Official

The first landfill in Tsukishima was completed in 1892 and Meiji period.
While understanding that it was not a family crest related to a daimyo residence in Chuo-ku during the Edo period, I tried to open a Japanese crest encyclopedia for the time being.
As expected, the same family crest could not be found, and we decided to proceed with the investigation because it could be a company emblem.

When I asked a clerk at Fujimart about stones to get some information, they answered, "I heard that they came from Ichikawa Building."
Ichikawa Building is a building where Fuji Mart resides, and when I searched on Google map on the spot, I was able to see "Ichikawa Building 2" and "No. 4 Ichikawa Building" around.
As expected, I was attracted to contact the real estate company suddenly, so I collected detailed information in the regional reference room of Kyobashi Library in Chuo Ward.

Then, thanks to the wonderful cooperation of the people in the regional archives, it turned out that the identity of this stone was published in the Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun! Thank you very much!
The outline of what we learned from this newspaper is as follows.

March 1, 2021 (No. 36)
・"Sanwa Bank Tsukishima Branch" on the 1953 commercial and industrial map, and "Ichikawa Iron Works" on the 1958 housing map.
・According to the owner of "Genso Monja Kindo", the Ichikawa Iron Works from Kachidoki moved to this location, and after the factory moved, it became Fuji Mart.
・Ichikawa Iron Works is closed and runs a real estate business in Ginza.
・There is a sign of "Ichikawa" at the top of Fuji Mart, and the building where Fuji Mart is located is the real estate of Ichikawa Iron Works.

Unfortunately, as of the end of July 2022, the signboard of "Ichikawa" had already been removed, but it turned out that the identity of the mysterious mark remaining on the street corner of Tsukishima was the corporate emblem of "Ichikawa Iron Works"!
What is engraved in the circle was the "city" of "Ichikawa Steel Works".

While I was happy with such a discovery, I learned that the space of the Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun was substantial.
There is also a web version, so I would like to read it in the future.♪

April 1, 2021 (No. 37)
・In the building opposite Fuji Mart, there was now a demolished "Ichikawa 3" building.
・"Ichikawa 2" is located at Tsukishima 2-chome, and "Ichikawa 4" is next to Fuji Mart.

As mentioned above, as of the end of July 2022, the display of "Ichikawa 2" and "No. 4 Ichikawa Building" can be confirmed on Google map, and when I visited the site, the former is as shown in the photo below.
At the same time, however, the letters "Ichikawa" and the company emblem at the top of the building, which could only be seen in the shadow of the wires only from a specific angle on Google map, were filled and could not actually be confirmed.

Regarding the latter, the name of "Ichikawa" could not be confirmed in the building on the west side of Fuji Mart displayed as "No. 4" on the Google map, but as shown in the photo published in the Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun, Fuji Mart We were able to see the word "No 4" at the top of the building on the north side of the building.

After a little digging into it, on the house map of 1958, there was `` Ichikawa Iron Works KK Garage '' one block south along Kiyosumi-dori, the same as Fuji Mart, and in the house map of 1976 and 1978, `` Ichikawa Building 4 '' Has been changed.
However, in the 1979 housing map, in addition to the "Ichikawa Building 4" built on the site of the garage, the southwestern end of the same block as Fuji Mart (the building currently displayed as "No. 4 Ichikawa Building" on Google map) It is written as "Ichikawa Building No. 4" along with "Ino Building" and other company names.

Originally, both were land of Ichikawa Ironworks, so it is presumed that the real estate owner is the same, but apparently there were two "Ichikawa Building 4 (No.)".
I didn't know in detail the relationship between the "No 4" building on the north side of Fuji Mart and the "Ichikawa Building", but as introduced in the Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun, it may be related to "Ichikawa Building 4" Yes!

May 1, 2021 No. 38
・Shinjiro Ichikawa, president of Yokohiki Shutter in Adachi-ku, is the great-grandson of Ichikawa Steel Works, founded by Tsunegoro Ichikawa in the late Meiji era.
・Ichikawa Iron Works was the first in Japan to manufacture a pedestrian bridge, and was also responsible for the production of bolts in the zero race.
・The company crest is engraved on the water tank in Senso-ji Temple, "Tokyo Tsukishima was founded in 1911, Ichikawa Iron Works."

After reading the Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun during lunch break I was worried about the rain water tubs in Senso-ji Temple, and after work on the same day, jump on a bicycle to Senso-ji Temple!

There are a number of water tubs in Senso-ji Temple, and the water tubs engraved with the name of Ichikawa Iron Works are on both sides of the stairs on the west side of main hall.
(By the way, the name "Tokyo Tsukiji Fish Market Brokerage Cooperative" is engraved on the top left of the main hall.)
When I saw it, it was a very new water tub, but when I looked at the back side, I saw it....

