From the Graves of the Ako Gishi at Sengaku-ji Temple to the Old Tokaido's Shinagawa-shuku and Tennozu Isle

History and Local Charm

Sengaku-ji Temple in Takanawa is a Soto Zen temple known for holding the graves of the Ako Gishi. In Genroku 14 (1701), following a slashing incident in Edo Castle, Asano Takumi-no-kami committed seppuku, and his grave was built at Sengaku-ji Temple. On December 14 of the following year, his former retainers slew Kira Kozukenosuke. The loyal retainers who committed seppuku in Genroku 16 (1703) were laid to rest beside their master's grave.

Proceeding south from Sengaku-ji Temple brings you to Shinagawa-shuku, the first post station of the Tokaido. When Tokugawa Ieyasu began developing the Tokaido in 1601, it was established as the first station. It was located about 2 ri from Nihonbashi in Edo. As the gateway to Edo, it drew people, goods, and culture. The post town was divided by the Meguro River into Kita-Shinagawa-shuku and Minami-Shinagawa-shuku; the guardian deity of Kita-Shinagawa was enshrined at Shinagawa-jinja Shrine, and that of Minami-Shinagawa-shuku at Ebara-jinja Shrine.

In the sea to the east of the post town, construction of the Fourth Daiba (coastal artillery battery) began at the end of the Edo period but was abandoned partway through. Its site is now part of Tennozu Isle. The name "Tennozu" is said to have originated when a mask of Gozu Tenno drifted into a fisherman's net. The mask of Gozu Tenno found in the waters off Shinagawa—present-day Tennozu—in 1751 is enshrined at Ebara-jinja Shrine.

From the setting of the Chushingura to a post town that welcomed travelers to Edo, and on to an island transformed from warehouses into a town of art, this course traces the seaside transitions of Shinagawa from Edo to the present day.

Key Highlights

• ​Sengaku-ji Temple​​: Founded in Soto-Sakurada by Tokugawa Ieyasu in Keicho 17 (1612), it was relocated to Takanawa following a major fire in Kan'ei 18 (1641). The Ako Gishi graveyard contains 48 gravestones, comprising the forty-seven ronin plus a memorial grave for Kayano Sampei. There is also the "Kubi-arai Well" (well for washing the head), where the retainers washed the severed head of Kira Kozukenosuke before presenting it at their lord's grave to report their accomplishment. Fitted into the ceiling of the first floor of the Sanmon gate, which survived the fires of war, is a copper-carved Daibanryu (coiled dragon), counted among the "Three Great Dragons of Edo."
• ​Shinagawa-shuku​​: The area of the post town extends along the Old Tokaido from around Keikyu's Kita-Shinagawa Station to near Aomono-yokocho Station today. The narrow street running north to south between the Keihin Kyuko Line and Yatsuyama-dori Avenue was the former Tokaido, which is now a shopping street lined with long-established shops. The site of the honjin (main inn) that once stood in Kita-Shinagawa-shuku is now Seiseki Park in Kita-Shinagawa 2-chome.
• ​Shinagawa-jinja Shrine​​: The guardian shrine of Kita-Shinagawa, said to have originated in Bunji 3 (1187) when Minamoto no Yoritomo prayed here for maritime safety and the fulfillment of his wishes. Tokugawa Ieyasu also prayed for victory here before departing for the Battle of Sekigahara. The hill visible to the left of the torii gate is "Shinagawa Fuji," a 15-meter-high Fujizuka (miniature Mount Fuji replica) built in the Meiji period. Rising and descending dragons are carved into the stone torii gate at the entrance.
• ​Tennozu Isle​​: An island of about 200,000 square meters surrounded by canals. Part of the island is the site of the unfinished Fourth Daiba, and in recent times it was a district dense with distribution warehouses. Redevelopment began in 1985. Today, it is known as an art district dotted with renovated warehouse galleries and cafes. The wooden boardwalk encircling the island is a signature feature.

Recommended Route and Duration

The estimated time required is about 4 hours. From Exit 2 of Sengaku-ji Station on the Toei Asakusa Line and Keihin Kyuko Line, it is a 3-minute walk to Sengaku-ji Temple. Entering the Chumon gate, you will see a bronze statue of Oishi Kuranosuke holding a joint pact and gazing toward the eastern sky, followed by the Sanmon gate and the main hall. After paying your respects, proceed to the Ako Gishi graveyard and the Kubi-arai Well.

From Sengaku-ji Temple to Shinagawa-shuku is about 2 kilometers in a straight line. Return to Sengaku-ji Station and take the Keikyu train to Aomono-yokocho Station, which marks the southern edge of the post town. A 5-minute walk from the station brings you to Honsen-ji Temple, where a seated statue of Jizo Bosatsu, considered the first of the Six Edo Jizo, is enshrined. From here, walk north along the Old Tokaido. Crossing the Meguro River brings you into Kita-Shinagawa-shuku.

Enter Shinagawa-jinja Shrine from the entrance facing Daiichi Keihin, near the north exit of Keikyu's Shimbamba Station. After climbing the 53 stone steps to worship, try climbing the Fujizuka as well. From the summit, you can look out over the Keihin Kyuko elevated railway lines and the townscape of the former Shinagawa-shuku. Returning to the Old Tokaido, continue north while visiting Seiseki Park (the former honjin site) and the "Shinagawa-shuku" stone monument in Kita-Shinagawa 1-chome.

Walking about 840 meters east-northeast from the vicinity of the "Shinagawa-shuku" monument will bring you to Tennozu Isle. Admire the canals from the boardwalk, and look for murals on the Sanshin Warehouse as well as art installations across the island. For your return journey, Tennozu Isle Station on the Tokyo Monorail and Rinkai Line is the nearest station.

Summary of the Experience

The cemetery where the loyal retainers rest beside their lord, the post station Jizo that watched over travelers, the shopping streets stretching along the narrow Old Tokaido, the Fujizuka overlooking the town, and the art island surrounded by canals. The more you walk, the more the past and present of Shinagawa—once the gateway to Edo—overlap before your eyes. Enjoy a half-day in Shinagawa, from the tale of the Chushingura to dusk over the canals.