2024.04.26
When you turn off the main street, you can see a narrow alley lined with many restaurants on both sides, such as an izakaya (inexpensive Japanese-style pub) that draws tipplers, a long-established soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant, an eel restaurant that tickles your nostrils, and Kanmi-dokoro (Japanese sweet shop) that satisfies people who love sweets. In addition, there are an authentic Japanese-cuisine restaurant and a chic restaurant serving Western dishes, so it may be good to immerse yourself in one restaurant you select or hop to two or three ones. The alley flooded with restaurants’ lights has attracted and is still attracting foodies.
This alley was located just a little way from Nihonbashi, attracting such foodies.
It is called Kiwaradana. This name is said to have been derived from the fact that Kiwara no Takumi, the head of carpenters who engaged in town zoning after the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo (Tokyo), lived in this area (*). Restaurants that had emerged since the end of the Edo period one by one began to line the alley in around 1897 to 1906 (the 30s of the Meiji period), when it came to be also known as Shokusho Jinmichi. Shokusho means “eating too much,” and Jinmichi, literally a “new road,” originally meant a narrow private road between tradesmen’s houses (machiya).
As people during the period were receiving their baptism of modernization from Edo to Tokyo, where did they gather, and what kinds of dishes did they surround themselves with? While facing the Covid-19 pandemic, when we cannot carelessly drink now, let’s at least turn back the clock and stray into the narrow alley lying at the heart of Tokyo, where people would be extravagant with food, for a moment.
(*) In Bushu Toshimagori Edo no Shozu [Map of Toshima-gun, Musashi Province in the Edo Period] published around 1632, the west side of Tori 3-Chome (presently around Nihonbashi 3-Chome) was indicated with Kihara, so there is a possibility that this might be the true location of his house, not Tori 1-Chome where Kiwaradana was located (presently around Nihonbashi 1-Chome).
According to the block map in the Meiji period, the east side of Tori 1-Chome was T-shaped along the main street and Kiwaradana.
Kiwaradana was an alley of less than 150 meters located between the building where the bedding supplier Nihonbashi Nishikawa was located until recently and Coredo Nihonbashi. In the past, Shirokiya, a traditional department store that had a long history from the time when it was a kimono shop in the Edo period, was running a business at the place of Coredo Nihonbashi. Later, Shirokiya was acquired by Tokyu Department Store to become Tokyu Nihonbashi Department Store, however, it was closed in 1999. On this site Coredo Nihonbashi opened in 2004.
With Nihonbashi in the background, I move a short distance along Chuo-dori Street and turn left before Coredo Nihonbashi. Nihonbashi 1-Chome is currently being redeveloped, and I find that the area, where the Nihonbashi Nishikawa was located, is covered by temporary construction fencing. The alley is smooth and well paved with no remnants of the past when any and all tipplers and foodies came here. However, there are just two stone monuments put up to the side of Coredo Nihonbashi, showing the history; one is the stone monument to The Setting of the Natsume Soseki’s Masterpieces, and the other is the stone monument to Shirokiya’s Famous Water-Well. I will explain the latter later, so let me talk about The Setting of Natsume Soseki’s Masterpieces first.
The alley where Kiwaradana was located, viewed from Chuo-dori Street. The left side is Nihonbashi Nishikawa under construction, and the right side is Coredo Nihonbashi (Photo taken in December 2020).
The stone monument to The Setting of Natsume Soseki’s Masterpieces (right) and that to Shirokiya’s Famous Water-Well (left)), moved to the side of Coredo Nihonbashi
This stone monument was put up because Kiwaradana was featured in Sanshiro and Kokoro, Natsume Soseki’s outstanding novels. In Sanshiro, the central character who just moved up to Tokyo, was earnestly asked by his fellow at university to visit Yose (a vaudeville theater) named Kiwaratei on Kiwaradana. In Kokoro, on the other hand, the teacher in his young days went to Nihonbashi to buy a roll of cloth for kimono with his wife and daughter and then visited Kiwaradana to have dinner.
〈His wife said that she would treat me to something in return and pulled me into a narrow alley called Kiwaradana where there was Yose [a vaudeville theater]. The house that offered dinner was as narrow as the alley. As I was not familiar with the geography of this area, I was very surprised at her knowledge about it.〉
Soseki’s serialized novels Sanshiro and Kokoro started in the newspaper the Asahi Shimbun in 1908 and 1914, respectively. When I examined the newspapers issued during the same period, Shokusho Jinmichi was covered in the series of introducing new famous spots in Tokyo.
