Tamagawa Aqueduct

Edo's waterworks. It was also called Yotsuya Gojosui. The main waterworks in Edo were the Tamagawa and Kanda waterworks, which were different water systems, but the Kanda waterworks was mainly distributed to the northern part of Edo. In contrast, the Tamagawa waterworks was distributed to the southern part of Edo. The water source was the Tama River, and it was taken in Hamura (Hamura City, Tokyo). From Hamura across the Musashino Plateau to Yotsuya Okido (Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo), about 40 kilometers (according to the number of posts in the Tamagawa waterworks field side of the Hori-dori villages in the "Josuiki") was an open channel, but beyond that, it was a covered channel to Edo Castle and the city of Edo. This water was for drinking water for Edo, but it was also diverted to the villages on the Musashino Plateau along the way, such as through the Nobidome Canal, and used for drinking water or irrigation. The canal was excavated from Hamura to Yotsuya Okido in 1653 (Shoo 2), and the canal was completed the following year from Yotsuya Okido to Toranomon in Edo Castle. After this, the water distribution canals in Edo were gradually extended. The two men who excavated the canal are well known, Shoemon and Seiemon, who are said to have been either Edo townspeople or farmers from the Tama region, but one theory is that these two men failed in their work and it was completed by Yasumatsu Kaneemon, a vassal of Matsudaira Nobutsuna of Kawagoe Domain. After the Tamagawa Aqueduct was completed, Shoemon and Seiemon were given the surname Tamagawa and were contracted to manage it. This contract was hereditary within the Tamagawa family, but in 1739 (Genbun 4), both families were dismissed from their duties, and the Aqueduct came under direct management of the shogunate. In 1898 (Meiji 31), an improved waterworks was completed in Tokyo, and the Aqueduct was abolished in 1901 (Meiji 34).

[Koichi Ito]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

江戸の上水道。四谷御上水(よつやごじょうすい)ともよばれた。江戸の主要な上水道として、水系を異にする玉川上水と神田上水(かんだじょうすい)があったが、神田上水は主として江戸の北部方面に配水された。これに対して玉川上水は江戸の南部方面に配水された。水源は多摩川で、羽村(はむら)（東京都羽村市）で取り入れている。羽村から武蔵野(むさしの)台地を横切り、四谷大木戸（東京都新宿区）まで、およそ40キロメートル（『上水記』玉川上水野方(のがた)堀通村々持場間数書付による）は開渠(かいきょ)であるが、それから先、江戸城および江戸市中へは暗渠(あんきょ)であった。江戸への飲料水であったが、途中の武蔵野台地の村々へも野火止用水(のびどめようすい)など分水され、飲料水あるいは灌漑(かんがい)用水として利用された。上水路の開削は、羽村から四谷大木戸までが1653年（承応2）に、四谷大木戸から江戸城虎ノ門(とらのもん)前までがその翌年に完成した。これ以後は江戸の市中の配水路が次々に延長されていった。開削者については江戸町人とも多摩地方の農民とも伝えられる庄右衛門(しょうえもん)・清右衛門(せいえもん)の2人がよく知られているが、一説にはこの2名は工事に失敗し、川越(かわごえ)藩松平信綱(のぶつな)の家臣安松金右衛門によって完成されたとも伝えられている。庄右衛門・清右衛門は玉川上水完成後、玉川の姓を与えられ、その経営を請け負った。この請負は玉川両家で世襲されたが、1739年（元文4）両家とも役を罷免され、以後同上水は幕府の直営となった。1898年（明治31）東京に改良水道が完成したため、1901年（明治34）廃止。

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