Daimachi, near Yokohama Station, was once a place of spectacular scenery! The "Dai-machi of Kanagawa" was once a place of spectacular scenery!

  • Kanagawa
  • Sightseeing

Did you know that there is a long staircase like this one in "Daimachi", a 10-minute walk from Yokohama Station?

(Photo looking to the left with the staircase at the top of the stairs in the background)
Hiroshige Utagawa, "Tokaido Gojyosantsugi-no-Uchi-Kanagatadai-no-Keiken"
Image courtesy of Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
After climbing the stairs, a long vertical slope continues as shown in the photo. At first glance, it appears to be an ordinary slope, but in the Edo period (1603-1867), the Kanagawa inn was located in this area, and this place in particular was called "Kanagawa-dai" because of its excellent view, where travelers would stop to admire the scenery. According to Hiroshige Utagawa's nishikie, "Kanagawa-no-dai-no-kei," a nishikie (nishikie woodblock print) from around 1833-1834, the sea was very close by at that time, and there was a row of tea stores along the side of the slope. Women can be seen calling out to travelers, giving the area a sense of liveliness.
Comparing the two, we can see that the long stairway mentioned earlier was a cliff in the Edo period, the place where the stairway went up was "Kanagawa-no-dai" and the lower side of the stairway (toward Yokohama Station) was the sea. This was the reason why there are many hills near the dai-machi area while the area around the station is flat! The scenery has changed a lot, but it is interesting to see the topography of the area.

It is one of the spots on the "Kanagawa-juku Historical Path" and you can see guide panels like this one. Please visit if you are in the neighborhood.

Yokohama City Website "Kanagawa Yado Historical Trail
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