〈Shokusho Jinmichi refers to an alley called Kiwaradana in Nihonbashi, which is lined with various eating facilities, such as chicken dish restaurants, beef dish restaurants, tempura restaurants, sushi restaurants, and shiruko (sweet red-bean soup with pieces of rice cake) shops, including a kimpura restaurant called Chukatei and an izakaya pub called Akaando. This name is derived from the impression that any big eater could eat too much just here. However, if you go through the alley without stopping anywhere, you will not have to worry about eating too much.〉Tokyo Asahi Shimbun, as of December 4, 1908
The last sentence saying, “If you go through the alley without stopping anywhere, you will not have to worry about eating too much,” seems to be somewhat unnecessary, but we can find from the article that this narrow alley was flooded with a wide variety of restaurants. The reason why Soseki knew this popular spot earlier was maybe that there was Yose (a vaudeville theater) named Kiwaratei, which appears in those both novels.
Kiwaratei is known as a vaudeville theater where Sanyutei Encho (1839–1900), who is said to be the pioneer of modern Rakugo (comic storytelling), went on stage for the last time. According to Edo Sanpo [Strolls in Edo] written by a comic storyteller Sanyutei Ensho (1900-1979), “This Kiwaratei has been famous as a first-class theater since the period when Edo transitioned to Tokyo”, and it is said that it was very thriving during the era when Encho was active.
It is famous that Soseki liked Rakugo, and he particularly liked Yanagiya Kosan the 3rd (1857-1930). In Sanshiro mentioned above, the main character and his fellow at university saw the stage of Rakugo by Kiwaratei Kosan and his fellow said, “Kosan is a genius.” Did Soseki also satisfy his hunger by visiting a restaurant somewhere in Kiwaradana on the way home from Yose? In fact, Soseki is said to have gotten drunk easily and had a sweet tooth, so he might have enjoyed Shiruko at Kanmi-dokoro. Anyway, the name of Kiwaradana became widely known as an alley with many foods and entertainments in the late Meiji period.
Tsukiji Hacchobori Nihonbashi Minami Ezu [Illustrated Map of Tsukiji, Hacchobori and Nihonbashi Minami ](partial) of Edo Kiriezu [Detailed Illustrated Map of Edo] published in 1849 (edited by Kageyama Muneyasu, et al., the Owariya Seishichi version). Kiwaradana is indicated on the area circled in red on the alley located east of Tori 1-Chome. (Source: National Diet Library Digital Collection)
So, why was an alley where people would be extravagant in food formed here? Let’s trace back through history to explore the reason.
On the old map titled Tsukiji Hacchobori Nihonbashi Minami Ezu published in 1849, you can see that the kanji characters representing Kiwaradana was already indicated. One of materials that show the townscape at that time is a print depicting the summer scenery in Edo titled Nihonbashi Tori 1-Chome Ryakuzu [View of Nihonbashi 1-Chome Street] in the series of prints depicting the famous spots of Edo titled Meisho Edo Hyakkei [One Hundred Famous Views of Edo], created by Utagawa Hiroshige.
Tori in the title is a town name, and Tori 1-Chome to Tori 4-Chome were situated on each side of the Tokaido road (presently the Chuo-dori Street) stretching south from Nihonbashi. And 1-Chome is the area up to the current Nihonbashi intersection. As people in Edo could easily understand the location only through the name Tori, you would be able to recognize how special this main street, lined with major stores and restaurants, was for the people.
No. 44 Nihonbashi Tori 1-Chome Ryakuzu [View of Nihonbashi 1-Chome Street] with a permission-to-publish seal in August 1858 from Meisho Edo Hyakkei [One Hundred Famous Views of Edo] created by Utagawa Hiroshige. The design of the vertical line of stores located along the street contrasted with the circles of parasols and sedge hats is sophisticated. (Source: National Diet Library Digital Collection)
Shirokiya, a kimono shop at that time, can be seen on the right of the print, so you can find that it depicts the east side of the street toward Nihonbashi. The last store on the street has a logo using a hiragana character “や(ya),” so it seems that Nishikawa Jingoro Shoten known by the trade name Yamagataya (later Nihonbashi Nishikawa) was depicted. On the east side of Tori 1-Chome, there were many wholesale merchants from the Omi Province (called Omi Shonin) dealing in mosquito nets and tatami rushes, including Shirokiya and Nishikawa Jingoro Shoten. An exception is a soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant next to Shirokiya. The kanji characters “東橋庵 (Tokyoan)” are indicated on the noren (short split curtain) and “東喬庵 (Tokyoan)” on the signboard, but the formal trade name seems to have been the former one according to other materials. You can see two men come out from across the soba restaurant onto the alley, which is Kiwaradana.
