historic siteOchanomizu, Yushima, Korakuen
Ruins of Otama-ga-ike Pond（Otamagaike-ato)
Otama-ga-ike Pond is said to have been as large as Shinobazu Pond during the Edo period (1603-1868), but was reclaimed in the late Edo period and turned into a residential area. The name comes from an anecdote about Otama, the signboard girl of a teahouse by the pond, who was caught between the affections of two men and threw herself into the pond, and a shrine dedicated to Otama, “Otama Inari,” still remains today. At the end of the Edo period, Shusaku Chiba’s dojo, Genbukan, was located here, where members of the Shinsengumi and Ryoma Sakamoto also attended, and “Otama ga Ike” was sometimes used to refer to Genbukan. The Shozan Sakuma, a scholar of Shuji, also held a cram school here, and the area seems to have been a gathering place for both literary and military talents.
Spot OutlineOutline
| address (e.g. of house) | 2-7 Iwamoto-cho, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo |
|---|---|
| Access | 5 minutes from Iwamoto-cho Subway Station |
| phone | nashi (Pyrus pyrifolia, esp. var. culta) |
| Business Hours | 24 hours |
| regular closing day | nashi (Pyrus pyrifolia, esp. var. culta) |
