Chuo-ku Tourism Association correspondent blog archive

In two times, we are going to go around "the street with the era" passing through Chuo-ku.
In the previous article, we introduced "Heisei-dori" and "Showa-dori".
Today, I would like to go back to the past.
　
■No. 3 Taisho-dori

By the way, the era before the Heisei and Showa eras is "Taisho era", but unfortunately, the name of "Taisho era street" does not exist in Tokyo.
...However, before the war, there was a street named "Taisho-dori".

And the street passes through Chuo-ku!　Click here for the details.

The current name is different, but before the war it was called "Taisho-dori" or "Main Line No. 2".

In the previous article, we introduced that "Showa-dori" was planned as a symbol road for reconstruction after the Great Kanto Earthquake, but in fact, this Showa-dori is "Main Line No. 1".
In contrast to Showa-dori, which runs north and south through Tokyo, Taisho era-dori (main line No. 2) was planned as another symbol road that runs east and west through Tokyo.

Taisho-dori, which connects Shinjuku to Ryogokubashi, is located near the northernmost tip of the ward in Chuo-ku, passing around Bakurocho and Higashinihombashi.
It is 36 meters wide and is less than Showa-dori, but it is a very wide street.
After the war, the Yasukuni Shrine was built near Kudanzaka along the roadside, and Taisho era-dori changed its name to "Yasukuni Dori" and continues to this day. The name of "Taisho-dori" is not currently used, but the street itself is still active.

　

■Extra 1 “Meiji Dori”

Since it dates back to Heisei, Showa, and Taisho eras, the next is "Meiji-dori St."
Meiji-dori St. in Tokyo starts at Furukawabashi (Minami-Azabu, Minato-ku), passes through the three major subcenters of Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, and passes through the bases of the outer edge of the city center such as Oji, Minowa, and Kameido. It is a street that connects to the island of Koto-ku.
In other words...From Chuo-ku, it is a route that connects the outside in a ring, and unfortunately does not pass in Chuo-ku.

The photo shows the Meiji-dori St. near the Jingumae intersection in Shibuya-ku. According to one theory, it is said that it passed near Meiji-jingu Shrine and became the name of Meiji Dori.
In addition, this road, like Showa-dori and Taisho-dori, is based on the reconstruction city plan after the Great Kanto Earthquake, and is positioned as "No. 5".

　

■Part 4 "Meijiza Street"
Well, unfortunately, "Meiji-dori St." did not pass through Chuo-ku....、
Is there any other street in the ward with "Meiji"?...When I searched desperately, I found one!
The name is "Meijiza-dori".

Meijiza, located in Nihonbashihamacho, is a theater with a long history that opened in 1873 as Kishoza. After that, it was renamed "Hisamatsu-za" and "Chitose-za", and in 1893 (Meiji 26), it became the current name "Meijiza". (The frequent problem of Chuo-ku sightseeing certification!)
On the south side of Meijiza, there is a row of ginkgo trees, which is also the entrance to Hamacho Park, but this street is Meijiza Street. The name of the street extends beyond Kiyosubashi Street to Hamacho Ryokudo Park, leading to amazake Yokocho.

This row of ginkgo trees is lonely at this time, but it is very beautiful in autumn.
By the way, this "Meijiza-dori" is a two-way road across a row of trees, but it is rare in Japan and is somehow on the right side. Maybe you can enjoy a little foreign feeling. It's also true.

　

■Extra 2 "Edo-dori St."
That's why I was able to find the streets of Heisei, Showa, Taisho era, and Meiji in Chuo-ku, despite some twists. Finally, I would like to introduce another street in the extra edition.
　　
If you call it "● era" in the textbook of history instead of the era, one before Heisei, Showa, Taisho era, and Meiji era is "Edo era".
In fact, "Edo-dori St." also runs in Chuo-ku!

Divided from Chuo-dori at Muromachi 3-chome, proceeded northeast in the ward, crossed Asakusabashi, entered Taito Ward, and ran parallel to the Sumida River to Asakusa, passing through the area that was the first city area of Edo. It is a wonderful street with a place where you can see the Tokyo Sky Tree in the back.

　
I tried to map the positional relationship of Chuo-ku, as I introduced in the previous article and this article.
(created by the author using the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism's “National Land Price Information” administrative area data and road data.)

In Chuo-ku, from Edo to Heisei, we found that the names of various eras were street names.
In the previous article, I wrote that the origin of "Heisei-dori" is unknown, but the name of "Heisei-dori" was set in 1989, and there is a theory that it may be derived. Can you make a street with the new era somewhere? While expecting, it may be a good memorial to go around the street with the name of the era and era in the last spring of Heisei!