| |
Japan
»
japan travel
»
tokyo travel
»
list of tokyo neighborhoods
»
yotsuya: ghosts and salary men in tokyo
Yotsuya: Ghosts and Salary Men in Tokyo
posted by John Spacey, Japan Talk, June 19, 2012
Yotsuya was one of the earliest Tokyo neighborhoods to grow a large population thanks to its location at one of the western gates of Edo Castle.
Today it's an upscale residential and business district known for its ghosts, graves and salary men.
Ghost Story of Yotsuya (Yotsuya Kaidan, 四谷怪談)Yotsuya is the location of a Japanese ghost story: Yotsuya Kaidan. It's perhaps the most famous Japanese ghost story. Yotsuya Kaidan began as a Kabuki play but has been adapted to countless artworks, books, anime, manga, short stories, TV shows and movies.
The story is long and elaborate and has countless variations. It's about a woman Oiwa whose husband Lemon marries another woman (from a high family) to get ahead in life. Oiwa dies in an accident shortly after learning she had been deceived. The story is centered around Oiwa's ghostly revenge on her husband.
As with many Kabuki plays, the Ghost Story of Yotsuya is loosely based on historical events. Myogyoji Temple in Sugamo (near Yotsuya) is supposedly home to Oiwa's grave. There have been countless productions of the Kabuki play over the years. It's a tradition for the actors and crew to visit the grave to ask permission for the performance before opening day. It's said that terrible things beset any production of Yotsuya Kaidan that doesn't pay proper respects to Oiwa.
Ninja GraveHattori Hanzo (1542 ~1596) a monk, ninja and samurai is buried in Sainen-ji temple cemetery in Yotsuya. The temple also has a 14 foot spear that belonged to him.
Hattori Hanzo played an important role in helping Tokugawa Ieyasu (a Shogun) unify Japan. He makes frequent appearances in modern pop culture.
Salary Man PlaygroundYotsuya is a business district that's filled with izakaya and odd bits of nightlife. It's a salary man playground.
Residential AreaYotsuya is considered an excellent residential district. Land in the area is expensive. The Imperial Palace is just next door (the Imperial Palace is considered the center of Tokyo).
Yotsuya has plenty of green space.
It's a good spot for spring hanami. Sakura are found along the moat of the Imperial Palace in Yotsuya.
Sophia University (上智大学 Jōchi Daigaku)Yotsuya is home to Sophia University — well known for it's international atmosphere and excellent liberal arts programs.
It's a medium sized private university that's amongst the most difficult in Japan to get into.
LocationYotsuya is sandwiched between Shinjuku (Tokyo's biggest neighborhood) and the Imperial Palace.
Yotsuya is ranked #2 of 19 best Tokyo neighborhoods for kids
Yotsuya is ranked #7 of 8 best Salary Man neighborhoods in Tokyo
Please take the time to follow us on google+, twitter or our facebook page. We update all three daily.
Believe it or not, Tokyo is a great place for kids. It's filled with urban landscapes, attractions, parks, temples, shrines and shopping that are fascinating for children.
|
|
Trending Member Profiles Japan Talk is a community of people who are interested in Japan, Japanese culture, Japanese language and Japan related hobbies. Check it out.  | Harrison
Hi,I am looking for a language partner.I can speak little Japanese but is limited.I am also looking for a person to chat to about Japanese life.Thank youSayonara
|
 | Zaneta
Hi, Im Zaneta from Poland. I love Japan and I want to make friendship with japanese people. Im interested in music (jrock, rock, pop), movies (horror, comedy, asian movies and other..), Japan (culture, language, everything...), languages (english, japanese, spanish) and I love pets (specially rats, cats).
|
 | Thelma
Hello my name is Thelma and I live in Florida Im 15 yrs old and I want to make many friends (15-18yrs.old)so e-mail me.
|
 | ash
hey there!i have many more interests than the ones listed above. i love hanging out with friends, going to the cinema, drinking socialy, social activism, and i loves bunnies! in fact i hope to be getting one at the beginning of this semester. I am a history of art undergrad at university of toronto. I'm hoping to move to japan next year to teach english. I would love to find out about the culture, the people, and the environment of japan. hit me back with a message if you're intersted. peace out!ash
|
 | Stephanie
Hi/Konnichiwa!My name is Stephanie and I'm a 25 year old black/philippino female from Augusta, Georgia in the United States. Basically, I'm looking for a pen pal from Japan basically to conversate with and share ideas and culture with. I just started taking Japanese/Ni-honga so I'm not real proficient yet but I look forward to learning it well through communication and practice. Basically, I'm just like anyone else as far as I just like to have fun and enjoy life to the fullest. I like video games, anime, manga, computers, cars, movies, and music. I'm looking for a pen pal around my age with similar interests who are interested in maybe learning American culture and/or language. I prefer Japanese pen pal but any culture is welcome to email me. If you're interested please feel free to email me at stephwilliams30@hotmail.com. Look forward to hearing from you! Take care.
|
|
How to damage your professional and personal life in Japan with a seemingly innocent habit.
|
|
Twelve ways to live the otaku dream.
|
We are always striving to improve Japan Talk. If you find an error or have a suggestion please let us know.
Permalink:
http://www.japan-talk.com/jt/new/yotsuya-in-tokyo
|
