Kanda Aqueduct

The waterworks of Edo and Tokyo. It is also called Inokashira Aqueduct. After it was opened, it was used as a waterworks until 1900 (Meiji 33), and was said to be one of the two major waterworks of Edo and Tokyo, along with Tamagawa Aqueduct. It played a major role in supporting the urban life of the people in the area. The source of the water is Inokashira Pond in Musashino (Mitaka City, Tokyo), and the two streams of Zenpukuji River flowing from Zenpukuji Pond and Myoshoji River flowing from Myoshoji Pond were combined along the way, and the Tamagawa Aqueduct was supplemented by water at Yodobashi. It is said that it was opened in 1590 (Tensho 18) by Okubo Togoro, who was ordered by Tokugawa Ieyasu, before Ieyasu entered the Kanto region, or that it was opened by Uchida Rokujiro around the Keicho era (1596-1615). After the waterworks was established, Okubo Togoro was given the name of Shusui and became the official confectioner of Edo Castle, while Uchida Rokujiro became the waterworks manager of the Kanda Waterworks and was in charge of managing the waterworks. The Uchida family continued to hold the position, but in 1770 (Meiwa 7), Mojuro ordered them to retire and the shogunate took over direct management of the waterworks. The Kanda Waterworks is less than 5 ri (19.6 km) from Inokashira Pond to the Mejiro Shimo-Oarai Weir, and is an open channel up to Suidobashi, but beyond the Kanda River crossing, water is distributed through a covered channel to Edo Castle, the samurai, and town areas. Water charges were called mizugin (mercury) and were collected from samurai families based on the amount of rice produced and from townspeople based on the size of their homes. The Uchida family, who served as water purveyors, claim to have been collecting mizugin since 1732 (Kyoho 17), but after they retired from their duties as water purveyors, the water was paid into the Edo Castle treasury. After the Meiji Restoration, the jurisdiction of the water purveyors changed hands from Tokyo Prefecture, the Ministry of Civil Affairs, the Ministry of Public Works, and the Ministry of Finance, before once again passing through Tokyo Prefecture to the city of Tokyo. With the establishment of modern waterworks, it was abolished in 1901 (Meiji 34).

[Koichi Ito]

"Japanese Water Supply" by Masao Horikoshi (1970, Shinjinbutsu Oraisha)

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸・東京の上水道。井の頭上水(いのかしらじょうすい)ともいう。開設後、1900年（明治33）まで上水道として使われ、玉川上水(たまがわじょうすい)と並び江戸・東京の二大水道といわれた。その地の人々の都市生活を支えるのに大きな役割を果たしてきた。水源は武蔵野(むさしの)の井の頭池（東京都三鷹(みたか)市）で、途中善福寺(ぜんぷくじ)池から流れ出る善福寺川、妙正寺(みょうしょうじ)池から流れ出る妙正寺川の2流をあわせ、淀橋(よどばし)で玉川上水の助水を入れた。開設は徳川家康の命を受けた大久保藤五郎が1590年（天正18）に家康の関東入国に先だって開いたとも、また内田六次郎が慶長(けいちょう)（1596～1615）ころに開いたとも伝えられている。大久保藤五郎は上水開設後、主水の名を与えられ、江戸城御用の菓子司となったが、内田六次郎は神田上水水元役となり、この上水の経営にあたった。以後内田家は、神田上水水元役を受け継いだが、1770年（明和7）茂十郎の代に退役を命じられ、幕府が直接経営することになった。神田上水は井の頭池より目白(めじろ)下大洗堰(ぜき)まで5里（19.6キロメートル）足らず、さらに水道橋まで開渠(かいきょ)であるが、神田川を掛樋(かけひ)で渡した以遠の江戸城郭内や武家方・町方への配水は暗渠(あんきょ)になっている。水道料は水銀(みずぎん)とよばれ、武家方からは石高割(こくだかわり)で、町方からは屋敷間口(まぐち)割で徴収した。水元役内田家は、1732年（享保17）から同家で水銀を徴収していたと称しているが、同家の水元役退役後は江戸城御金蔵(おかねぐら)納めになった。明治維新以後は東京府、民部省、工部省、大蔵省と、その所管をかえたが、さらにふたたび東京府を経て東京市へ移った。近代水道の創設に伴って1901年（明治34）廃止。

［伊藤好一］

『堀越正雄著『日本の上水』（1970・新人物往来社）』

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