Shitamachi - Shitamachi

Japanese: 下町 - したまち

The low-lying alluvial area in the commercial and industrial districts of a city is called Shitamachi, in contrast to the residential area in Yamanote. In Tokyo, it refers to the low-lying alluvial area in the eastern part of the wards. It is an area that spreads to the east of the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line, which connects Akabane and Shinagawa, roughly as a border. In the narrower sense, it refers to the lowlands of the current Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, Taito, Koto, and Sumida wards, which were formed in the Edo period and were warded in 1878 (Meiji 11).

Globally, downtown areas, which are etymologically close to shitamachi, are blessed with land and water transportation, have developed as commercial and industrial areas, and are used to mean central shopping districts and urban centers. In Tokyo, shitamachi has been a town for townspeople where commerce and industry developed since the Edo period, and corresponds to the residential area of Yamate.

Below, I will discuss Tokyo's downtown area.

[Kiyoshi Sawada]

Nature

While Yamate is a diluvial plateau made up of alluvial deposits deposited during the Pleistocene (the geological period from about 1 million to 10,000 years ago), Shitamachi is an alluvial lowland made up of alluvial deposits deposited during the Alluvial Epoch (the Holocene, from 10,000 years ago onwards). The alluvial deposits called the Tokyo layer are sandy and yellowish brown, while the alluvial deposits called the Yurakucho layer are muddy and blue-gray, containing many shell fossils and humus. The sea invaded Shitamachi in the early Jomon period, and it fell below sea level, but from the middle Jomon period the sea began to recede, turning it into land and becoming a lowland with an elevation of 1 to 4 meters. However, with rapid industrialization since the Showa period, excessive pumping of groundwater caused the ground to shrink and sink, resulting in areas below zero meters in elevation. Because the ground is weak, in the Great Kanto Earthquake, the rate of total destruction in the hillside was less than 5%, whereas in the downtown area, the thicker the alluvial deposits, the higher the rate of total destruction, reaching over 50% in the buried valleys of the Sumida River and Arakawa River. In the 1970s, restrictions on pumping groundwater were imposed through laws and ordinances, and since then, land subsidence has been easing.

[Kiyoshi Sawada]

history

When Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo in 1590 (Tensho 18), the area east of the Sumida River in Shitamachi was mostly low-lying marshes, and the sea to the east of Edo Castle was called Hibiya Cove. Ieyasu aimed to build a castle town, and after 1593 (Bunroku 2) began reclaiming land in Hibiya Cove. This resulted in the present-day Otemachi, Marunouchi, Nihonbashi, Kyobashi, and Ginza, and a neat network of roads can be seen there. Marunouchi was called Daimyo-koji at the time, and had 25 feudal domain residences, where related feudal lords and fudai lords lived, while Nihonbashi, Kyobashi, and Ginza developed as commercial areas for townspeople. There were many waterways in Shitamachi, and wharves called kashi were built in various places. Along the Sumida River, there were warehouses of the Shogunate, such as rice storehouses and lumber storehouses, and downstream there was a district of wholesalers and warehouses dealing in rice, miscellaneous grains, fertilizer, oil, etc., and a fish market was established in Nihonbashi. After the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 (Meireki 3), the area east of the Sumida River was developed as a new town, and it developed into a district with feudal lords' villas, town houses, and lumberyards. After the Meiji period, Marunouchi became land for the army, but was sold to Mitsubishi, and with the opening of Tokyo Station in 1914 (Taisho 3), it became a business building district, and Ginza became a bustling downtown area. Taito and Chuo wards continued as a commercial district centered on wholesalers and small and medium-sized industrial districts selling daily necessities, but modern industries were transplanted to the Koto district east of the Sumida River, and it developed into a modern industrial district. After World War II, modern industries were relocated in search of cheaper and larger land, and the former sites were turned into residential areas with high-rise buildings.