Isn't it engraved as "October 20, 1957, Tsukishima, Tokyo 1911, Ichikawa Works Co., Ltd. First Ichigoro Ichikawa"!
After that, the name of Shintaro Ichikawa, the second generation in Fukagawa, Tokyo, the third generation in Yashio, and the fourth generation in Katsushika, "Yokohiki SR Co., Ltd." was confirmed.
I was sorry that I couldn't see the company emblem engraved in the old rain water tub (pictured in Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun No. 38), but at the end it was also engraved that it was recasted on January 10, 2022, It is clear that the water tub understands the new reason.

What is worrisome here is what kind of company did Ichikawa Works, which is enough to offer a water tank to Senso-ji Temple?
I studied a little more in detail in "Tsukishima Development History".

On pages 41 to 42 of the book, there is the headline of "Ichikawa Iron Works Owner of the New Xuri Shoten in the Tsukishima Industry", indicating that the momentum of Ichikawa Iron Works was thriving.
However, there seems to have been a lot of hard work to build that position.
The main points are summarized below.

・In 1902, Yutaro Ichikawa was born with Tsunegoro Ichikawa from Gunma Prefecture as his father.
・In 1911, Mr. Jogoro, the first of the Ichikawa Works, moved to Tokyo with his family.
・Yutaro died from his father when he graduated from elementary school, and became an apprentice of Nakagawa Iron Works on Tsukuda Island, known for bolt production, and trained.
・In 1917, Yutaro was only 17 years old, set up a factory at Tsukishima Nishikawashidori 2-chome and became independent.
・Since Yutaro entered military life with his age, he left the factory to his retired brother Buntaro.
・Yutaro also devoted himself to factory work after the retirement, but was injured during his employment in 1925 and opened a hairdressing business under the commercial name of Ginbari.
・Ichikawa Iron Works, which developed smoothly enough to open branch offices by 1926, has the Ichikawa Machinery Department at Ginza 3-chome.
・Buntaro moved to Fukagawa to expand the factory, and Yutaro built a new factory store in Tsukishima to survive the Tsukishima Ichikawa Ironworks.
・With a focus on the bolt world and a large contract was signed, the first factory was established on the land adjacent to the sales office.

As mentioned above, as of the end of July 2022, the letter "Ichikawa" could not be confirmed at the top of Fuji Mart, but on the wall of the store, the remnants of the Ichikawa Iron Works Office, written in blue letters, can be seen faintly.
And at the top of the wall, there is a particularly white part.
If you look closely, you can see the company emblem of Ichikawa Works engraved on that stone!

The Ichikawa Iron Works, which used to be located on Tsukishima, has been taken over by Yokobiki SR Co., Ltd., but Tsukishima still has its remnants.
It took a long time to elucidate the identity of the mysterious stone remaining on the street corner, but after a long absence, I was able to enjoy the fun and enjoyment of the local history survey.
Thank you very much to the local archives of the Chuo Ward Kyobashi Library and the Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun!
Even if it was a casual mark found during shopping, I decided to continue to look into it.
(The reason why Ichikawa Ironworks dedicated a water tub to Senso-ji Temple, which could not be covered in this article, is an issue for future research.)

※The photos shown in this article were taken on July 31, August 1, and August 3, 2022.
※The company name has been unified to "Ichikawa Steel Works" except for quotations.

[Documents]
Kenkichi Yamamoto "History of Tsukishima Development" Kyobashi Tsukishima Shimbun, 1940.

[Newspaper]
"Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun" March 1, 2021, No. 36. （Web version）
"Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun", April 1, 2021, No. 37. （Web version）
"Tsukuda Tsukishima Shimbun" May 1, 2021, No. 38. （Web version）

Map
Tetsuya Kosaka, "Tokyo Metropolitan Commerce and Industry Division Map Chuo-ku Edition 1953", Japan Shoko Publishing, 1953.
Housing Association edition "Tokyo All Housing Guide Map Book Chuo-ku (Northern and Southern) 1958" Housing Association, 1958.
Hitobunsha Edition "Tokyo All Housing Guidebook, Chuo-ku (Southern) 1963 Revised Edition", Hitobunsha, 1963.
"Zenrin Housing Map Showa 51, Chuo-ku", Japan Housing Map Publishing, 1976.
"Zenrin Housing Map Showa 54, Chuo-ku", Japan Housing Map Publishing, 1979.
"Zenrin's Housing Map Heisei 1st Year of Chuo-ku" Zenrin, 1991.

※All of them can be viewed in the regional reference room of Kyobashi Library in Chuo Ward.