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The area around the Yaesu Exit of Tokyo Station, which has become even more lively with the opening of Tokyo Midtown Yaesu. The redevelopment of the neighborhood is likely to spur further development. However, behind the scenes, the history of twists and turns, which has been crying at the disparity with Marunouchi side and repeatedly ups and downs.……。

(Relief of Jan Jooss Ten and Leafde on Yaesu Street)

Many literature tell that the place name "Yaesu" comes from the name of the Dutch sailor Jan Joossten. In 1600 (Keicho era 5), he drifted to Kyushu on the Dutch ship Reefde, gained the confidence of Ieyasu and advised on the shogunate's diplomacy and trade. The location of the mansion worshiped by this success is "Yatsushiro Sukawagi" along the Edo Castle inner moat, and it is exclusively the theory that the surname changed from his name "Yayos".

Certainly, if you look at the "Edogiri-ezu", you can see places such as "Yayosukashi" or "Yatsushiro Sukawagi" from Wadakuramon to Baba Sanmon. Nevertheless, the roots of the place name in Chuo-ku were at the moat end of Chiyoda-ku, and I feel that a little leap has passed.

(Offices along Hibiya Street, which is considered to be roots)

As expected, what I was waiting for was the fate of the flow. First of all, in 1872 (Meiji 5), the area extending east from the riverbank along the inner moat changed its name to Yaesu-cho. The character surface has also been minor changed from Yatsushiro Su to Yaesu.

Next, in 1884 (Meiji 17), Yaesu Bridge was bridged over the former Edo Castle outer moat, which is almost equivalent to the current Sotobori-dori St.. Regardless of the street name at the foot, it is a naming that borrows a place name at the opposite bank, and is near the current Tokyo Station Yaesu Central Exit.

However, in the middle of the Meiji era, the government sold vast land such as Yaesumachi, which used to be transformed into a daimyo residence and became an army site such as a training ground, to Yanosuke Iwasaki of Mitsubishi. Furthermore, when the construction plan of Tokyo Station emerges and the pitch of regional development rises, suddenly there is a headwind at Yaesu Bridge.

(Old Tokyo Station, which has just been completed, owned by the Kyobashi Library in Chuo Ward)

Completed in 1914 (Taisho 3), Tokyo Station was a luxurious station building with wings spread north and south toward the Imperial Palace, but on the other hand, the outer moat side on the back is a depot lined with many tracks. Then, it was decided that a dock should be built in the moat in front of you to encourage logistics, or before the completion of the station, the small Yaesu Bridge became a payment box.

Tokyo Station opened brilliantly in contact with Toyo Ichi, but in fact, there was a defect that could not seem to be the "face of the capital." The entrance was only on the Imperial Palace side, and in order for passengers from Nihonbashi and Kyobashi to enter the station, it was necessary to make a large round trip to Gofuku Bridge in the north or Kaji Bridge in the south. The building of the railway hospital was also on the outer moat side, so commuting was extremely inconvenient.

(Currently near the Kaji Bridge, where the downtown people entering and exiting the station turned around.)

"Tokyo Centennial History" compiled and published by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government for such unreasonableness is angry. "There is also a view that the government and the Mitsubishi Zaibatsu intended to grow the Marunouchi area, which was called Mitsubishiga Hara at the time, into a business center."

"In the direction of Shimomachi…Even if we ignore the economic activities of small citizens, we will continue to cooperate with large capital.…It seems that there was an intention to develop at once."

It seems that you can hear the teeth of the common people at that time from the candid language that is not like a book compiled by the government office.

By the way, it was Yaesu Bridge once disappeared, but was rebuilt in 1925 (Taisho 14) as a reconstruction and development project after the Great Kanto Earthquake. On the east side of Tokyo Station, the word "Yaesu" came back as the name of the bridge.

(The second generation Yaesu Bridge with a wider width = Chuo Ward Kyobashi Library Collection)

In 1929 (Showa 4), 15 years after the completion of Tokyo Station, the long-awaited entrance "Yaesu Exit" was born on the east side of the station without opening. However, only passengers in short-distance train sections were available.

On the other hand, Yaesu Town on the west side of the station became Marunouchi (later Marunouchi) due to the change of street name, and Jan Jooss Ten's "placed souvenir" disappeared from the Imperial Palace side. By the way, the address of the station, which was originally Eirakucho, Kojimachi-ku, was also in Marunouchi.

In addition, it was Pacific War that spread the confusing change of name. Tokyo Station was also damaged by air raids by the U.S. military, and Yaesu Bridge disappeared again due to the reclamation of the outer moat by post-war reconstruction projects.

Moreover, in 1948 (Showa 23), the new station building at Yaesu Exit was completed late, and if you thought that it had started business, half a year later, it was burned down by a fire from the construction site. It is called a bridge and a good station building. At this time, it seems to be accompanied by a short-lived luck.

The "Tokyo Station History" compiled by the Tokyo Minami Railway Bureau introduces such a story as a reminiscent of Mr. K, who served as Tokyo Station station manager at that time.

During the exterior construction of the station, which had been disastrous due to the war, the Marunouchi side polished the burnt red bricks and renewed the face, but on the back side, mortar was painted on the decayed brick due to lack of budget. Just like a "shed". There was also a question as to whether the front would be okay with the back---

(The 6-story railway hall building that forms the basis of the current Yaesu Exit = the Kyobashi Library in Chuo Ward)

With regard to the burnt down Yaesu station building, after long-standing business in Baracks, reconstruction plans for the station building are underway in response to the reconstruction and development of Nihonbashi and Kyobashi districts.

Due to the financial difficulties of the Japanese National Railways at that time, we decided to introduce private capital, and in 1954 (Showa 29), a new station building was visible as a six-story railway hall building. (It was later expanded to 12 stories. In the 21st century, it was transformed into a low-rise deck = Grand roof and two skyscrapers.

In the same year, the name of Yaesu was born in Chuo-ku by land readjustment. The chighag name across Tokyo Station has finally ended. Do it.

Looking back, what emerges from the long and complex history of Yaesu is the idea of dividing the "back door", "back side" and "yin". I wish I could use that sorrow to coexist with various regions in a flat relationship in the future.……。

◇Sources and Major References

“Tokyo Centennial History” (Tokyo)

“History of Tokyo Stations” (Tokyo Minami Railway Bureau)

"The Story of Yaesu" (Kanai Shoten)

“Walking the 100 Years of Nazo” at Tokyo Station (Chuo Koron Shinsha)

◇Image Provider

　Chuo Ward Kyobashi Library Regional Archives