supreme Court. In 1994 the Agency for Cultural Affairs took over management of the grounds, and then the city of Tokyo took over management in 2001. Expect to remove your shoes at the entrance.
https://www.culture.city.taito.lg.jp/bunkatanbou/history/iwasaki_tei/iwasaki.html
http://teien.tokyo-park.or.jp/en/kyu-iwasaki/index.html
http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/content/000007565.pdf
http://www.kensetsu.metro.tokyo.jp/content/000026924.pdf
▲ In front of Hōshinji is this statue of Higuchi Ichiyō as a young girl enjoying a book.
▲ Tsuboya is a small shop with a long history; buy a sweet for a later snack.
▲ A tree-lined path passes the Law and Letters Building at the University of Tokyo.
▲ There so many ema at Yushima Tenmangū that the frame holding these is made of steel.
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Kaneyasu かねやす
A drugstore founded by dentist Kaneyasu Yūetsu that became famous in the Kyōhō period (1716–1736). The store’s renown came from its popular Nyūkōsan “frankincense” toothpowder. Any possible documents regarding the toothpowder formula were lost when the store burned in the firebombings of World War II. Today the store still exists and is run by the same family, but now sells cosmetics and clothing. A well-known senryū shows how famous the store was: Hongō mo Kaneyasu made wa Edo no uchi (本御もかねやすまでは江戸の内), “Hongō up to Kaneyasu lies within Edo.” The store displays this poem on their front wall to the left of the windows. Another factor adding to the fame of the store was its signboard. The calligraphy on the sign was done by Horibe Yasube, one of the famous Forty-seven Rōnin.
Bunkyō Historical Museum / Bunkyō Furusato Rekishikan 文京ふるさと歴史館
This two-story museum established in 1991, also referred to simply as the Bunkyō Museum, focuses on local history from prehistory to today. There are exhibits on Jōmon and Yayoi pottery, as the first Yayoi ceramics were found in Bunkyō Ward. Dioramas of life from the Edo period to recent times help the visitor to understand the many changes in the area. There is also a collection of everyday items from the Meiji period to the present. Another section exhibits famous writers from the area.
https://www.city.bunkyo.lg.jp/rekishikan/
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Honmyōjizaka 本妙寺坂
This slope and the neighboring side streets have a number of older two-story wooden buildings, especially in the area between the Hongō Elementary School and the Bunkyō Historical Museum. Such buildings were once common in Tokyo. Government programs encouraging reconstruction in accordance with stricter safety codes have almost eliminated such structures. Who knows how much longer these buildings will continue to exist?
Tadonzaka 炭団坂
The name of this slope translates as “Charcoal Slope.” At one time there were no stairs and people would sometimes lose their balance and roll down the slope. In the Edo period, tadon were an inexpensive type of charcoal made into balls from charcoal powder. The slope is steep and long enough to warrant three flat spots along the climb, where the flower beds add a nice touch. Note that there is a flat area on one side of the stairs. This is so people with bicycles can walk while rolling their bike on the incline. You will see this feature in many places in Tokyo.
Hōshinji 法真寺
A Jōdoshū temple. While the date it was founded is unclear, the temple is mentioned in documents from 1596. The main statue of Amida Buddha was brought to this temple in the early 18th century and is said to be the work of Eshin Sōzu. The main hall also contains a statue of Enma from the late Edo period, which is on the Tokyo Enma Pilgrimage route. Outside and to the left of the hondō is a Koyasu Jizō that tradition holds was carved by Kūkai. There are also two Niō statues in front of the main hall. The courtyard in front of the temple contains a small pond with walkways. Two other statues were added in 2015: a statue of a Taishō period girl who would have lived in the upper-class neighborhood of Hongō, and a statue of the famous Meiji period writer Higuchi Ichiyō as a young girl reading a book. Ichiyō had spent happy years next to the temple as a child and mentioned it in her stories Yukukumo “Passing Clouds,” Takekurabe “Child’s Play,” and Jūsanya “The Thirteenth Night.” Next to Hōshinji is a small museum devoted to Higuchi Ichiyō that is operated by the temple. The museum contains a collection of everyday items from the Meiji period. This museum is not to be confused with the larger museum mentioned in the Asakusa chapter. There is also the Ichiyōzuka, “Ichiyō mound,” with a rectangular stone pillar with her name in red. For more about her, see the Ichiyō Memorial Museum section in the Yoshiwara and Sanya chapter.
The temple is accessible from the east off of Hongō Dōri.
http://www.hoshinji.jp/abouthoshinji/
Fujinomori Inari Jinja 藤之森稲荷神社
A small, very humble shrine at the end of a pedestrian walkway between residences. This is a good example of a neighborhood shrine continuing to exist in the modern city. There is the stump of a large tree just past the torii and some old stone basins at the base of the tree. The street is also interesting as an example of the narrow lanes (roji) that were once far more common in the city. Do be quiet when accessing the shrine to avoid disturbing the local residents.
Wadatsumi no Koe Museum / Wadatsumi no Koe Kinenkan わだつみのこえ記念館
A small museum devoted to the memory of students who died in World War II. In 1949 Kike Wadatsumi no Koe “Listen to the Voices from the Sea,” a best-selling collection of letters and writings by students who died in the war, was published by a group who had survived. The collection was translated and published in English by the University of Scranton Press. The group later formed the Nihon Senbotsu Gakusei Kinen-Kai, an association partly organized with the goal of establishing a memorial, and in 2006 the museum opened. The exhibits are in chronological order and include many items donated by families. Toward the end is a section on the Korean student soldiers in the Japanese army who were sent to the front lines when the Japanese troops pulled back.
http://www.wadatsuminokoe.org
Listen to the Voices from the Sea: https://www.press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/distributed/L/bo3757809.html
Kikuzaka 菊坂
Kikuzaka means “chrysanthemum slope” and refers as much to the neighborhood as to the slope itself. This area still has some old wooden buildings that have not been replaced with modern structures. Some date back to the Taishō period, when two-story buildings replaced the older one-story tenements. Even the modern buildings have a certain traditional quality with their potted plants and modest height. Do quietly explore while the old buildings remain, and enjoy some of the narrow pedestrian passageways and old walls, which are likely to still be here when the buildings are gone.
Former Ise Pawnshop / Kyū Iseya Shichiten 旧伊勢屋質店
An old pawnshop that is owned by Atomi University and, in cooperation with Bunkyō Ward, is open for viewing. The reception area, store, and storehouse are accessible. The building is two stories with a passageway to the storehouse on the second floor. Noted Meiji period author Higuchi Ichiyō was an occasional customer of this pawnshop when her funds ran low.
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Tokyo Waterworks Historical Museum / Tokyo To Suidō Rekishikan 東京都水道歴史館
This museum is a must for anyone interested in Edo/Tokyo history. The establishment of waterworks early in the creation of the city of Edo was crucial for providing clean water to the residents and was an innovative feat of engineering. The system originally used stone, wood, and bamboo conduits to carry the water to each neighborhood; examples from the period are on display. The system expanded as the city grew into one of the largest in the world. In the Meiji period, the modernization of the water system began, as the older system was showing its age. Included are exhibits on access to water in daily life in the Edo period as well as items from the Meiji era to the present day.
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