“Honjin” were hotels for daimyo lords, nobles and other elites. There were also chaya(teahouse)-honjin which were resting places for them; there were no rooms to stay. I visited chaya-honjin in Kami-Toyooka, and a honjin room in Itahana-shuku (post town), Nakasendou (highway). We can see the facility for upper class in the Edo period (1603~1868).
There is another gate inside the main gate which leads to the lounge.
すぐ右手に屋敷内の門があり、休憩所へと進みます。
The back room is a resting place for VIPs, however not for VVIP such as royalties like princesses. The floor level of VVIP had to be raised up around 15cm.
奥が上段の間なのですが、段を上げていないので、和宮様のような高貴のお休み場所にはできなかったとのことです。手前が、次の間です。
The VIP room has “tokonoma” space to decorate a painting scroll, a vase and so on.
上段の間は書院造りです。写真がぼけていてすみません。
The room of “honjin” in Itahana-shuku (post town)、板鼻宿旧本陣書院(皇女和宮資料館)
The wooden building was a part of “honjin” and it was moved and is preserved. Princess Kazunomiya stayed overnight here in 1861. She traveled from Kyoto to Tokyo in order to marry the shogun. it was a political marriage. It was a so pity that the room was closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
寛永或いは寛政期に造られた書院を曳家で移転してきました。和宮様が1861年11月10日に泊まられたそうです。コロナ影響で、公開していなかったのが残念。
Surprisingly enough, there is a space under the tatami floor; two ninja stayed there to guard the princess.
Ten thousand attendants accompanied the princess from Kyoto. Fifteen thousand samurai guarded her. There were eighty thousand people in total including carriers. Wooden boards were attached beneath the floors in order to protect the princess from any attempt of assassination by sword.
The princess was 16 years old at that time. Unfortunately, her husband (shogun) died in sickness when she was 21, the shogunate (Bakufu) was abolished only five months later after his death. She passed away at the age of 31. It was a tragedy.
忍者二人が床下で警備したスペースがあるといいますからビックリ。見たかったです。
ちなみに、和宮様通行の際は、京都からのお供が一万人、江戸からのお迎えが一万五千人、人足が四千人、通過する藩の警護が一万人、その助郷が一万三千人、遠国雇いの人足らを加え総人数八万人。荷物は東海道で運びました(第22回中山道宿場会議資料)。暗殺を防ぐために、街道沿いの建物の二階は戸を締め切り、一階はすべての窓を開けました。そして、お部屋の床には板を重ねて剣で突けないようにしたとのこと。和宮様にお怪我があっては将軍家の一大事です。
和宮様は、16歳でご結婚、21歳で将軍・徳川家茂と死別して静寛院宮となられ、明治10年31歳で亡くなられました。衣食住のご苦労はなくても、ご苦労が多かったと思います。何が幸せなのか、考えてしまいますね。
Kami-Toyooka is located east of Itahana. 上豊岡は高崎宿と板鼻宿の間です。
Visited in October, 2021
Official website
Kami-Toyooka Chaya-honjin、上豊岡の茶屋本陣: https://www.city.takasaki.gunma.jp/docs/2013121700139/
(in Japanese)
The “honjin” room of Itahana-shuku、板鼻宿旧本陣書院(皇女和宮資料館): https://www.city.annaka.lg.jp/kanko_spot/itahana.html
(in Japanese)
Accessed in February, 2022
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museum、行田市郷土博物館
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