Toshima ward of Tokyo is located at the north-west of Edo castle
which is the Imperial Palace now. A large entertainment district “Ikebukuro” is
in it, but it was a rural area in the Edo period (1603～1868). There were many flower and plant shops which were
broad, so they were similar to botanical gardens. They entertained Edo
people and tourists.
The area of this museum is equivalent
to two class rooms. We need to register before taking photos in the museum.
I introduce Jiyugakuen Myonichikan
which is a good old building near this museum, too.
Entrance
東京都豊島区は江戸城の北西、池袋を中心とする区だが、江戸時代は郊外の農業地域であった。巣鴨には、広大な植木屋があり、植物園として江戸の人々や旅人を楽しませていた。教室二つ分ぐらいの展示室である。写真は許可制になっている。
資料館の近くの自由学園明日館（重要文化財で相棒などのドラマのロケにも使われている）もご紹介。We walk in front of the chronology at first. The topics of people’s life are also written on it, for example, people prayed for pregnancy to the gingko tree of the Kishibojin Shrine in the early 19th century.
Ancient Era、古代の展示
Small cup and pot (enlarged in the lower left) are polished and colored red. The caption says “Are these liquor sets of the ancient era?”.
Medieval Era、中世の展示
The primal landscape of Toshima was established then.
Edo period、江戸時代
Toshima transformed from agricultural
area to ciry. The census register of Zoushigaya, in which a famous shrine Kishibojin
is, shows that farmer’s population accounted for only 7% in 1818. Peddlers accounted
29% followed by teahouse workers, 16%. Kishibojin is a dignified shrine which
the Tokugawa shougun visited, therefore it gathered many visitors.
There
were many teahouses at the district and it was a nice one-day trip destination
for Edo people.
Kishibojin is popular even now which is the god of safety delivery and the guardian of children.
The candy shop in the ground started in 1781. I watch this shop on the TV show often. They sell good old snacks for children.
In the late 17th century, flower and plant shops in Somei had flourished. In the 18th century, they utilized broad land for visitors to walk around.
Ihei Ito, who was popular three hundred years ago, grew and sold plants. Moreover, he published the gardening book based on his experience of taking care of daimyo lords’ garden. Some travelers from northern Japan stopped over his garden when they visited Ise Shrine which is the most popular tourist spot.
3 00年前に活躍した伊藤伊兵衛は、植木の栽培・販売を行うだけでなく、大名庭園での経験を基に園芸書を出版した。東北から伊勢参りに向かう人たちが、伊兵衛の庭を訪れることもあったという。
Ito’s garden is depicted on the fryer for the azalea watching visitors. It is also explained on the screen, so I felt I walked around the garden. It is an enjoyable exhibit.
Ito also cultivated medical plants such as Korean ginseng. The shogunate (bakufu) gave him the precious seeds. The shougun also visited his garden, took a rest on the small hill and enjoyed the view.
観賞用だけでなく、幕府から種子を下賜された朝鮮人参などの薬草もあり、将軍（吉宗、家重）立ち寄った時の御腰掛場（見晴らしの良い小高い場所）もある。奥行き200ｍの広い庭である。
Chrysanthemum flower figure.
The gardeners made an elephant, a crane and Mt. Fuji by chrysanthemum flowers and entertained people. It was not enough entertainment at that time. I think it was a nice picnic destination for people, although the author of Kiyu-Shouran (Part 3) criticized that it was vulgar.
British
botanist who visited Japan in 1860 was surprised with Somei and wrote “The whole country here is covered with nursery-gardens. One straight
road, more than a mile in length, is lined with them. I have never seen, in any
part of the world.” (F.Robert “Yedo and Peking (1863)”
Somei was great!
1860年に来日したイギリスの植物学者は「世界のどこへ行っても、こんなに大規模に、売り物の植物を栽培しているのをみたことがない」と記している。
染井は、すごかったんだ。
Btw, Somei-Yoshino is the most popular sakura cherry breed. In the late 19th century, gardeners in Somei diffused this breed as "Yoshino-sakura". However, people misunderstood it originated at Yoshino in Nara which is famous for its sakura. Therefore the name was changed to "Somei-Yoshino". I didn’t know this story.
The gardeners of Somei seemed to move to Omiya after the WW2. The Omiya Bonsai Art Museum, Saitama is in there, which is popular among foreign visitors.
染井の職人達は、戦後は、大宮に移っていったようだ。大宮盆栽美術館は、外国人に人気だ。
Modern Era、近代
Pass to a modern city and WWⅡ
明治・大正時代、そして第二次世界大戦
In the early 20th century, there were apartments with studios near Ikebukuro which was called “Nagasaki atelier village”. Young artists gathered there.
After the WWⅡ, materials were not enough, so distribution was controlled by the government.
There was an illegal market in Ikebukuro at that time. The model is really elaborate.
Living and praying、「暮らす・祈り」のコーナー
Various old agricultural equipment is exhibited.
In this agricultural timetable, the changes in everyday life is written such as end of using a mosquito curtain. It’s interesting.
The museum has a reference space in which we can see documents and videos.
The museum is seven minutes away from Ikebukuro station. It is in the seventh floor of this building.
Jiyugakuen Myonichikan、自由学園明日館
Frank Lloyd Wright (1867-1959),designed this girls’ school for Christians. I respected him when I was a student. This is less
than ten-minute walk from the museum.
The design is called “Prairie House”,
which emphasized the horizontal lines with reduced height.
学生時代に憧れていた建築家、フランクロイド・ライトのデザインした重要文化財だ。資料館から徒歩10分ぐらいのところにある。自由学園は、キリスト教系の女学校として創立された。
建物は、高さを抑えて水平線を強調した草原様式（プレーリー・スタイル）と呼ばれるらしい。
This meeting room was a classroom. It has a retro feel.
A chapel was renovated to the café. Warm sunlight came into the room when I visited in winter. There are low chairs which were used in the classroom. The wedding ceremony is held in this room sometimes.
There is a fireplace at the opposite side of the window. Wright thought that people gather by the fire and make a communication space, so there are five fireplaces in this building.
Dining hall at the second floor、二階の食堂
There is a small Wright museum in the upper hall. He and his works are introduced. Photos of his masterpiece “Falling Water” (private house in Pennsylvania) are exhibited.
The former classroom was used as the practice venue of a female chorus.
Five funs（楽fun）were found. Visited in December, 2019
Website: http://www.city.toshima.lg.jp/129/bunka/bunka/shiryokan/kyodoshiryokan.html （in Japanese), accessed in June, 2020
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