Official
In Nihonbashi, there were many town names related to fishing. The existing one is Kobunacho.
Near Nihonbashi, you can see the names of towns that are still related to fishing. For example, "Kofune-cho" is an example, but in the Edo period there was also a town called Ofuna-cho. Ofuna-cho is paired with Kofune-cho. Even though there was a fish market in Nihonbashi, when have many towns related to "fishing" since then?
Dosanbori, where the fish market was located before the Nihonbashi Fish Market opened, is the source of its name. The excavation of this moat was carried out in the early stages of Ieyasu entering Edo. Dosanbori is a waterway that runs from Edo Castle through Dosanbori and leads to the Sumida River via Hirakawa (later Nihonbashi River). It is said that the length of this moat was about 1 km and the width was about 25 m.
In parallel with the excavation of Dosan moat, a number of vertical moats and Yokobori were dug, and the excavated soil was freely used by townspeople, the shallows were reclaimed, and the streets were created. This is said to be the land readjustment from Tokiwa Bridge along Dosanbori to Asakusabashi, that is, "Honmachi no Machiwari" or "Tensho era town allocation". With the completion of this moat, various goods loaded with boats such as civil engineering and construction materials and rice brewed came into Edo Castle directly from the Sumida River, and were scattered from the cove at the mouth of the Sumida River to the Hibiya cove along Edo Maejima. Edo Minato was directly connected by this waterway. Furthermore, coupled with the excavation of the Onagi River, etc., it led to the development of Edo Minato as a whole.
As a result, Timber-cho, Funamachi, Yokkaichimachi, Yanagimachi, etc. were opened along Dosanbori. There was a town that would be the source of Kofune-cho and Ofuna-cho.
Timber-cho ： Ageba, a lumber for construction of the castle, was formed around Otemachi Station on the current Tozai Line, and lumber shops gathered around this area to form a lumber town.
"Funamachi" ： A town where transporters gather
"Yokkaichimachi": The green market was regularly held on the south side of Dosanbori.
"Yanagimachi" ： The name is Yanagimachi, borrowed from the name of "Yanagi no Baba" in Banrikoji, Shinjo-cho, which opened in Kyoto.
Dosan Hori Kitagawa shore: Fishermen from Settsu and Izumi raised fish on the banks of Dosan and responded to the demand of Machiya, and as a result, the fish shore began. A fish shore was created on the Dosanbori Kitagawa shore in the gate from Tokiwa Bridge to Ichiishi Bridge.
The width of the river in Nihonbashi was nearly twice as large as it is now.
In 1604, Nihonbashi was designated as the starting point of the national village, and milestone was built, so it would be appropriate to consider Nihonbashi's original building in 1603. At this time, the Nihonbashi River was wide, and it seems that stone walls were built from both sides and applied to them. According to the Keicho era survey, it was 4 feet 5 inches between 37 floors and 2 feet 5 inches wide and 5 inches inches inches in width. (Whether the shakuma method at this time should be considered on a Kyoma basis, Edoma base, or literature cannot be interpreted. When calculating between Edo, the river width is 50.4m, but if it is Kyoma, it will be 75m.) When writing the width of the river at that time on a map, if the center of the river is the same as the present, the fish riverbank of Nihonbashi will be cut off, and I think that it is appropriate to consider the river width from the current Muromachi 1-chome riverbank.
It has been reported that Shirakiya (now Cored Nihonbashi), located on the south side of Nihonbashi, discovered an old stone wall for revetment when foundation work was carried out to make a concrete building.
The figure shown here calculates the width of the river without adding the width of the stone wall, but if you consider the stone wall and calculate the width of the river by Kyoma calculation, you will reach the old Shirakiya Building (currently Cored Nihonbashi), It may be nodding that the stone wall was found during the construction of Shirakiya.
Note: The above analogy regarding the width of the Nihonbashi River is based on many assumptions, so please give us your criticism and suggestions.
Relocation of Funamachi on the banks of Dosan River
With the expansion of the daimyo residence near Edo Castle, Machiya near Dosanbori was forced to relocate. With the completion of Edo Minato, centering on Nihonbashi, timber merchants moved to Motozaimokucho, and ship tools and hempsho were moved to Hon Funamachi and Kofunemachi. The vegetable market south of Zenbebashi became Moto Yokkaichimachi and Aomonomachi on the opposite bank of Hon Funamachi.
* Zaimokucho → Motozaimokucho
* Ship gear and hemp trading → Hon Funamachi (Hon Funamachi, which was initially said to be Ofunemachi, is paired with Kofunemachi, which separates the moat. Ofuna-cho is Shimo-Funamachi in the Keicho era, and is mainly composed of ship tools and hemp merchants. There are several other fish merchants.
* "Yokkaichimachi" south of Zenbebashi → Moved to the opposite bank of Hon Funamachi (former Yokkaichimachi, Aomonomachi, Yorozucho). It is thought that it was after Keicho 12 (1607).
The name of the town originating from the Dosanbori area does not exist except Nihonbashikobunacho. I'm lonely.
Reference:
100-year-old fish shore editorial committee: 100 years of fish shore
Published by Masao Suzuki Edo Bridge
Chuo-ku, Tokyo Board of Education: Chuo-ku History Chart (Nihonbashi edition)
Edited and published by Chuo Ward Kyobashi Library: News from Local Room No. 153