The Old Edo Towns of Japan


In a city increasingly burying what remains of its past in concrete, it’s hard to find traces of the Tokyo that was once Edo (江戸), the stronghold of the Tokugawa shogunate from 1603 to 1868. Yet thanks to trade and daimyo traveling to and from the capitol, Edo’s influence spread far beyond its borders.

As Edo’s population swelled and travel increased, many castle towns found themselves in a prime position to cater to Edo’s material and political needs while benefiting from an influx of their culture. Some castle towns prospered because of their proximity to rivers connecting them to the capital. Others were along major highways, or home to important shogunate officials.

Time, war, and natural disasters have made historical preservation difficult. However, many of these “Little Edo” (小江戸; ko-edo) towns and post towns (宿場; shukuba) still preserve remnants of Edo’s influence.

Kawagoe (川越)

By far the most popular Little Edo is Kawagoe in Saitama Prefecture. The castle town’s placement by the Arakawa and Iruma Rivers made it a strategic defense point against incursions from the north. High-ranking shogunate officials were based in Kawagoe Castle, ensuring close political ties to Edo. Tokugawa Ieyasu and Tokugawa Hidetada, the first and second shogun respectively, often frequented Kawagoe on falconry trips [1].

Kawagoe quickly became a prime boat transportation hub for agricultural goods, which earned it the nickname “kitchen of Edo” (江戸の台所; edo no daidokoro). Near the end of the 18th century, it became the go-to production center for sweet potatoes (さつま芋; satsumaimo) after the root vegetable spiked in popularity among Edo commoners [1].

Today, Kawagoe is a bustling mid-size city. But its Edo district provides the perfect “time slip” into another era. A must-see is the charming Candy Alley (菓子屋横丁; Kashiya Yokochō) boasting shops selling traditional and modern confectionaries. The nearby Kita-in Temple houses the only remaining buildings of the original Edo Castle. On Kurazukuri Street (蔵造りの町並み; kurazukuri no machinami), lined with warehouse-styled buildings made from clay, stands the Bell of Time (時の鐘; Toki no Kane), which chimes four times a day, just as it did in Kawagoe’s heyday.

Koedo: Many of Kawagoe's Edo-style buildings, including the Bell of Time, were rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1893, but they still retain the charm and characteristics of the Edo originals.
Many of Kawagoe’s Edo-style buildings, including the Bell of Time, were rebuilt after a devastating fire in 1893, but they still retain the charm and characteristics of the Edo originals. (Photograph by Alyssa Pearl Fusek)

Sawara (佐原)

Koedo town: The house of famed cartographer Tadataka Inou in Sawara.
The house of famed cartographer Tadataka Inou in Sawara. (Source: Wikipedia)

Sawara, now part of Katori, thrived as a Little Edo because of its location by the Tonegawa River. Its prosperity even earned it the epithet “superior to Edo” (江戸優り; Edo masari) [2].

This town in Chiba Prefecture is also the home of Tadataka Inou (伊能忠敬), the first cartographer to complete a map of Japan using Western surveying techniques. He spent most of his life running his adopted family’s businesses before moving to Edo at the age of 50 to study with master astronomer Takahashi Yoshitoki [3]. Today his house is a designated historical landmark, with a museum of his life and works across the river.

In front of Tadataka’s house is the famed Toyohashi Bridge. This bridge served as a flume conducting water from the river to rice paddies on the opposite shore. The jaa-jaa sound of water gushing through the flume is one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan (日本の音風景100選), a government initiative combating noise pollution by preserving natural and historical soundscapes [4].

ジャアジャア橋.

千葉県佐原市にあるジャアジャア橋です。ようするに水道橋ですね。

The flume on the Toyohashi Bridge opens every 30 minutes.

Tochigi (栃木)

Tochigi's famous traditional-style warehouses, or kura, escaped WWII carpet bombing and now host a variety of shops and museums.
Tochigi’s famous traditional-style warehouses, or kura, escaped WWII carpet bombing and now host a variety of shops and museums. (Source: Wikipedia)

Located by the Uzumagawa River, Tochigi prospered as a post town (宿場; shukuba). Imperial envoys, or houheishi (奉幣使) would spend the night in Tochigi on their way to Nikko, the home of the grand Shinto shrine Toshogu [5]. Tochigi also transported freight and goods from Nikko to Edo.

