Thank you for choosing our East Garden of the Imperial Palace on 8th Feb, 2025. We welcomed 8 guests from US, Germany, Poland, Mexico, Belgium and France. I hope all of you enjoyed and shared interesting conversations with us during the tour. As promised, group photos and snapshots are attached to remember the fun times we had.
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Do you know the movie 47 Ronin aired by Keanu Reeves? This is the similar story of Chushingura, but in my thinking it was quite different from original.
In our East Gardens of the Imperial Palace tour, we can see the stone sign of Matsu-no-o-roka Corridor.
Every Japanese knows that the corridor was the locus of the unfortunate event when Lord Asano Takumino-Kami Naganori attacked and wounded Lord Kira Kozuke-no-Suke Yoshinaka in 1701.
The Story of the Forty-seven Loyal Ronin. Matsu-no-o-roka Corridor was named after the long corridor decorated with paintings of pine (matsu) trees and plovers. It was the second longest corridor with tatami-mats in Edo Castle. This is the setting for Chushingura and the story was played in Kabuki.
Kabuki is a traditional stage drama performed exclusively by men to the accompaniment of songs and music. It is characterized by a combination of rhythmical words, dancing, elaborate costumes and stage sets.
It was designated by UNESCO as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2009. It is played only by male actors. Women’s roles are played by male actors, called “onnagata”. The traditional Japanese form of performance originated in the Edo period. Originally it was performed by both women and men, but nowadays only male actors perform the plays.
In our TFWT Asakusa tour, we can see Nihon Dauemon statue of Shiranami Gonin Otoko. Shiranami Gonin Otoko is the nickname for the kabuki play “Aotozoshi Hana no Nishikie” by Kawatake Mokuami, a story about five thieves led by Nippon Daemon.
Recently this statue was repaired but the little finger is broken now.
If you are interested in Kabuki , please watch it in Kabukiza Theatre in Ginza. ”Kabukiza” is the only theater in the world that’s dedicated to Kabuki. In the 5th floor of Kabukiza tower, we recommend a good matcha café and you can see the Japanese style garden. The name of café is Zyugetsudou.
Once again, thank you so much for joining us on our tour. We always make efforts to improve our tours and highly appreciate your feedback on our TripAdvisor/Facebook etc. Your comments motivate us to continue our volunteer activities. Please tell your family and friends about how you enjoyed our tour. Next time you’re in Tokyo, please join another one of our tours that are Asakusa, Meiji Shrine/Harajuku and Ueno Park. We’d love to see you.
For more information about our tour, please visit our web site at
https://tfwt.jp/top/east-gardens-of-the-imperial-palace/ ,
https://www.facebook.com/TokyoFWT
or Tokyo Free Walking Tour at https://www.tripadvisor.jp/ .
(Posted by Yonehara)