Shinagawa

This area is located in the northeastern part of Shinagawa Ward, Tokyo, south of JR and Keikyu Shinagawa Station. It stretches from the Yamanote Plateau to the low marshes along the Meguro River, and then on to the reclaimed land on the Tokyo Bay coast. The name of the area is said to come from the fact that the Meguro River was called Shinagawa in the old days, that it was named Shinagawa in contrast to the nearby Takanawa, and that leather used for armor decorations was dyed here. Currently, the area north of the Meguro River is Kitashinagawa, the area south of the Meguro River is divided into four areas, Nishishinagawa on the west side, Minamishinagawa on the east side, and Higashishinagawa on the reclaimed land in the east, with the Tokaido Main Line as the dividing line.

In the Middle Ages, this was the residence of the Shinagawa clan, but during the Edo period it came under direct control of the shogunate. The narrow road between Kitashinagawa Station on the Keihin Kyuko Railway and Yatsuyama-dori Street was the old Tokaido, and Shinagawa-shuku, one of the four Edo post stations, was located here. It was the most prosperous of the four post stations, with 36 post horses and a pleasure quarter. The site of the main inn in Kitahon-shuku, the center of Shinagawa-shuku, is now Seiseki Park.

The Yamate Plateau was called Gotenyama because the mansion of Ota Dokan was located there, and in the Edo period it was a famous spot for cherry blossoms. Currently, an embassy is located here, and it is an upscale residential area. Higashi-Shinagawa was once a seaweed harvesting area, but most of it has been reclaimed land since 1887 (Meiji 20) and has developed into an industrial district, with a thermal power plant, container terminal, and Shinagawa Wharf at its northeastern end. In Kita-Shinagawa there is Shinagawa Shrine, home of the Shinagawa Tenno Festival, and Tokai-ji Temple, founded by Zen master Takuan, and in Minami-Shinagawa there is Honsen-ji Temple, home of the Edo Six Jizo, and Kaian-ji Temple, the grave of Iwakura Tomomi. There are many historical sites along the old Tokaido route.

[Kiyoshi Sawada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京都品川区北東部、JR、京浜急行電鉄品川駅の南方の地区。山手(やまのて)台地から目黒川沿いの低湿地、さらに東京湾岸の埋立地にかけて広がる。目黒川を古く品川とよんだこと、付近の高輪(たかなわ)に対し品ヶ輪と名づけたこと、また鎧(よろい)の威(おどし)に用いる品革の染色が行われていたことが地名の由来という。現在、目黒川以北が北品川、目黒川以南のうち東海道本線を境として西側が西品川、東側が南品川、東部の埋立地が東品川と4地区に分かれる。

　中世には品河氏の居住地であったが、江戸時代は幕府直轄地となった。京浜急行電鉄北品川駅と八ツ山通りの間の狭い道が旧東海道で、ここに江戸四宿の一つ品川宿が置かれた。駅馬36匹、遊里もでき、四宿のなかでもっとも繁栄した。品川宿の中心、北本宿(ほんじゅく)にあった本陣跡は現在聖蹟(せいせき)公園となっている。

　山手台地は太田道灌(どうかん)の館(やかた)があったことから御殿山(ごてんやま)とよばれ、江戸時代はサクラの名所であった。現在は大使館が置かれ、高級住宅地となっている。東品川は、ノリ採取地であったが、大部分は1887年（明治20）以降の埋立地で、工業地区として発展、北東端に火力発電所、コンテナターミナル、品川埠頭(ふとう)がある。北品川には品川天王祭の品川神社、沢庵(たくあん)禅師開基の東海寺、南品川には江戸六地蔵の品川寺(ほんせんじ)、岩倉具視(ともみ)の墓所の海晏寺(かいあんじ)があり、旧東海道筋には史跡が多い。

［沢田　清］

出典　小学館　日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)日本大百科全書(ニッポニカ)について　情報 | 凡例