All the people passing by on the street hold an umbrella or put on a sedge hat in order to avoid a strong sunshine. In the center of the print, there are five dancers under an exceptionally large umbrella used for Sumiyoshi Odori (a rice planting dance passed down at the Sumiyoshi Jinja Shrine in Osaka, which blossomed out as a street performance in the Edo Period), followed by a female street performer (Onna-dayu) with a shamisen (a three-stringed Japanese guitar). You can also see a man who eats oriental melon bought from a peddler (Furi-uri) in order to quench his thirst and a delivery man from a soba restaurant on the side of the alley. It appears to be so hot outside because the delivery man with tiered food boxes borne on his shoulder is walking with his upper garment loosely open. Though various people are passing by, nobody’s face is seen. It seems to symbolize a sophisticated urban city.
Through this print, it is clear that Kiwaradana was located in the extremely busy central area. An area that attracts many people has a commercial advantage regardless of the times. In addition, to the east across the Nihonbashi Bridge was a fish market called the kitchen of Edo. While no refrigerator was available at that time, raw foods could not keep longer and long distance transportation was difficult. So, whether fresh ingredients would be available or not was of crucial importance for restaurants. Kiwaradana was really in a perfect location for developing a restaurant area due to the high customer traffic and easiness in the procurement of ingredients.
In addition to the said advantageous conditions, I think there might be another key point that contributed to the success of Kiwaradana as a restaurant area. If just high customer traffic and the vicinity of a fish market had been conditions for the success, any other alley should have developed as a restaurant area. Then, what comes into my mind is the stone monument to Shirokiya’s Famous Water-Well mentioned before.
The full view of Shirokiya kimono shop, from Nihon no Meisho San-pan [Places of Scenic Beauty in Japan, 3rd Edition] published by Shiden Hensanjo in 1901. A horse tramway runs on the street.
Shirokiya, from Tokyo-shi Shiseki Meisho Tennen-kinenbutsu Shashincho Dai isshu [Photo Album of Historical Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty and Natural Treasures in Tokyo City, Vol. 1] published in 1922. (Both sourced from: National Diet Library Digital Collection)
About the well in Shirokiya, whose water was touted as an excellent one, there is a legend as follows. The water in this area, which was wetland facing Edo-minato Port, was originally salty and so not fit for drinking. So, Omura Hikotaro Yasuyoshi, the second head of Shirokiya, began the work of digging a well within the premises in 1711. However, no matter how deeply they dug, no good water came up. He almost gave it up just when a Kannon statue was dug out. The Omura family enshrined this statue carefully and prayed to it every morning and evening. Soon good water began to gush from under the ground. It is said that the water in the well became so famous in Edo that the inner palace of Edo Castle (O-oku) sent a person to collect water from the well.
The remains of the well were kept for a long time on the first floor of Shirokiya’s building, which was converted from a kimono shop to a department store, and the Kannon statue that was said to have been dug out of the well was enshrined in a small hall on the roof. Later, it was enshrined in the Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo, and a stone monument was put up at the corner of Nihonbashi Intersection. This stone monument was relocated, and is now placed side by side with that to Soseki on the alley where Kiwaradana was located.
One theory has it that the soba restaurant Tokyoan next to Shirokiya also used this excellent water to prepare and cook meals. Nowadays when clean water is always available only if we open a tap, it may be difficult to imagine how hard it was to secure good water. At that time, however, restaurants were considered more credible just because they used good water. So, I think it might be reasonable that the number of restaurants automatically increased around the well.
High customer traffic, a fish market and good water were connected via the alley and restaurants were attracted around it, which would develop into one of the largest restaurant areas in Tokyo through the transformation in the Meiji Period. In Part 2, let’s set foot into extremely prosperous Kiwaradana in around 1897 to 1906 (the 30s of the Meiji period). (To be continued in Part 2)
References:
History of Nihonbashi Ward, Vol.1 (1916), Nihonbashi Ward of Tokyo City, edited by Nihonbashi-ku of Tokyo-shi
Reprinted edition, Encyclopedia of Newly Selected Famous Places in Tokyo, Vol. 28 (1973) Kokushokankokai, (The first edition was published by Toyodo in 1901)
Strolls in Edo <Part 1> (1986) Sanyutei Ensho, Asahi Bunko (The first edition was published by Shueisha in 1978)
Guide to Commerce in the Meiji Period (2003) Sadanosuke Nakada, Chikuma Gakugei Bunko (The first edition was published by Seia Sensho in 1969)
Guide to Commerce in the Meiji Period <Continued> (2004) Sadanosuke Nakada, Chikuma Gakugei Bunko (The first edition was published by Seia Sensho in 1974)
Editor and writer mainly on food and crafts. Author of The Secret of Rice Omelets and the Mystery of Melon Bread – The Story of the Birth of Popular Menu Items (Shincho Bunko). Editor and compiler of Hand-crafting Your Life – The Earthenware and Life in Iwai Kiln in Tottori by Noriyuki Yamamoto (Stand! Books), Nichiniimashi – Ryukyuan Cuisine and Okinawan Words that Will Create a Better Tomorrow by Ayaka Yamamoto (Bungeishunju) and more.
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