Official

・・・ Summary of the last time ...

A monument to the ruins of the United States Missionary, which was left in Akashi-cho, Chuo-ku, which was a foreign settlement in the Meiji era. There are three types of patterns: Goryo stars, shield-shaped star-shaped flags, and white head eagle, and a total of five are central ward Tangible Cultural Property.

When they were found, they were lined up on a small hill in a deserted garden. What purpose was made, who made it, and when was it made it?…。 It still remains in mysteries.

Chuo-ku fans, me and the yellow Kotori-chan, have begun to elucidate this mystery in life.

・・・・・・・・・・・・・・

Balustrade of 5 bridges

"Small, maybe,"

　I smiled and said, "I came up with a good thing."

"Ah, you!"

　The yellow little bird looks up at me.

　In such a case, I have a tendency to make a hypothesis if I am afraid or scary, ignorant, and to inflate my imagination in my own way.

"Isn't there a bridge?"

　I said.

"Look!"

　And the yellow little bird covers his face.

"I thought ridiculous things,"

"Look, at high tide, seawater came to the site, and it was rather a tasteful atmosphere, but for example, a bridge was built in front of the entrance. It is simple enough from the site to the sidewalk. Yes, it has the role of straddling the hollows of the hedges that have become watery."

　I remembered the book I had just read, and asked the yellow little bird to read it again.

　The yellow little bird is

"No,"

　He said, and read it with good taste.

‐On the east side of the garden of the Imperial House where the Hoshijo flag flutters in the sea breeze, the road on the embankment where carriages can run side by side, the bottom is the coast, and the locals call it the gunshot coast. At the waterfront, seaweed and pieces of wood carried by the waters were caught by the weeds. At high tide, the waterfront approaches stone walls and embankments, and rises close to the road surface while standing. －

"Tsukiji Akashicho Past and Present" from Chiaki Kitagawa

"I've noticed something interesting. It is quite conceivable that seawater would cross the embankment and soak it to this side, and even if it could not be called a bridge, I might have crossed a little thing to scaffold it. So what happened to that monument?"

"It was the balustrade of the bridge!"

　The yellow little bird fluttered his eyes.

"I see,"

"It's just cut out, it's like a balustrade, isn't it? Even if the white head eagle is not cut out, one of the three patterns is more interesting to change, and because it is the most complex motif, it is difficult to cut it out."

　The yellow little bird strikes a funfun and a whip.

"As a bridge length, I wonder if it's just the right length to build it in front of the entrance. Well, it's unnatural for a long time, but one stone monument has around 80 cm on a side, isn't it? Even if four are arranged, it is 320cm. I think it'll take a few steps to cross."

"There are eight in total, just four each. The design will be in order so that the same thing is not connected."

　But I'm sorry.

"I can't find a picture of a bridge-like thing,"

　That's right.

　It seems that one of the few precious photographs of the buildings of the American Embassy do not seem to be reflected in the bridge-like ones. In particular, since the same building became the Hotel Metro pole, there is no such thing as ever seen in the pictures that were perfectly reflected in the angle from the front.

　I was disappointed while looking for archived images of the regional archives.

"I might have been hanging over the garden,"

　The yellow little bird gave a bright light.

"You may have had an entrance so that you could get out of the garden to the shore."

"Yes, it was just a carriage, and along the coast would have been the main road. It's a common entrance. I may have built a bridge in consideration of the tide."

　I was so happy that I clap my hand.

"That might have been made of stone so that the horse could cross. When I went out of the American Embassy by carriage, I crossed this stone bridge from the entrance in the garden to the coast street, surely…」

　At the time of high tide, I and the yellow little bird looked at the sight of the sea water glitteringly soaking the weeds and seasonal flowers in the garden.

　There was a stone bridge with a Goryo star, a shield-shaped star flag, and a white head eagle pattern, and a carriage passed slowly through it.…。 One afternoon or dusk, the scenery of a quiet foreign settlement will be even more beautiful.

　And the next Sunday, I and the yellow little bird went to Shinsui-Koen Park in St. Luke's Garden to see the monument of the U.S.

　If you take a stone monument in front of you…、

"It's a little big,"

　And the yellow little bird was lost and said in a modest manner.

"Yes, big,"

　And I nodded gently.

"And it's so heavy,"

"Well, sir.…」

　We were literally at a loss in front of the monument to the ruins of the American Embassy.

　For he felt that the various reasonings in the room had not fitted well. And they sighed for a while, silently for a while.

"It's too tall for a small bridge balustrade,"

"and there is no need to make anything so heavy balustrade."

"Because if the bridge falls, nothing will happen."

"It's ridiculous that it's a lantern,"

"I don't know. I can't make such a heavy fire bag."

"In addition, it's not a perfect square, and every stone monument has a slightly different dimension."

