Nihonbashi, Cradle of Culture

Nihonbashi during the Edo Period (1603-1867) was a center point in Japan‘s flow of not only people and goods but also ideas. In Nihonbashi, many now-iconic cultural arts grew and flourished. Printed “ezoshi” picture books and “ukiyo-e” woodblock prints had their start in Nihonbashi, as did kabuki performing arts and joruri puppet theater. Their popularity attracted even more culture and commerce to Nihonbashi, and solidified their place among Japan’s exemplary cultural arts today.

Japan's Diverse Cultures Come Together in Nihonbashi

Nihonbashi during the Edo Period (1603-1867) was a center point in Japan‘s flow of not only people and goods but also ideas. In Nihonbashi, many now-iconic cultural arts grew and flourished. Printed “ezoshi” picture books and “ukiyo-e” woodblock prints had their start in Nihonbashi, as did kabuki performing arts and joruri puppet theater. Their popularity attracted even more culture and commerce to Nihonbashi, and solidified their place among Japan’s exemplary cultural arts today.

Printing, Publishing, and Picture Arts

Nihonbashi's long love of books began in the Edo Period, with traditional books, ezoshi picture books, and ukiyo-e woodblock prints flourishing during this time. Printers and publishers popped up all over the area, including Suharaya, the largest book wholesaler of the time, and Tsuruya Kiemon, who published popular joruri puppet theater books. This printing culture took root and grew into the bookstores, newspaper companies, and publishing companies of the Meiji Period (1868-1912). Though some of today's book publishers have moved elsewhere, Nihonbashi is still home to a large number of paper wholesalers and printing-related companies, a testament to the area's long history and long love of the printed picture and word.

The Dance and Drama of Kabuki Stage Plays

Nihonbashi in the Edo Period was also a hub for the performing arts. Kabuki, a kind of stylized stage play with music and dance, joruri puppet theater, and other performing arts were contained to the relatively small Ningyocho area. As such, Ningyocho remains a part of Tokyo that still retains the classic, old-style atmosphere of Edo Japan.

Kabuki in particular was a pop culture phenomenon in the Edo Period. The Edo style of kabuki first began in 1624 when Saruwaka Kanzaburo of the Nakamura-za theater put up a "yagura" box tower for performances, not unlike an outdoor band stand, at Nakabashi Bridge. The Ichimura-za theater, Morita-za theater, and Yamamura-za theater soon followed, and kabuki took root and flourished. Stage superstars like Ichikawa Danjuro, called "the patron god of actors," Ichikawa Danzo, Iwai Hanshiro, and Onoe Kikugoro built national fan bases and drew massive crowds. Many playwrights whose stories survive today also had their start during this time, including Tsuruya Nanboku IV, famous for his horror story "The Ghost of Yotsuya" (Tokaido Yotsuya Kaidan). Long song (nagauta) artist Kineya Rokuzaemon, musical ensemble (hayashi) artist Tanaka Denzaemon, and others came and went, refining and evolving the art of kabuki and solidifying its central role in Japan's popular culture.

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