[Kiyoshi Sawada]

Features

While Yamate is a residential area mainly for office workers and there is a lot of movement, Shitamachi is home to many self-employed merchants and industrialists and used to move around less, preserving the traditions and temperament of Edo well. They love their town, value elegance, use Edokko's rambling speech and the spirit of "not keeping money overnight," and don't hide what they think, say it out loud and then be cool afterwards, all of which are still passed down to this day. The city celebrates festivals at Kanda Shrine, Sanja (Asakusa), Fukagawa, and other locations, preserves traditional crafts such as boxwood combs, Edo toys, tabi socks, and Edo komon, values local specialties such as tsukudani (food preserved in soy sauce), nori (seaweed), and ningyo-yaki (dumplings). It also boasts Edo flavors such as soba noodles in Yabu, Sarashina, and Sunaba, sushi in Tsukiji, tempura in Shinbashi, and dojo (loach) in Komagata. Many of the city's old buildings were lost in the Great Kanto Earthquake and then in World War II, with most of the city being burned down. However, you can still see streets full of the atmosphere of the old downtown area that escaped the fires in many places. Ningyocho, Hamacho, Tsukudajima, Asakusa, Mukojima, Tomioka, etc. are typical examples. However, it is sad to note that many waterways have been filled in and lost their water sources due to the rapid development of automobiles.

[Kiyoshi Sawada]

Transformation of the downtown area

As mentioned above, in the narrow sense, Shitamachi refers to the six wards west of the Sumida River. However, as Tokyo's urban area expanded, the area expanded to include the west of the Edogawa River, and also expanded northward. In other words, the six wards mentioned above include Adachi, Katsushika, Edogawa, Kita, and Arakawa, and the area is sometimes taken to be broader in definition.

Centered around Tokyo Station, the construction of high-rise buildings housing offices and hotels is underway in the former Marunouchi Building and the former site of the JNR headquarters. Construction has also begun on a huge office district covering an area of 310,000 square meters in Shiodome, the birthplace of the railway and the site of the former Shinbashi Station, and the area continues to develop with the concept of continuous urban development. In 2011, the districts of Marunouchi/Otemachi, Nihonbashi/Kyobashi, Ginza, Shinbashi/Toranomon, and other areas in central Tokyo and the waterfront were designated as the Asia Headquarters Special Zone. Other areas where high-rise buildings are being built include the area around Shinagawa Station, low-rise residential areas in Chiyoda Ward, and the site of a former department store in Chuo Ward. Behind this development of high-rise buildings is a change in the function of the city center. In the past, buildings with central administrative functions were the focus, but with the advancement of the economy, intellectual production functions have also been added, and the city center has become a place of production. Highly skilled workers now want to live close to their workplace in order to improve the quality of their production. As a result, many high-rise buildings are also housing rental properties. The decline in land prices in the 1990s also spurred the construction of high-rise buildings.

In 2012, the 634-meter-tall Tokyo Skytree (the world's tallest free-standing radio tower) opened in Sumida Ward as a radio tower and tourist attraction. Commercial facilities and office buildings are located nearby, and the area is collectively known as Tokyo Skytree Town.

A waterfront "waterfront subcenter" has been planned along the Tokyo Bay coast. Ultra-modern office buildings, commercial facilities, sports facilities, high-rise apartment buildings, and schools have already begun to be built. With the goal of integrating "work, living, learning, and play," two railways, the new transportation system "Yurikamome" and the Tokyo Waterfront Area Rapid Transit "Rinkai Line," and major roads connect the city center.

Some people refer to the area around the Sumida River as "Kawanote." "Kawanote" is the opposite of "Yamanote." In any case, there are many rivers, and attempts to maintain their hydrophilicity and improve amenities and disaster prevention have been made along the Minumadai Waterfront Park (Adachi Ward), Nakagawa (Katsushika Ward), Furukawa (Edogawa Ward), and Oyokogawa (Sumida Ward). On the other hand, there are many small factories in the Kita, Arakawa, Adachi, Katsushika, Sumida, Koto, and Edogawa wards, but they are closing down or dispersing to the countryside, and former factory sites are being turned into apartment complexes. Most of the area was once small-scale traditional industries, but industry is becoming more sophisticated. For example, there is a shift to new industries, as exemplified by fashion-related industries (clothing, shoes, handbags, accessories, etc.) in Taito and Sumida wards.

As Tokyo's population increases, there is a significant shift in population between areas and changes in spatial usage. At the same time, the hollowing out of the population has weakened the sense of community felt through neighborhood associations and the like, and the concept of "shitamachi" (old town) is fading from the consciousness of people both inside and outside the area.

