Editors' Diary #1: Welcome to the 53rd Station of the Old Tokaido Road - My Neighborhood Shinagawa

As the southern entry point into Tokyo proper, a lot of people pass through Shinagawa Station on their way to work or to visit the sites. Shinagawa Station is not in Shinagawa; it’s in Minato City. Whatever the reason for Shinagawa Station not being called Minato Station or some other name, Shinagawa proper is about a 10-minute walk south of the station. The neighborhoods with Shinagawa in their names are Kita (north) Shinagawa, Higashi (east) Shinagawa, and Minami (south) Shinagawa. All are mainly residential with a healthy splash of small to big business thrown in.

Cutting through Shinagawa is Daiichi Keihin Avenue, the main thoroughway running from Tokyo (Kei) to Yokohama (Hin). What sets Shinagawa apart and makes it special is that it is the terminus of the Kyu Tokaido or Old Tokaido Highway. The Tokaido (Eastern Seaboard Way) was the road that commerce, religious pilgrims, lords and vassals, and everything else took to travel from Kyoto/Osaka through Nagoya to Edo (present-day Tokyo). It goes back hundreds of years but became especially important during the Edo period when it connected the Shogun’s center of power Edo with the ancient capital Kyoto. Although the Tokaido of the Edo period no longer exists as one continuous road, the corridor is still an important route for highways, national roads, and the Shinkansen bullet train.

As the last stop or 53rd station on the Old Tokaido, the Kita Shinagawa neighborhood is where one can still see the remnants of the Old Tokaido. The Tokaido had 53 stations or stops where travelers could have food, lodging, and other needs met. The 53 stations have been famously depicted by ukiyo-e masters Hokusai Katsushika and Hiroshige Utagawa. There is even a local izakaya (Japanese-style pub) restaurant named after the 53 stations.

The neighborhood celebrates its history with frequent matsuri (traditional festivals) and along the shopping street, one can still find shops selling kimono and handmade geta (wooden sandals).