Urashima Taro, Hokusai’s high waves, Christian missionaries in a Buddhist temple: 神奈川宿(Kanagawa inn town)

Moving on to Kanagawa inn town, located north of modern-day Yokohama station. 

The access to this inn town is great: Keikyu Kanagawa-Shinmachi, Nakakido, Kanagawa and Yokohama stations, as well as JR Higashi-Kanagawa, Kanagawa and Yokohama stations all are within short walk from parts of Kanagawa inn town. 

https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kanagawa/shokai/rekishi/syuku.files/0026_20190327.pdf (神奈川県横浜市神奈川区「神奈川宿歴史の道」 accessed in 2/3/2025)

This map and Google map show that a good part of Kanagawa inn town has been butchered by the National route 15. And there are signs that show where the inn town used to be. When you look at the map, there are still shrines and temples along the Tokaido Highway. 

Btw I don’t think this is a typical tourist site in Yokohama…

Going on the street view. 

First of all, this is what I found. 

Urashima Taro is a famous story that every Japanese kid learns, and is often used as an idiomatic expression that a person who returned to his/her hometown so many years after living in somewhere that he/she is shocked by the change. 

Public Relations Office of Japanese government has more detailed story. 

https://www.gov-online.go.jp/eng/publicity/book/hlj/html/201407/201407_09_en.html

Apparently Urashima Taro washed his feet when he returned from Ryugu, a town at the bottom of the sea. And this area is called Urashima town.

Alright, we’re sidetracked. 

I found “information board” aka Kosatsuba(高札場) which was recreated. This English translation on Google map/street view doesn’t make sense because it says “Kanagawa-Juku High School Ruins”. Of course, it’s not! I think AI needs to learn Japanese more😆 

According to the guide map issued by Kanagawa ward of Yokohama city, the original information board was standing on the west side of Kanagawa ward police department office, only a couple of blocks from this restored one. 

This guide map shows that there are a lot of things to see. I am covering some highlights. 

First, from northeast side of Tokaido, Ryosenji temple(established in 1648) has an interesting story. (Goggle street view below)

When Tokugawa shogunate decided to open up Japan to other countries in 1853, and the port of Kanagawa was open in 1858, Tokugawa approached to several temples to loan their temples to foreign countries as their consulates. Buddhist monks in Ryosenji ripped off roof tiles of  the main temple building and told that the temple is under repair and cannot be loaned. So Ryosenji got waver from Tokugawa shogunate. 

Of all shrines and temples along Kanagawa inn town, probably the most notable one is Hongakuji temple, which was built in 1226: another ancient one! On contrary to Ryosenji, Hongakuji monks had to leave, and the building was used as US consulate for about 3 years. In meantime, apparently American workers at the consulate painted the temple building and properties with the paints they brought from the US. 

In the same way, Keiunji temple became French consulate, Joryuji temple became British consulate, and Jobutsuji temple became Christian missionaries’ residence. 

I wonder how Christian missionaries felt when they found out that their residence was a Buddhist temple. (See the Google street view below) And soon I ended up finding out who these missionaries were. 

I found out that Dr.James Curtis Hepburn(1815-1911) and his wife stayed in this temple for a while. He was in China and Japan as a Christian missionary, and on medical mission as a physician. He also established Hepburn romanization system of transliteration of the Japanese language.(Quoted from Wikipedia)

Toward Kyoto side of the road, there was a checkpoint. In late 1850s to early 1860s, foreigners were attacked and often killed by the nationalists. Tokugawa shogunate set up more checkpoints to prevent the incidents and events. In 1862, in Namamugi village, northeast of just outside Kanagawa inn town, 4 British people riding on horses cut the marching line of Shimazu clan of Satsuma domain. Satsuma clan’s guards attached them, which eventually triggered Anglo-Satsuma war(1863). 

Kanagawa inn town and its neighborhood were drawn by famous artists like Hiroshige and Hokusai, so were other inn towns and Tokyo. In my mind, one of wonders is about Hokusai’s famous art, the Great Wave off Kanagawa”. Most of the time, Tokyo bay is quiet, unless there is a big story or right after the storm came. Did Hokusai draw this pain when visited Kanagawa right after a big storm? (The image on Wikipedia.com, originally from Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City. Accessed in 2/6/2025)

There are other temples, shrines and remains that I cannot cover here. I highly recommend to visit at least a few of them when you visit Yokohama. 

References;

James Curtis Hepburn. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Curtis_Hepburn (Accessed in 2/6/2025) 

Historical Road of  Kanagawa Inn Town(神奈川宿　歴史の道). Yokohama City Kanagawa Ward Office. https://www.city.yokohama.lg.jp/kanagawa/shokai/rekishi/syuku.files/0026_20190327.pdf (Accessed in 2/6/2025)

  

Hongakuji History. Soto Zen Hongakuji. http://www.hongakuzenji.jp/history01.html  (Accessed in 2/6/2025)

Namamugi Incident. Wikipedia.com. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Namamugi_Incident (Accessed in 2/6/2025)

#2 Travelling UKIYO-E Road “53 Stations of Tokaido” Tokyo-Kyoto. Suit Travel. https://youtu.be/eI0ho6ieuwg?si=HdwmulCoR8wjTkLm (Accessed in 2/4/2025)