[Nobuo Takahashi]

"Tokyo: Shitamachi" edited and published by Asahi Shimbun (1987) ▽ "Sumida River - The joys and sorrows of the Shitamachi reflected in the river" by Nawa Hidetaka (1987, Tokyo Shimbun Publishing Bureau) ▽ "Land and buildings in the city centre - An analysis of Tokyo towns" by Yagisawa Soichi et al. (1987, Tokyo Denki University Press) ▽ "Searching for unremarkable words" by Yokota Mitsugu (1992, Ashi Shobo) ▽ "Nature revived by the banks of the Sumida River" by Nomura Keisuke (1993, Priosin) ▽ "The town where the streetcars disappeared - A comparative photograph of Tokyo then and now (Shitamachi edition)" by Morokawa Hisashi and written by Hayashi Junnobu (1993, Taisho Publishing) ▽ "Edo Tokyo Story (Shitamachi edition)" edited and published by Shinchosha (1993) ▽ "Machimura Takashi, Structural Transformation of the 'Global City' Tokyo - The Sociology of Urban Restructuring" (1994, University of Tokyo Press)" ▽ "Ashihara Yoshinobu, Aesthetics of Tokyo (1994, Iwanami Shoten)" ▽ "My Own Tokyo Walk (Downtown/City Center)" by Shunputei Koasa, Akimoto Yasushi and others, photographed by Araki Nobuyoshi, Takanashi Yutaka and others (1995, Sakuhinsha)" ▽ "Tales of the Old Town Then and Now - Tanuma Takeyoshi Photograph Collection" (1996, Shinchosha)" ▽ "Kiritani Elizabeth, translated and illustrated by Kiritani Itsuo, Vanishing Japan - The Spirit and Skill of the Old Town as Seen by Me (1997, Maruzen)" ▽ "Kitabatake Koji, Historical Documents: Map of Changes in the Extent of Tokyo's Old Town" (1997, Megumi Publishing)" ▽ "The Warmth of the Downtown Area, Fukagawa and Kiba," photographed by Masashi Kato (1998, Human Science Press) " ▽ "The Pleasures of Edo: A Lyrical Stroll Through the Downtown Area, written by Hiroshi Aramata and photographed by Jin Yasui (1999, Bungeishunju)" ▽ "The Use of Space in the Center of Tokyo, written by Muneto Yamashita (1999, Kokon Shoin)" ▽ "Walking Navigator Tokyo: A Stroll Through the Yamate and Downtown Areas, written by Shobunsha (2001) " ▽ "Tokyo: A Photo Collection - A Story of the City's Transformation, 1948-2000, written by Minoru Ishii (2001, KK Bestsellers)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

都市の商工業地域でおもに低平な沖積地域を、山手(やまのて)の住宅街に対して下町という。東京都では区部のうち、東部の低平な沖積地の部分をいう。赤羽(あかばね)から品川を結ぶJR京浜東北線をほぼ境として、その東方に広がる地域。狭義には江戸時代に町屋を形成し、1878年（明治11）に区制を敷いた地域で、現在の千代田、中央、港、台東(たいとう)、江東(こうとう)、墨田(すみだ)の各区の低地部をさす。

　世界的にみても、下町と語源的に近いダウンタウンは水陸交通に恵まれ、商工業地域として発達し、中心商店街、都心を意味する語に用いられている。東京においても、下町は江戸時代から商工業の発達した町人の街で、山手の住宅地と対応している。

　以下、東京の下町について述べる。

［沢田　清］

自然

山手が洪積世（更新世、約100万年前から1万年前までの地質時代）に堆積(たいせき)された洪積層からなる洪積台地であるのに対し、下町は沖積世（完新世、1万年前から以後）に堆積された沖積層からなる沖積低地である。東京層とよぶ洪積層が砂質で黄褐色であるのに対し、有楽町(ゆうらくちょう)層などとよぶ沖積層は泥質で青灰色を呈し、多くの貝化石や腐植物が含まれている。縄文前期に海が進入して下町は海面下となったが、中期から海が退き始めて陸化し、標高1～4メートルの低地となった。しかし、昭和以降の急速な工業化に伴い、地下水の過剰なくみ上げによって地盤が収縮して沈下し、ゼロメートル以下の所が広がった。地盤が軟弱なため、関東大震災では、山手での全壊率5％以下なのに対し、下町では沖積層が厚いほど全壊率が高く、隅田(すみだ)川、荒川の埋没谷では50％以上にも達した。1970年代に入ると、法律や条例により地下水のくみ上げに対する規制が行われ、以後、地盤沈下は鎮静に向かっている。

