Historical Marker - Kotsukappara Execution Grounds (with translation)
Minami Senju has a long history of notable events, many of them rather nasty. One place that stands out is the Kotsukappara (also called Kozukappara) execution grounds, one of three such places in Tokyo that was in use during the Edo era (one of the others was Nishikigamori, near present-day Shinagawa, at the opposite corner of the city, and the third was Owada, near the far-western suburb of Hachioji).
According to traditional geomancy practices, the north-east was supposedly the direction that evil influences came in from, and since this neighborhood was directly north-east from the palace, many of the city's undesirable (but still necessary) fixtures were placed here. In addition to the execution grounds, this neighborhood is where the Yoshiwara red-light district was designated. Arakawa and Taito Wards were also home to large Burakumin neighborhoods (as evidenced by the many traditional leather goods shops still around today), although I don't know if that was by official decree or by necessity (the area around the Shinagawa execution grounds also had a sizable Burakumin population, with a large slaughterhouse still located between the high-rise office buildings surrounding the station).
This execution ground was in use from 1651 (right at the changeover between the 3rd and 4th Tokugawa shoguns) until probably about 1871 (during the Meiji era, when the government was trying to convince western nations to lift their unequal treaties). It has been estimated that as many as 200,000 people were executed here during that time.
The execution grounds are very likely the source of the names of the nearby Namida-bashi (Bridge of Tears) and Kotsu-dori (Bone street).
During the late 1700s, medical pioneers Genpaku Sugita, Jun'an Nakagawa and Hoshu Katsuragawa (whose home in Chuo Ward near Tsukiji has an historical marker that I've photographed here) came here to conduct dissections while researching their historic medical textbook, Kaitai Shinsho, a translation of the Dutch Tafel Anatomie.
In 1741, a 3-meter tall stone Buddha was placed to pacify and watch over the souls of the thousands of prisoners that had died here. Although the statue survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which hit close to Tokyo, it was badly damaged by the Great Eastern Earthquake in March 2011. One arm of the statue (which had been built in sections that fit together) dropped off, and the upper body was shifted to the side, coming dangerously close to toppling over completely. It was completely disassembled shortly afterwards, and after lengthy restoration work was re-assembled in late 2012.
Translation of the Japanese:
Kotsukappara Execution Grounds
In Edo, there were two execution/prison grounds, Nishikigamori in Shinagawa and Kotsukappara in Senju.
Kotsukappara covered an area 60 kan (about 108 meters) wide and 30 kan (about 54 meters) long, and until its abolition in the early Meiji era was used to carry out punishments including imprisonment, beheading and crucifixion.
The Kubikiri (cut-throat) Jizo was built here in Kanpo 1 (1741) to watch over the souls of the prisoners who had died at this spot.
Arakawa Ward Board of Education
Japanese text:
江戸のお仕置場（刑場）は、品川の鈴ヶ森刑場と千住の小塚原刑場の二つである。
小塚原の刑場は、間口60間（108m）、奥行30間余（54m）で、明治のはじめに刑場が廃止されるまでに、磔・斬罪・獄門などの刑が執行された。
首切り地蔵は、この刑死者の菩提をとむらうため寛保元年（1741）に造立されたものである。
（荒川区教育委員会）
Historical Marker - Kotsukappara Execution Grounds (with translation)
Minami Senju has a long history of notable events, many of them rather nasty. One place that stands out is the Kotsukappara (also called Kozukappara) execution grounds, one of three such places in Tokyo that was in use during the Edo era (one of the others was Nishikigamori, near present-day Shinagawa, at the opposite corner of the city, and the third was Owada, near the far-western suburb of Hachioji).
According to traditional geomancy practices, the north-east was supposedly the direction that evil influences came in from, and since this neighborhood was directly north-east from the palace, many of the city's undesirable (but still necessary) fixtures were placed here. In addition to the execution grounds, this neighborhood is where the Yoshiwara red-light district was designated. Arakawa and Taito Wards were also home to large Burakumin neighborhoods (as evidenced by the many traditional leather goods shops still around today), although I don't know if that was by official decree or by necessity (the area around the Shinagawa execution grounds also had a sizable Burakumin population, with a large slaughterhouse still located between the high-rise office buildings surrounding the station).
This execution ground was in use from 1651 (right at the changeover between the 3rd and 4th Tokugawa shoguns) until probably about 1871 (during the Meiji era, when the government was trying to convince western nations to lift their unequal treaties). It has been estimated that as many as 200,000 people were executed here during that time.
The execution grounds are very likely the source of the names of the nearby Namida-bashi (Bridge of Tears) and Kotsu-dori (Bone street).
During the late 1700s, medical pioneers Genpaku Sugita, Jun'an Nakagawa and Hoshu Katsuragawa (whose home in Chuo Ward near Tsukiji has an historical marker that I've photographed here) came here to conduct dissections while researching their historic medical textbook, Kaitai Shinsho, a translation of the Dutch Tafel Anatomie.
In 1741, a 3-meter tall stone Buddha was placed to pacify and watch over the souls of the thousands of prisoners that had died here. Although the statue survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, which hit close to Tokyo, it was badly damaged by the Great Eastern Earthquake in March 2011. One arm of the statue (which had been built in sections that fit together) dropped off, and the upper body was shifted to the side, coming dangerously close to toppling over completely. It was completely disassembled shortly afterwards, and after lengthy restoration work was re-assembled in late 2012.
Translation of the Japanese:
Kotsukappara Execution Grounds
In Edo, there were two execution/prison grounds, Nishikigamori in Shinagawa and Kotsukappara in Senju.
Kotsukappara covered an area 60 kan (about 108 meters) wide and 30 kan (about 54 meters) long, and until its abolition in the early Meiji era was used to carry out punishments including imprisonment, beheading and crucifixion.
The Kubikiri (cut-throat) Jizo was built here in Kanpo 1 (1741) to watch over the souls of the prisoners who had died at this spot.
Arakawa Ward Board of Education
Japanese text:
江戸のお仕置場（刑場）は、品川の鈴ヶ森刑場と千住の小塚原刑場の二つである。
小塚原の刑場は、間口60間（108m）、奥行30間余（54m）で、明治のはじめに刑場が廃止されるまでに、磔・斬罪・獄門などの刑が執行された。
首切り地蔵は、この刑死者の菩提をとむらうため寛保元年（1741）に造立されたものである。
（荒川区教育委員会）