Shinagawa-shuku

In short

Shinagawa-shuku was the first post town from Nihonbashi on the Tokaido road during the Edo period. As the gateway to Edo, it served as a gathering place for people, goods, and culture. In "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido," Utagawa Hiroshige depicted a daimyo procession arriving at the entrance of Shinagawa-shuku at sunrise. Even today, shopping streets continue along the Old Tokaido, allowing visitors to walk while experiencing the history of this post town.

• ​The First Post Town on the Tokaido​​: Located two ri from Nihonbashi, it was divided across the Meguro River into Kita-Shinagawa-shuku and Minami-Shinagawa-shuku.
• ​The Narrow Path of the Old Tokaido​​: The narrow street running north to south between the Keikyu Line and Yatsuyama-dori Avenue is the former Tokaido.
• ​Site of the Honjin​​: The site of the honjin (official inn) that once stood in Kita-Shinagawa-shuku is now Seiseki Park in Kita-Shinagawa 2-chome.

History and Highlights

​Shinagawa-shuku​ was the first post town on the Tokaido connecting Edo and Kyoto. When Tokugawa Ieyasu began the development of the Tokaido in 1601, it was established as the initial post station. It was located two ri from Nihonbashi in Edo and two and a half ri from the next station, Kawasaki-shuku. As an entrance and exit for Edo, people, goods, and culture congregated here, and it also bustled as a recreational destination where Edo residents stopped by when visiting nearby shrines and temples.

The post town spanned along the Old Tokaido from around present-day Keikyu Kita-Shinagawa Station to around Aomono-yokocho Station. Bordered by the Meguro River, Kita-Shinagawa-shuku was situated to the north and Minami-Shinagawa-shuku to the south, with Kachi-shinshuku added to the north in 1722. The honjin was located in Kita-Shinagawa-shuku, and its site has become Seiseki Park in Kita-Shinagawa 2-chome. In 1843, records noted 93 hatagoya (inns), 1,561 houses, and a population of 6,890.

Utagawa Hiroshige depicted a daimyo procession arriving at the entrance of Shinagawa-shuku at sunrise in "Sunrise at Shinagawa" from "The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido." The hill on the right of the print is Yatsuyama, and near that location today spans the Yatsuyama-bashi Bridge. Entering the Meiji period, the role of the post town came to an end due to developments such as the railway.

Highlights for Viewing and Experiencing

• ​Shopping Streets of the Old Tokaido​​: The narrow street running north-south between the Keikyu Line and Yatsuyama-dori Avenue is the Old Tokaido. Today, it has become the Kita-Shinagawa Hon-dori Shopping Street and the Kita-Shinagawa Shopping Street, lined with long-established shops. Cars are restricted to one-way southbound traffic because of the narrow road width.
• ​The "Shinagawa-shuku" Monument and Highway Monuments​​: The mark on the map indicates the area around the "Shinagawa-shuku" monument located in Kita-Shinagawa 1-chome. In Hinkai Park, there is also a stone monument reading "Two Ri from Nihonbashi."
• ​Temples and Shrines of the Post Town​​: The tutelary shrine of Kita-Shinagawa was Shinagawa-jinja Shrine, while the tutelary shrine of Minami-Shinagawa-shuku was Ebara-jinja Shrine. Near the southern edge of the post town, Honsen-ji Temple houses a seated statue of Jizo Bodhisattva, said to be the first of the Six Jizo of Edo.

Tips for Walking

The nearest station is Keikyu Kita-Shinagawa Station, about a 2-minute walk away, or about a 5-minute walk from Shimbamba Station. If you start walking from Yatsuyama-bashi Bridge in the north, you can follow the route south from the entrance to the post town depicted by Hiroshige. A 200-meter pedestrian walkway is laid out at Yatsuyama-bashi Bridge, featuring signposts marked with the names of the fifty-three stations. Heading south along the Old Tokaido, passing through the site of the honjin in Seiseki Park, and crossing the Meguro River brings you to Minami-Shinagawa-shuku. Shinagawa-jinja Shrine is located about 250 meters southwest of the map marker and can be visited together.