A silhouette scuttles across in front of the torii of Hie Jinja at dusk
As the name suggests, cars used to drive through the area where the pond used to be, as if it was their own property. It was a weekend, so there was little traffic. The cars on Sotobori Dori were driving at a comfortable speed. I thought back to the old days when Sotobori Dori used to be a reservoir. The sight of worshippers passing through the large torii gate standing by the pond on their way to the shrine must have been picturesque, and the people who entered the sacred mountain from there must have felt special.
The Hie Jinja Shrine was moved to this site in 1659, and until then it was said to have been the residence of Matsudaira Tadafusa, the first lord of the Shimabara Domain in the Hizen Province. Further back in time, the area where Hie Shrine is now located is said to have been a castle called Hoshigaoka Castle. It seems that the area where The Capitol Hotel Tokyu is located was the main fortification, the Hie Shrine was the second fortification and Hibiya High School was the third fortification. Indeed, looking at a map of the area, it seems that the site is at the tip of a plateau, which would make it suitable for a castle. There are also remains of what appear to be earthworks on the north side of the shrine.
However, there are few remnants of the castle's past, and records are scarce. Hoshigaoka Castle is said to be shrouded in mystery. It seems that the records left behind by humans are so hazy that even in a place that has been part of Edo for such a long time, the origin of the land can no longer be known.
| Jun 2024 IN THE CITY TOKYO | |
| NAGATACHO SHADOW SILHOUETTE STAIRWAY |
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PHOTO DATA
No
12600
Shooting Date
Oct 2023
Posted On
June 16, 2024
Modified On
July 5, 2024
Place
Nagatacho, Tokyo
Genre
Street Photography
Camera
SONY ALPHA 7R V
Lens
ZEISS BATIS 2/40 CF