Many Tochigi restaurants specialize in Edo-style cuisine, using ingredients like irizake (煎り酒), a seasoning made by boiling sake with bonito and umeboshi [6]. Tochigi takes part in the Little Edo Summit along with Sawara and Kawagoe to promote Edo culture and history.

Fushimi (伏見)

Teradaya, where unknown assailants attacked Sakamoto Ryoma, remains a historical landmark. (Picture: adigosts / PIXTA(ピクスタ))

Fushimi in Kyoto may not be considered a Little Edo. However, the town is a living monument to one of Japan’s most famous Edo historical figures, Sakamoto Ryoma.

The witty, low-ranking samurai who helped overthrow the shogunate often frequented Terada House where he met the love of his life, Narasaki Ryo. It’s also where he almost lost his life when pro-shogunate men from the nearby magistrate’s office stormed the inn and attempted to kill him.

The “Ryoma Way”, a tour of all the locations Sakamoto Ryoma frequented. (Picture: Jay Andrew Allen)

Fortunately, Sakamoto escaped with the help of his wife and bodyguard, Miyoshi Shinzo. The famed assassination attempt left bullet holes and sword scarring in the inn’s walls, which tourists can still see today. The Ryoma Way (竜馬通り; ryoma dori) is a great walking tour of other historical landmarks related to Sakamoto [7].

Narai-juku (奈良井宿)

Many castle towns flourished due to the Gokaido (五街), the five major highways connecting Edo to other cities in far-flung provinces. Along the former Nakasendo (中山道) stands Narai in Nagano Prefecture. Unlike the popular Tokaido (東海道), the mountainous Nakasendo wasn’t prone to flooding from heavy rains, making it a relatively safe travel route [8]. At 1 kil

ometer long, Narai was the Nakasendo’s longest post town, and one of the most prosperous. Most of the buildings meticulously preserved were once wholesaler shops and Edo inns called hatago (旅籠).

Every year the town hosts the Narai-juku Festival and perform the “Ocha-tsubo dochu” (お壷道中), a recreation of an Edo-era ceremony where people carried pots of fragrant green tea uji-cha from Kyoto to the Tokugawa family in Edo [9].

Narai-juku was home to numerous wholesale shops specializing in lacquerware. (Source: Wikipedia)

Mamedamachi (豆田町)

Mamedamachi, Hita, Oita Prefecture
Picture: KAZE / PIXTA(ピクスタ)

Way down in Hita, Oita Prefecture is Mamedamachi. This quaint shopping district is home to a variety of artisan shops and museums, including one with over 3,000 hina dolls tucked away in a soy sauce shop [10].

One of the oldest businesses in Mamedamachi is the Kuncho Sake Brewery, built in 1702 and still operating today, with a museum showcasing the traditional methods of brewing sake [11]. There’s also the Nihon Maru, a pharmacy in business since 1855 that once specialized in traditional medicines [12]. Ashidaya has been crafting geta sandals for generations, and is home to geta from all over Japan [13].

While surrounded by modern architecture and technologies, these little pockets of living Edo history are worth exploring for anyone looking for a respite from today’s world.

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Sources

[1] 「小江戸」「江戸の台所」と呼ばれるのはなぜ? 川越城(1). Asahi Shinbun.

[2] 北総の小江戸・佐原 舟めぐりからおススメグルメまでご紹介します!. Club Gets.

[3] 伊能忠敬とは. Katori City Website.

[4] 樋橋(じゃあじゃあ橋). Katori City Website.

[5] 小江戸・栃木「蔵の街」で、遊び心あふれる粋な大人たちに出会う. Gurunabi.

[6] 小江戸とちぎで和食の原点・江戸料理を味わう. Tobu Railway Co.

[7] 龍馬と幕末の史跡めぐり. ryomadori.

[8] 江戸時代の町並みが残る奈良井宿. Touken World.

[9] 見所と建築様式 – 奈良井宿観光協会. Narai-juku Tourist Association.

[10] 店舗情報「日田醤油」天皇献上の栄誉を賜った高級味噌醤油醸造元. Hita Shoyu.

[11] 【大分へ行こう!】大分の小京都“日田・豆田町”をレトロ散歩!. Walker Plus.

[12] レトロ可愛い町並み「天領日田」豆田町で、グルメ&ショップ巡り!. Gurutabi.

[13] 江戸時代の町並みが残る「大分県日田市」の豆田町. Arukikata.

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