Reigan Island

The area is located at the eastern end of Chuo Ward, Tokyo, and corresponds to the current Shinkawa 1-2 chome. It is also written as Reiganjima. Formerly it was divided into Echizenbori, Reiganjima, and Shinkawa. It is an island (Kawanakajima) in the Okawa (Sumida River), and was originally connected to Hakozaki and called Edo Nakajima, but in the Kan'ei Map, the island is interrupted by Shinborikawa (Shinkawa), separated from Hakozaki, and called Reiganjima. The Edo Meisho Zue states that the name was derived from Reiganji Temple, which was located in a island northeast of Hatchobori. Reiganji-cho developed as a temple town, and after the Great Fire of Meireki (1657), Reiganji Temple was moved to Fukagawa in 1659 (Manji 2), and town houses developed on the site. Separated by the Shinbori River and the Hatchobori River, it faces Hakozaki to the northeast, Kayabacho to the northwest, Hatchobori to the southwest, and the Sumida River to the east. The Ofunategumi residence was located at Echizenbori, and the Funamibansho was at the southern end, while many shipwrights lived in Reiganjimacho. The old Shinkawacho prospered with sake wholesalers concentrated on the riverbank. Even today, it is a key location for land and water transportation, connecting to Fukagawa, Koto, and Boso across the Eitai Bridge, and is home to a concentration of warehouses. The name Reiganjima is only associated with the name of the Reiganbashi Bridge.

[Kikuchi Masao]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京都中央区東端、現在の新川1、2丁目にあたる地区。霊巌島とも書く。以前は越前堀(えちぜんぼり)、霊岸島、新川に分かれていた。大川（隅田川(すみだがわ)）の中州（川中島）で、初め箱崎と連結し、江戸中島とよばれていたが、「寛永(かんえい)図」には州を新堀川（新川）で中断して、箱崎と分離し、霊岸島としてある。『江戸名所図会』に八丁堀北東の一州に霊巌寺があってその名に由来したとある。霊岸寺町はその門前町として発展した所で、霊巌寺は明暦(めいれき)の大火（1657）後、1659年（万治2）深川へ移ったが、跡地に町家が発達した。新堀川と八丁堀川を隔てて北東は箱崎、北西は茅場(かやば)町、南西は八丁堀、東は隅田川に対していた。越前堀には御船手組屋敷、南端には船見番所が置かれ、霊岸島町には船大工が多く居住していた。旧新川町は河岸に酒問屋が集中し繁栄した。現在も永代(えいたい)橋を隔てて深川、江東(こうとう)、房総へ通じる水陸交通の要地で、倉庫などが集中している所となっている。霊岸島の名称は、わずかに霊岸橋にその名をしのぶほかはない。

［菊池万雄］

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