2016.08.30
In 1603, the year the Tokugawa Shogunate began, Tokugawa Ieyasu undertook large-scale development of Edo town, including demolishing Kanda Hill and using the earth to fill in the Hibiya Inlet to create land and building water supply systems and arterial roads. The Nihonbashi Bridge was also built over the Nihonbashi River at this time. The following year a milestone was erected at the bridge, which became the starting point for the five main highways leading to and from Edo. As the departure point for the Tokaido Highway leading to Kyoto and also the gateway to Edo, the road connecting Nihonbashi Bridge and Kyobashi Bridge (which was completed at almost the same time as Nihonbashi Bridge) (present-day Chuo-dori Street) was very busy and bustling with people.
The construction and repair of these two bridges was funded by the shogunate, and all of the few government-built bridges (only three (Nihonbashi, Kyobashi, and Shimbashi) apart from Edo Castle’s Mitsukebashi) had giboshi (ornamental finials in the shape of sacred gems) incorporated into their railings. The onion-like shape of the giboshi originates from Buddhism, and they served the purpose of covering the tops of the pillars, preventing the wooden bridges from rotting due to rain. Of the four bridges, the giboshi on Nihonbashi Bridge were so influential that when artists drew pictures of giboshi, everyone envisioned Nihonbashi Bridge. A rakugo comic storyteller even wrote in his memoir: “You are not a full-fledged performer until you have performed between the giboshi (between Nihonbashi and Kyobashi bridges).” For major stores, too, it was prestigious to have a branch shop located between Nihonbashi and Kyobashi bridges (so much so that this was colloquially referred to as “Between the giboshi”).
The district’s infrastructure was completed around 1635. A fish market opened in Nihonbashi, and a vegetable market opened in Kyobashi, and the shopping area spread from Hon-cho, Odenma-cho, Yokoyama-cho, and Bakuro-cho to Nihonbashi, Kyobashi, Ginza, and Shimbashi to the south. Behind this expansion was the large number of samurai (feudal retainers) coming to live at their master’s main Edo residence under the alternate attendance system. Merchants and craftsmen gathered in this area to supply the items necessary for the samurai’s daily lives. Nishikawa, a merchant selling mosquito nets and other products that was founded in Omi, opened a branch shop in Nihonbashi-dori 1-chome in 1615. Kyoto lumber dealer Shirokiya opened a store in Nihonbashi-dori 2-chome in 1662 (subsequently relocated to Nihonbashi-dori 1-chome). Shirokiya later switched business, becoming a hugely successful kimono merchant (Coredo Nihonbashi now stands on Shirokiya’s former site.) Lacquerware store Kuroeya relocated to Nihonbashi from Wakayama in 1689, and Kokubu’s soy sauce store was established by a brewer from Ise in 1712. These and other merchants with Kansai roots established large store in the Nihonbashi area, and stores founded in Edo also set up shops here one after the other, and a lively downtown district developed.
Edo’s population is sad to have reached one million during the Kyoho Era (1716–1736). In order to be able to use sea and river transportation to transport the goods needed by this enormous number of people, many rivers and canals—including the Nihonbashi, Kyobashi, Sanjikkenhori, and Hatchobori rivers—were built, and riverbanks were developed along these rivers as landing places for unloading goods. In this way, a unique streetscape was created during the latter part of the Edo period with the riverbanks lined with warehouses and wholesalers handling goods, such as rice and other grains, salted/dried goods, firewood and charcoal, and bamboo logs.
Women Overnight Guests (Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro) During the Edo Period, present-day Nihonbashi- Nishikawa (bedding store) used to sell yellow-green mosquito nets that were immensely popular among Edoites. This woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro even depicts women sleeping under mosquito nets, and these long-selling products are still sold today. (Reprinted from Nishikawa 400: History)
Entering the Meiji period (1868–1912), new industries driving Japan’s modernization—banking, financial, insurance, and transportation—arose and made their way into the area along the Nihonbashi River. The buildings along the riverbanks changed from earthen-walled storage buildings to brick structures; Mitsubishi’s seven warehouses were built on the Yokkaichi riverbank approaching Edobashi Bridge, and construction of the former headquarters of Teikoku Sen-I on the approach to Nihonbashi Bridge was completed in 1912. Almost all of the Nihonbashi district and 90% of the Kyobashi district burnt to the ground following the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. Under the Imperial Capital Reconstruction Project that was launched the following year, the area underwent major rezoning and street replanning as well as road development. Showa-dori Street was also constructed at this time. In addition, the fish market was relocated to Tsukiji, and the role of the riverbanks declined.
Wartime came to Japan not long afterwards, and the Nihonbashi and Kyobashi districts sustained catastrophic damage in the Great Tokyo Air Raid that was carried out from midnight on March 9, 1945, until early the next morning. However, recovery was swift. In 1947 Tokyo was divided into 22 wards (later increased to 23 wards) with Nihonbashi Ward and Kyobashi Ward merging to give birth to Chuo Ward. Beginning in the mid-1950s, building construction as well as the filling in of rivers and building of highways and subway systems ahead of the Tokyo Olympic Games in 1964 progressed at a frantic pace. From the Edo period through to the present day, Chuo Ward (City) has been the center of Japan’s economy, culture, and information dissemination, and has always been a district at the cutting edge of the times.
One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: No. 44 View of Nihonbashi-dori 1-chome (Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige)
The Shirokiya kimono shop can be seen on the right. The print shows onnadayu carrying shamisen lutes and other street performers walking along the street and conveys the street’s vibrant atmosphere.
Text: Sumi Asahara
Reprinted from Tokyo-jin July 2016 extra edition