Nihonbashi

Nihonbashi (日本橋, literally Japan Bridge), also romanized as Nihombashi, is a business district of Chūō in Tokyo, Japan. The district grew up around the bridge of the same name.[1] The bridge connects two sides of the Nihonbashi River. A series of bridges at the same site have had the same name since the 17th century.[1]

Nihonbashi. Woodblock print by Hiroshige, c. 1833-1834

Traditionally, all distances in Japan are measured from the centerpoint of the Nihonbashi Bridge. This custom began in the Edo period.[2]

History
Marker at center of Nihonbashi

In the Edo period, the Nihonbashi Bridge was the start of Tōkaidō road which connected Edo and Kyoto.[3] The earliest Nihonbashi Bridge was made of wood. It was completed in 1603. The current bridge is made of stone. It was completed in 1911.[1]

In 2009, Nihonbashi was recognized as one of the 100 Landscapes of Japan which best show contemporary Japan and its culture in the Heisei period.[4]

Timeline
  • 1603 (Keichō 8): Wooden bridge built.[1]
  • 1605 (Keichō 10): The first official map of Japan was ordered with distances measured from Nihonbashi.[5]
  • 1911 (Meiji 44): Bridge was re-built using stone.[1]

References
Nihonbashi, 1911
  1. Chuo City Tourist Association, "Nihonbashi" Archived 2008-03-15 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 2012-3-25.
  2. Richie, Donald. (1994). Introducing Tokyo, p. 15.
  3. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "Tōkaidō" in Japan Encyclopedia, p. 973.
  4. "100 Landscapes of Heisei announced," Yomiuri Shimbun. May 2009. Retrieved 2012-3-30.
  5. Traganeou, Jilly. (2004). The Tokaido Road: Traveling and Representation in Edo and Meiji Japan, p. 230.

Other websites

Media related to Nihonbashi, Tokyo at Wikimedia Commons

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