Official
giboshi and Giboshi (plant)
Speaking of fish banks, "Nihonbashi Fish Bank" and Nihonbashi, "giboshi" is famous, so let me talk about it this time.
Giboushi (pictured) of the family Lilyaceae is named because its buds resemble giboshi attached to bridges such as Nihonbashi, Kyobashi and Shimbashi. About 20 species of giboushi are distributed in East Asia and are cultivated for ornamental use. The main place of origin is Japan (excluding Okinawa), China, the Korean Peninsula, and Karaft. The leaves are rooted, have a long handle, are usually wide elliptical and have several vertical veins. In early summer, the flower stalks with the leaves are stretched, and flowers are usually attached to the axillary of the leaves to form raceme. The flowers bloom sideways, with a funnel-shaped tubular shape, with six tears at the tip. Flower color is white, pale purple, dark purple. It usually opens in the morning with flowers all day, and in the afternoon. In Japan, there are Kobagiboshi, Obagiboshi (pictured), Iwagiboshi, and Togiboshi. Togiboshi has been cultivated for a long time and is an important ancestor of large horticultural variety. The shape of the bracts at the tip of the flower stalk was similar to a jewel, and the Japanese name "giboshi" was born. Overseas (e.g. the United States), it is called by the name of the genus name hosta, but in Japan it is often called by this name. The etymology of Hosta is Australian botanist N.T. It is derived from the names of both Host and J.Host.
giboshi in Nihonbashi
The giboshi remaining in Nihonbashi Kuroeya (right photo)
In Nihonbashi Kuroeya, there is a giboshi on the balustrade. "September 1658 Bo Dog Year (1658) lucky day Nihonbashi Carpenter Shiina Hyogo" is engraved. Is the dent of the side due to the impact of falling in a fire? The giboshi in the lacquerware shop seems to have been brought in by customers who mistake Kuroeya as an antique shop during the turmoil after the war.
The origin of giboshi
The origin of giboshi is based on various theories, one is from the jewels in Buddhism. The jewel is said to be the shape of the Buddha's urn (shari jar) or the bead that came out of the head of the dragon god, and Buddha statues such as Jizo Bodhisattva are placed on the palms. There is a theory that it was named giboshi in the sense of a simulated jewel from the shape of this jewel.
The other is the theory that the unique odor of green onions is believed to be in the amulet, and that it came to be used in light of its power, but the word giboshi may be written as a green onion hat and a green onion shaven.
Giboushi has been cultivated and improved for ornamental use since the Edo period. It is said that this was introduced to Western Europe by a German naturalist Siebold (1796-1866), who stayed as a doctor at Nagasaki Dutch trading post during the Edo period. After that, varieties were improved in Western Europe and the United States, and many types of giboushi were made. It is said to be more popular than in Japan as a gardening plant in Western Europe.
Reference:
1) The truth of the Tokugawa Shogun's family: Published by Masaya Yamashita, Learning Research Company, 2007
2) Nihonbashi Fish Bank Story: Kozaburo Omura's Published in 1984
3) Hundred Years of Fish Bank: Uogawashi Centennial Editorial Committee, Nikkan Food Newspaper, 1968
4) Chuo-ku History Chart [Nihonbashi]: Chuo-ku, Tokyo Board of Education, published in 1995
5) Nihonbashi Fish Market Picture Map: Tangible Cultural Property designated by Chuo-ku (3-16-4 Tsukiji, Kaneko family storehouse)