Next year marks the 410th anniversary of the opening of Edo. It is said that Gokaido was also established at the time of the opening of the prefecture. From Nihonbashi to the north and south, literally a road network of "Shidorihachida" was laid. The Gokaido, which supported the prosperity of Edo, has been handed down to today's national highway. Let's walk the past and present of Gokaido in Chuo-ku from Nihonbashi. At first, Tokaido.
The busiest Tokaido. Hiroshige's "Tokaido Gojusanji Asanokei" stands out from the high billboard on the west side of Minamizume. At this place, there is currently a monument to Chuo-dori, one of Japan's Top 100 Roads, which explains Nihonbashi, the starting point of the road (upper left photo). Heading south, the Nihonbashi intersection is Tokaido, the current National Route 15 when going south, but when you turn west on Eitai-dori St., it is an Oiwake to Koshu Expressway, and today it passes through National Route 1 and leads to National Route 20 ( Right in the photo).
If you follow the Tokaido, you will soon see Nakahashi Hirokoji Temple. It is listed as "Nakahashi" in "Edo Famous Zoukai". It is an intersection with Yaesu Street. Yaesu-dori was Horikawa in the early Edo period picture. On the east side of Ogamachi, there is a house where Hiroshige produced "Hundred Famous Views of Edo", and it is said that Edo Hundred Views "City Prosperity Tanabata festival" depicted this area, and this is the end of this area. The Tooricho-suji near the Meijiya Kyobashi Building is Minami Temmacho, one of Edo's three Temmacho. There is an illustration of the famous spot event "Minami Temmacho Gionkai resting place of portable shrines", but there is no impression at present.
The first interchange building designed by Kingo Tatsuno, a former landmark at the Kyobashi intersection, has recently been rebuilt as the third generation at the Mutual Hall 110 Tower. This area is 1 km from Nihonbashi (left photo). The main pillars of the Meiji and Taisho eras remain on the site of Kyobashi, which spanned the Kyobashi River (lower right photo). The east side of the bridge Kitazume is depicted in the 100 views of Edo, "Kyobashi Takegashi". Monuments of "Edo Kabuki Birthplace" and "Kyobashi Daikon Riverside Ruins" stand on the west side of Kitazume.
When you enter Ginza, which is said to have been a remote area during the Edo period, Shin-Ryogaecho became the name of Ginza in 1869 (1869), and a monument to the birthplace of Ginza stands now. This year marks the 400th anniversary of the establishment of the Edo Ginza Office. At present Ginza 5-chome, three kimono shops are depicted in the famous spot event "Owaricho Hoteiya / Kameya / Ebisuya". Today's Ginza 4-chome intersection was once called the Owaricho intersection. Morita-za is drawn on the eastern side of the area crossing the Kobiki Bridge in Sanjumabori, a famous landmark event "Kibikicho Theater". The current location is Ginza 6-chome, around Showa-dori.
The end point of Ginza Street is Shimbashi. It was over the Shiodome River, but in the old days it was called Shibakuchi Bridge, and it is said on the Chuo-ku explanation board on the east side of Kitazume that Shibakuchi Gomon was placed. In this area, there is also a famous spot event "Shiga Raki Tea Shop", which is just 2 km from Nihonbashi, and was it a resting place? At present, this road is nicknamed "Shigaraki Road" in Chuo-ku. The Tokaido in Chuo-ku ends here. ●Akira Makibuchi
