Why Not Visit One Hundred Scenes of Shinagawa?
– Kita-Shinagawa Area - Part 9 -

Take a walk along a street that teemed with travelers long ago.
In this issue we will describe the Shinagawashuku quarter, which retains an atmoshpere of ancient times. However, since this area has a lot of different places of interest, we will focus on just one section in this issue.


The Bustling Old Tokaido Road

Taking a break at a local candy store at the “Shinshuku Oyasumidokoro.”

If you get off at Kita-Shinagawa Station on the Keikyu Line and head toward the coast, there is a shopping district. This area is the location of the first post station along the Tokaido Road, one of the main roads linking Nihombashi (Chuo-ku) – the heart of Edo – to regional areas during the Edo Period.
Post stations were not only places where travelers lodged and rested, but also centers of exchange for material goods and information. There were 53 lodging areas along the Tokaido. It is said that Shinagawashuku was a bustling post station with about 1,600 inns and a population of 7,000 people in the latter part of the Edo Period.
Right near the station is the Kita-Shinagawa Hondori shopping district. Although the streets are narrow, this is the Tokaido that was crowded with travelers long ago. Since there are traces of old Edo in various places in this area, why not take a leisurely stroll and try to spot a few?


Festival Days of Koku-zoson (Yogan-ji Temple, 2-3-12 Kita-Shinagawa)

Yogan-ji Temple located in a side street

Let’s head down a side street. There are places in this area where we can escape from the hustle and bustle of the city and take a breather. One of them is Koku-zo Yokocho Alley.
If you peek into Koku-zo Yokocho Alley from the Old Tokaido Road, you will see a grove of trees belonging to Yogan-ji Temple right at the end.
At Yogan-ji Temple is the Koku-zo Bodhisattva, known familiarly as “Koku-zo-sama of Shinagawa.” On temple festivals in April and November every year, vending stalls are set up and the area is crowded with families.


Seiseki Park (Honjin Remnant, 2-7 Kita-Shinagawa)

Seiseki Park of Shinagawashuku Honjin remnant

If you proceed along the old Tokaido Road and turn left, you will find Seiseki Park. Although, today, it is just a park surrounded by trees, this used to be a lodging area where feudal lords and special envoys stayed or rested. This type of lodging area for officials is called “honjin.”
The area was named Seiseki (Holy or Imperial Remnant) Park to commemorate the fact that it was a temporary home of the Meiji Emperor when he traveled to the area in 1868.
With a sign in the park indicating the remains of the “honjin” official lodging area and a monument explaining how Seiseki Park got its name, the park serves as an oasis for city residents.

Shinagawa Shukuba Festival Shinagawa Shukuba Festival is held every year in late September. This festival has an Edo Era procession and has many Edo Period elements. Rows of vendors line the street along the Old Tokaido Road from Yatsuyamabashi to Aomonoyokocho, and various events are held in the street. With rickshaws and palanquins, you can travel back in time to the Edo Period.