［沢田　清］

歴史

1590年（天正18）徳川家康入府のとき、下町のうち隅田川以東は低湿地が多く、江戸城の東側は日比谷(ひびや)入り江とよぶ海であった。家康は城下町の建設を目ざし、1593年（文禄2）以後日比谷入り江の埋立てを始めた。それが現在の大手町、丸の内、日本橋、京橋、銀座で、整然とした道路網がみられる。丸の内は当時大名小路とよばれ25の藩邸があり、親藩、譜代(ふだい)大名が居住したのに対し、日本橋、京橋、銀座は町人の商業地として発展した。下町には多くの水路があり、河岸(かし)とよぶ船着場が各所につくられた。隅田川沿いには米蔵(こめぐら)、材木蔵など幕府の倉庫が、その下流に米、雑穀、肥料、油などを取り扱う問屋、倉庫の街ができ、日本橋には魚市場が立った。1657年（明暦3）の明暦(めいれき)の大火後、新しい町づくりとして隅田川以東が開発され、大名の別荘、町屋、木場(きば)などで発展するようになった。明治以後、丸の内は陸軍用地となったが、三菱(みつびし)に売り渡し、1914年（大正3）東京駅開設を機に業務ビル地区となり、銀座が繁華街となった。台東・中央区は問屋を中心とする商業および日用雑貨の中小工業地区として継続されるが、隅田川以東の江東地区は近代工業の移植が行われ、近代工業地区として発展した。第二次世界大戦後、近代工業は安くて広い土地を求めて移転し、跡地は高層ビルの住宅地などに変わった。

［沢田　清］

特色

山手がサラリーマン中心の住宅地で移動が多いのに対し、下町は自営の商工業者が多くかつては移動することは少なく、江戸の伝統、気質をよく残していた。自分の町を愛し、粋(いき)を尊び、江戸っ子のべらんめえことばや「宵(よい)越しの金は持たない」気風、心に思っていることは隠さず、ポンポンいって、あとはさっぱりする気質を今日に伝えている。神田明神、三社(さんじゃ)（浅草）、深川などの祭りを盛んにし、つげ櫛(ぐし)、江戸玩具(がんぐ)、足袋(たび)、江戸小紋(こもん)などの伝統工芸を残し、佃煮(つくだに)、海苔(のり)、人形焼などの名物をたいせつにし、さらに藪(やぶ)・更科(さらしな)・砂場(すなば)のそば、築地(つきじ)のすし、新橋のてんぷら、駒形(こまがた)のどぜう（どじょう）など江戸の味を自慢する。関東大震災、さらに第二次世界大戦で多くの古い建築を失い、大半が焼失した。しかし、随所に焼失を免れた下町情緒の濃い町並みをみることができる。人形町、浜町(はまちょう)、佃島(つくだじま)、浅草、向島(むこうじま)、富岡(とみおか)などはその典型である。しかし、自動車の急激な発展によって多くの水路が埋められ、水を失ったことは寂しい。

［沢田　清］

下町の変容

前述の通り、下町を狭義にとらえると、下町は隅田川以西を中心として6区をさす。しかし、東京の市街地の拡大に伴ってその範囲も広がり、江戸川以西までも加わり、一方、北方向にも拡張した。すなわち、上記6区に足立・葛飾・江戸川そして北・荒川各区が包含されて、広義にとらえられることもある。

　東京駅を中心として、旧丸ノ内ビルや旧国鉄本社跡地などにはオフィスやホテルの入居する高層ビル群の建設が進められている。また鉄道発祥の地である旧新橋駅のあった汐留(しおどめ)地区も31万平方メートルの面積に巨大なオフィス街の建設が着工され、継続的な街づくりをコンセプトに発展を続けている。2011年（平成23）、丸の内・大手町、日本橋・京橋、銀座、新橋・虎ノ門などの各地区は東京都心・臨海地域としてアジアヘッドクォーター特区に指定された。その他、品川駅周辺、千代田区の低層住宅地区、中央区の百貨店跡地などでも高層ビル化が進められている。この高層ビル進展の背況には、都心部の機能の変化がある。かつては中枢管理機能のビルが中心であったが、経済の高度化によって知的生産機能も加わり、都心も生産の場となった。そして、高度技能者は生産の質を高めるために、職住近接を望むようになった。そのため、高層ビル内には賃貸住宅も多い。また、1990年代に入って地価が下落したことも、高層ビル建設に拍車をかけた。

