Exploring Japanese Landmarks in Nishiki-e and Photographs

Shohei-bashi Bridge / Mansei-bashi Bridge

A bridge over the Kanda-gawa River which connected Kanda Awajicho and Sotokanda during the Shoho Era (1644-48). In the past it was known as Atarashi-bashi Bridge, Aioi-bashi Bridge and Imoarai-bashi Bridge. It was renamed Shohei-bashi Bridge in 1691, when the Yushima Seido Shrine and Shoheizaka gakumonjo (an official academy of the Tokugawa shogunate) were constructed on the orders of the 5th Shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. The hill that climbs along the bank of the Kanda-gawa River from Shohei-bashi Bridge is Shohei-zaka Hill, and because the road was in poor condition, such that if one tripped, they would be covered in mud, and because it was a very steep slope, such that if one tripped they would roll downwards like a dango dumpling, it was also called Dango-zaka Hill.

Nishiki-e and Paintings

江戸名勝図会　昌平橋

名所江戸百景　昌平橋聖堂神田川

東京開化三十六景

東京名所三十六戯撰

Photos

東京景色写真版

東京風景

日本写真帖

Yatsukoji

Refers to the interior of Sujichigai-mitsuke. A mitsuke was a castle gate constructed in the outer bailey of Edo Castle which was guarded by a gatekeeper for security. Sujichigai-mitsuke was located in the area of the present day Kanda Sudacho and is also called Kandaguchi. After the great fires of the Meireki Era and Tenna Era, a plaza was established, which also served as a firebreak, and roads led in all directions from here so it was called Yatsukoji. There was a lot of traffic from Uchikanda to Sotokanda and from Sudacho to Shitaya and the gates were opened at all hours of the day. After the procession for the Kanda Festival was viewed by the Shogun within the castle, it passed through the Takebashi-mon Gate and Tokiwabashi-mon Gate and then finally passed through the Sujichigai-mon Gate and returned to the Kanda Myojin Shrine.