If you are interested in Kawasaki’s history, Kawasaki-juku leads to several distinct topics: the organization of the post station system, the history of its inns, temples and memorials, and a traditional dish. The accounts do not describe a single point in time. They range from the station’s founding to a later description of an inn, connecting the development of the post town with people, places of remembrance, and literary food culture. This diversity of periods and topics helps distinguish the individual connections.
Kawasaki-juku: Founding and Structure
The station opened in 1623 to ease the post service duties of the stations at Shinagawa and Kanagawa. It initially comprised the two localities of Shinshuku and Isago. Kunezaki and Kotoro were added later, so Kawasaki-juku eventually consisted of four localities. Its founding purpose and its composition are two different pieces of information: the date tells us when the station opened, while the four names show how it grew from its initial two localities. This presents its development without reducing it to a single year.
Post Station and Inn History
A later reference takes us to Mannenya, a well-known inn in Kawasaki-juku. A record from 1863 described it at the time as the largest inn in the post town. The dates 1623 and 1863 serve different purposes: the first dates the station’s opening, while the second records the contemporary assessment of Mannenya’s size. Comparing them shifts the focus from the station’s function to the standing of a particular inn at the time.
Temples, Names, and Historical Connections
In the community associated with Kawasaki stands 一行寺, also known as 閻魔寺; it has a statue of Enma. The grounds also contain the graves of Asai Chūryō and Nishikawa Man’ō. Asai Chūryō opened the first Terakoya school in Kawasaki, while Nishikawa Man’ō was associated with Fujikō. The temple accounts thus bring together two kinds of information: the statue and alternate name, and the graves and their biographical connections. This part of the history leads from a religious image to a specific connection with education and another historical association.
Memorial to the 飯盛女
In the community associated with Kawasaki stands 宗三寺; its grounds hold a memorial tower for the 飯盛女 (courtesans) who once worked in the post town. While the founding in 1623 concerns the station’s organization and Mannenya is part of the inn’s history, this memorial commemorates the women of the former post town. The monument thus adds a personal historical connection to the institutional chronology.
Nara-cha meshi: Food Culture and Literature
Nara-cha meshi (奈良茶飯) was a specialty of Kawasaki-juku. In 東海道中膝栗毛, Yaji and Kita are said to have eaten the dish. It thus brings together two cultural connections: its place in the post town’s food history and the literary episode featuring Yaji and Kita. This sets it apart from the references to the station, the inn, and the memorial site: here, the focus is a dish that is associated with the post town and also appears in a story.
Discover more destinations: Yokohama, Sagamihara, Odawara, Ebina, Fujisawa, Manazuru, Chuo, Kamakura
For the broader travel overview: Kanagawa Prefecture.
