Yokohama Nishi Ward

Description

Onko Chishin! Trek-trek Sketch in Nishi-ward: Kamon-yama Park



Going up Momiji-zaka slope near Sakuragicho station and going around the back of Prefectural Music Hall, you will find Kamon-yama Park and Yokohama Noh Theater. When I first came to this park after the war, there was no bronze statue because it was donated as part of metal supply during the war, so it looked like a normal park.

In 1858 (Seian 5), former Hikone Domain volunteer members purchased this land which used to be called “Railway Mountain” in order to honor the Tairo, Ii Naosuke who decided to open Yokohama port. Later in 1909 (Meiji 42), his bronze statue was built and five year later, it was donated to Yokohama city and the park was opened to public as “Kamon-yama Park”.

In 1954 (Showa 29), the second generation of bronze statue was built. People enjoy cherry-blossom viewing in spring and “Enjoying chirping of insects Party” is held in summer in the park.

Right before the opening of Yokohama port, Yokohama was farming and fishing village, but now it has become a bustling city with Landmark Tower and many tall buildings. Maybe the statue of Ii Naosuke is thinking “I was a man of foresight!”



Title, picture and writing by Taro Suzuki (Nishi ward Cultural Association)



※This is a sketch and writing published in Yokohama Public Relation Nishi ward edition since June 2013. Please be noted that there’s a possibility that information in the article may be changed.



(Published January in 2016)