Yokohama Nishi Ward

Description

Onko Chishin! Trek-trek Sketch in Nishi-ward: Hodogaya Road #2



Yokohama port was opened in late Edo period and some travelers heading to the port from Hodogaya-juku took Hodogaya road. At present, the road became “Kubocho nikoniko shopping street”.

It is said that Hodogaya road was very narrow surrounded by fields and forest and there was not much houses at that time. From Taisho to early Showa era, Yokohama municipal railway was opened to traffic in this area. Since then, the number of houses increased including houses for workers of Yokohama Dock Co., Ltd and Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd forming current town.

Walking through Kubocho nikoniko shopping street toward Tobe direction and walking into an allay on your right side, you will find Tenmang? (Shinto shrine). I wonder if travelers at the time visited this place to pray for safety and succusses in business.

Passing under high-voltage electrical power lines and entering “Sun Mall Nishi Yokohama (Kubocho Ginza shopping street), you will find a vibrant shopping street with stores closely related to local people’s daily life. You can hear shop staff saying “check out our deal!!” “welcome!!”. Standing on the street, you can see Yokohama Landmark Tower in front. It’s a very typical Yokohama downtown shopping street. There are plates of “Hodogaya Road” embedded on the street.



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 August in 2017)