|
Kamakura's District of
Wakamiya Oji Dori
Administrator:
Position is currently vacant
  Why did I build such a long street? To pray for a son! In the Kamakura era, only the eldest male heir could become shogun. I was 36 years old at the time and had two daughters, but no son. When I learned that my wife, Masako, was pregnant again, I wanted to ensure that she would give birth to a baby boy who would one day walk in his father's footsteps. I ordered Hojo Tokimasa and other retainers to construct an impressively broad, straight avenue, like Suzaku-oji in Heiankyo and Kyoto's main boulevard Miyako Oji, and dedicated it to Hachiman, the tutelary deity of the Minamoto clan. My prayers were answered that same year and the street was named Wakamiya Oji Dori, or Young Prince Avenue. Hmmm…since all roads lead to shrines in Kamakura and Wakamiya Oji Dori is no exception, I may as well tell you about the Tsurugaoka Hachimangu Shrine. More tea? My first act after our victory over the Taira clan in 1180 was to have the Shinto shrine of Hachiman, founded by my great-great-grandfather Minamoto no Yoriyoshi in 1063, enlarged and moved to its current site. When the shrine burned down in 1191, I rebuilt it on a graded hillside so that it now has upper and lower buildings and a magnificent view of Kamakura along Wakamiya Oji from the main hall at the top of the stairs. Back in my day, in the Kamakura era, Hachimangu was embraced as the guardian deity of samurai warriors and played a central role in Japanese Buddhism. In fact, joint Shinto and Buddhist ceremonies were held here until the two practices were separated in the Meiji era (1868 - 1912).  Wakamiya Oji Dori is also of archaeological interest. An excavation uncovered medieval residences of warriors and their men, and the houses and warehouses of craftsmen and merchants. The old centre of action, the Kamakura Shogun, can be seen on the east side of the street. The original road I built was also quite different from what you see today. The elevated walkpath stretched for 1,500 meters from Ichi no Torii, the first torii gate near Yuigahama beach, up to San no Torii, the third gate at the entrance of Hachiman-gu Shrine. It was more than three times wider at its far end near the sea, which created an optical illusion that made it appear longer than it actually was. If you look through the old records, you will find that the road was as wide as 33 meters and had moats that measured 3 meters wide and 1.5 meters deep on each side as a defense against enemy invasion. I am proud to say that Wakamyia Oji Dori has been central to the development of the landscape of Kamakura city and is considered one of Japan's 100 most beautiful streets. Not only is it the road the devout walk along to go to the shrine, it is also lined with numerous shops that sell Kamakurabori, a local craft of carved and engraved lacquered wood. I hope you enjoyed touring our lovely street and that you will consider buying property here and building a home, a shop, a guild, or whatever your muse inspires you to create. If you need help getting started, contact one of our esteemed Orient Scribes. Sources Images from the Flickr public domain from the Wikipedia Commons 
The Articles of Wakamiya Oji Dori:
Sort by: Featured Date | |
The Discussions of Wakamiya Oji Dori:
|
