A New Year’s Eve Calculation
That Didn’t Add Up
The story takes place at a Rōnin's home in the outskirts of Edo (Musashi Province)
Locations
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Shinagawa – served as the first post station (shukuba) along the Tōkaidō highway from Edo to Kyoto; approximately eight kilometers from Edo’s center
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Fujichaya Tea House: Located in Tokyo’s Aomono Yokochō, it was once nestled in an area lined with clothing wholesalers
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Kanda Shrine: Located in Tokyo’s Chiyoda ward, it was a popular pilgrimage site for warriors along Edo’s outskirts
Shinagawa and the Fujichaya Wisteria Teahouse in Hitome Tamaboko
“From Shianagawa bay, the famous local seaweed (nori) is gathered. In times past -- close to here -- ‘one-night wives’ would adorn themselves to entice travelers to linger, though now even the sound of their little songs has faded away. Continuing along the shore to the west is a village called Arakawa. Here lies what they call Musashino—a forlorn moor stretching on and on, as if weeping into the distance.”
“The Myõkoku-ji Temple belongs to the Hokke (Nichiren) sect. The grand ‘Onari Gate,’ originally erected for the Suruga Dainagon, was relocated here, and its gold and silver carvings once gleamed in splendor -- yet this, too, has passed into history. Along the shore stands a so-called ‘Wisteria Teahouse,’ blossoms draping from the eaves on a trellis. One must especially stop here in the summer.”