"It doesn't seem that all eight units have been unified with strict dimensions."

"It's awkward to connect side by side,"

"The artisans at that time don't do that kind of work,"

　I'm afraid that it's not a lantern, a balustrade, a fence, or a kind of thing that does something side by side.

"It's more free, open, and honest,"

"What is that?"

　And the yellow little bird is coming.

"I don't know,"

　I said.

Inference 6 After all, the monument is usually a monument

　Every monument has a slight difference in dimensions.

"If so, what if these were made one by one at another time?"

　I don't give up too.

"You mean, even though there were roughly arrangements for shape and size, there was no purpose to completely unify them?"

"Yes, or several people made them separately."

"Or, I made it one by one at a different time."

　We think about it.

Inference 7 When was it made?

"I read a while ago, Haruo Kawasaki said at the time of Minister Bingham, that he had made a good Japanese masonry to commemorate the 100th anniversary of American independence."

"On the other hand, Mr. Fugoro Kawasaki said that at the time of Minister Swift, he left a monument here and moved to Akasaka as a proof that the American Mission was here."

　Here, the theory of 1876 and the theory of 1890 are described.

"And, in the book I just read, there was a way of thinking that during the time of Azabu Zenpukuji, I brought it in when I moved to Tsukiji. To remark this, the signboard of the monument of the U.S. Embassy in Chuo-ku now uses the word "remaining here" by the last relocation. As if the monument moved every time it moved, but at the end I left it!"

　That might be a little too much.

　For the time being, let's say this is the previous theory of 1875. In other words, the U.S. Embassy will move to Tsukiji foreign settlement.

　That means that even among prominent teachers and researchers, opinions can be understood when the monument was made.　

　Then, I stopped reading "Walking in Chuo Ward" earlier. I raised my face,

"I feel like it's none of them."

　And made a convincing voice.

"What's wrong, how are you?"

　And the yellow little bird turns around.

"Hey, hey, little bird. President Grant came to Japan, in 1879."

　I said, chasing the letters with my eyes.

"Yes, after retirement, he went on a tour around the world. I arrived in Japan just before American Independence Day, and I stayed for about two months after that. At that time, there is still a story that I watched Shintomiza. As many as 70 geishas danced. He welcomed him wearing a costume called a red-white horizontal kimono and a white star-shaped undergarment dyed in blue. I think you praised me for it's a wonderful theater."

"Are you?"

　And I took the diary of Krara again.

"Clara is also invited to the welcome party of President Grant. July fourth, 1879. There was a welcome party for Americans living in Japan and a party to celebrate Independence Day at Yanryokan. Mr. Grant said that after arriving in Yokohama, he took a special train to Shimbashi, and then headed to Yanryokan by a carriage prepared by Imperial Household Agency. And it was the U.S. minister Bingham of the U.S. Embassy who escorted the escort!"

　And I'll take care of myself.

"Hey, Kotori-chan, I think. The former president came to Japan. At last, there must have been a lot of conversations with Minister Bingham, business meetings, and above all, do you not think you will stop by the United States Mission?"

"Surely, it is the minister of Japan,"

　So I made a plain declaration.

"To express our welcome to President Grant, Minister Bingham decided to make and decorate the monument!"

　Hey, the yellow little bird said.

"Yes, he made it in line with the former president's visit to Japan,"

　Yeah, yeah, I nodded loudly.

"Speaking of that, it was President Grant who sent Minister Bingham to Japan."

"I'm connected! It's already decided!"

　And I was glorious at once.

　Still, there is still room for verification. But for the time being, here I and the yellow little bird set up a new theory in 1879.

"Our comrades in Japan made a stone monument with a symbol of a proud country, lined up in the courtyard of the Missionary to welcome Jibun.…It must be a great honor for former President Grant."

"Oh, I'm sure you're satisfied."

　I and the yellow little bird felt like throwing a new stone into the spring of history.

　While praying that the stone will draw a beautiful arc someday on the surface of the water.

Continue

♪1992, Chuo-ku Monoshiri Encyclopedia, Chuo-ku Tourism Association / `` Walking in Chuo-ku Ward (3) '' Fugoro Kawasaki, Chuo-ku Planning Department, Chuo-ku Planning Department, 1992 / `` Chuo-ku Residents' Cultural Properties '' Chuo-ku Board of Education, Chuo-ku 1991 / `` News from Local Room No. 61 '' Kikuji Sekiji Sekiji 1 Sekiji Nakano 1 Nishikan 1 Nishinobashi, Sekiji 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 8 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan 1 Nishikan, Chuo-ku, Chuo-Kan, Chuo-ku, Chuo-ku, Chuo-ku, Chuo-ku / Nakano

Correspondent Minato kid, Chuo-ku Tourism Association
No. 222 February 25, 2023