　2012年には墨田区に、高さ634メートルの東京スカイツリー（世界一高い自立式電波塔）が電波塔・観光施設として開業した。周辺に商業施設やオフィスビルなどが併設され、これらを含め東京スカイツリータウンと通称される。

　東京湾岸には、ウォーターフロントの「臨海副都心」が計画された。超近代的なオフィスビル、商業施設、スポーツ施設、高層住宅や学校などがすでに建ち始めている。「職・住・学・遊」の融合を目標として、新交通システム「ゆりかもめ」、東京臨海高速鉄道「りんかい線」の2本の鉄道と幹線道路が都心に結び付いている。

　隅田川を中軸として「川の手」と呼称する人もいる。「川の手」は「山の手」に対する名称である。いずれにしても河川が多く、その親水性を確保してアメニティ（快適性）と防災性を高める試みが、見沼代(みぬまだい)親水公園（足立区）をはじめ中川（葛飾区）、古川（江戸川区）、大横川（墨田区）などに沿ってなされている。一方、北・荒川・足立・葛飾・墨田・江東・江戸川各区では、小工場が多いが、閉鎖したり地方への分散も目だち、工場跡地の集合住宅化が進んでいる。かつては小規模な伝統工業がほとんどであったが、工業の高度化が進んでいる。たとえば、台東区や墨田区などのファッション関連産業（衣服・靴・ハンドバッグ・装飾品など）に代表されるように新しい工業への転換もみられる。

　東京の人口が増えて、人口の地域間移動や空間利用の変容などが著しくなるとともに、人口の空洞化によって自治会などを通しての共同体意識も低下し、下町という概念は地区内外の人々の意識から薄らぎつつある。

［高橋伸夫］

『朝日新聞社編・刊『東京・下町』（1987）』▽『那和秀峻著『隅田川――流れに映る下町の哀歓』（1987・東京新聞社出版局）』▽『八木澤壮一他著『都心の土地と建物――東京・街の解析』（1987・東京電機大学出版局）』▽『横田貢著『べらんめぇ言葉を探る』（1992・芦書房）』▽『野村圭佑著『隅田川のほとりによみがえった自然』（1993・プリオシン）』▽『諸河久写真、林順信文『都電の消えた街――東京今昔対比写真（下町編）』（1993・大正出版）』▽『新潮社編・刊『江戸東京物語（下町篇）』（1993）』▽『町村敬志著『「世界都市」東京の構造転換――都市リストラクチュアリングの社会学』（1994・東京大学出版会）』▽『芦原義信著『東京の美学』（1994・岩波書店）』▽『春風亭小朝・秋元康他著、荒木経惟・高梨豊他写真『私だけの東京散歩（下町・都心篇）』（1995・作品社）』▽『田沼武能著『下町今昔物語――田沼武能写真集』（1996・新潮社）』▽『桐谷エリザベス著、桐谷逸夫訳・画『消えゆく日本――ワタシの見た下町の心と技』（1997・丸善）』▽『北畠康次著『歴史資料　東京下町の範囲の変遷図』（1997・メグミ出版）』▽『加藤昌志写真『「深川・木場」下町のぬくもり』（1998・人間の科学社）』▽『荒俣宏著、安井仁写真『江戸の快楽――下町抒情散歩』（1999・文芸春秋）』▽『山下宗利著『東京都心部の空間利用』（1999・古今書院）』▽『『ウォーキングナビ東京　山手・下町散歩』（2001・昭文社）』▽『石井實著『東京　写真集・都市の変貌の物語1948～2000』（2001・KKベストセラーズ）』

[参照項目] | 赤羽 | 浅草 | 足立（区） | 荒川 | 荒川（区） | ウォーターフロント開発 | 江戸川 | 江戸川（区） | 江戸っ子 | 大手町 | 葛飾（区） | 神田 | 北（区） | 木場 | 京橋 | 銀座 | 江東（区） | 駒形 | 三社祭 | 汐留 | 品川 | 品川（区） | 新橋 | 墨田（区） | 隅田川 | 台東（区） | ダウンタウン | 中央（区） | 千代田（区） | 築地 | 佃島 | 東京臨海副都心 | 日本橋 | 人形町 | 浜町 | 日比谷 | 深川 | 丸の内 | 港（区） | 向島 | 山手

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