“Edo-ya” The 12th owner, Mr. Katsutoshi Hamada

Nihonbashi Odenma-cho is derived from "Tenma", the houseback relay delivery by horses system in the Edo Era. There were a number of merchants in the town, cotton wholesalers in the Edo Era, and textile wholesalers after the World War II. Consequently, the town was prospered. We interviewed maestro. Katsutoshi Hamada was the 12th owner of "Edo-ya". Edo-ya was producing and selling hake and many brushes at Edo Shogunate in about 300 years in the town.

“Swordsmith, Hidari-Hisasaku” The 2nd owner, Mr. Takanobu Ikegami

If you cross "Kachidoki-bashi Bridge" on river Sumida from Tsukiji direction, you will be in Tsukishima. The area was reclaimed in the Meiji Era, so that it was named "Tsukishima", "the reclaimed island". It used to be an "Ishikawa-jima shipbuilding town" where dockyard hands were living today. The same area is filled with the number of Monja-yaki restaurants in stead, but an old town atmosphere is still there.
We interviewed Maestro. Takanobu Ikegami, the 2nd owner of the "Swordsmith, Hidari-Hisasaku".

“Kyoshindo Inazaki” The 5th owner, Mr. Munechika Inazaki

The area between Ryogoku-bashi Bridge and Eitai-bashi Bridges used to be seashore during the Edo Era. This area is called “Hamacho, Nihonbashi”, which literally means “Seashore town”. Hamacho is also known for its upper class Japanese restaurants that serve a traditional style of the Japanese cuisines. Today, the traditional atmosphere still remains in the Hamacho area, for instance, the Meiji-za Theater and Hamacho Park. This month, we interviewed Maestro. His real name is Munechika Inazaki. He is the 5th owner of the “Kyoshindo Inazaki” who mounts hanging scrolls, folding screens, and such items from the Hamacho area.

“Nakajima Lacquerware house” The 11th owner, Mr. Yasuhide Nakajima

Ieyasu Tokugawa is said to have originally invited the fishermen who developed a fishing village out of a naturally created bay. This was also the beginning of Tsukuda.Tsukuda is well-known for its “Tsukuda-ni,” fish and shellfish boiled in sweetened soy sauce. Lacquerware from Tsukuda is also known as “Edo lacquerware”, popular and used by everyone, from lords to commoners. Today, we have interviewed Maestro Yasuhide Nakajima, the 11th owner of the “Nakajima Lacquerware house” in Tsukuda.

“S. Watanabe Wood Cut Print” The 3rd owner, Mr. Shoichiro Watanabe

Ginza’s Namiki Dori Street, with many foreign brand-name stores, high-end restaurants, and art galleries, is known as a street of art and beauty. S. Watanabe Color Print Company, an old-standing woodcut print store on Namiki-dori Street, was founded in 1906. The store collects Ukiyo-e and Shin-Hanga, both traditional and new print art, and attracts many visitors from all over the world. Our interview for the month was with Maestro. Shoichiro Watanabe, the 3rd owner of the store.

“Shirokiya Denbe” The 8th owner, Mr. Satoru Nakamura

Kyobashi, known for being one of the 8 best scenic spots in Edo (modern day Tokyo), in Ukiyo-e woodblock prints, is a historic and traditional city. An accessible market using the water system for transportation was founded in 1664 in Kyobashi. The city was named after the first bridge on the old Tokaido road that connected Nihonbashi to Kyoto, located in the south of the city. The name means “a bridge to Kyoto.” Kyobashi has been an active business district with various companies, traditional stores, and so on to the present day. We interviewed Maestro Satoru Nakamura, the 8th owner of “Shirokiya Denbe”, and received a warm taste of an Edo style broom store this month.

“Ando Chobo” The second owner, Mr. Masakazu Ando

It was Ginza where the first account books in Japan started, and there used to be a number of account book stores there. The techniques of marble effects pattern-making, used for making account books, was introduced to Japan from Europe about 140 years ago, and then was changed to be original. Our interview of the month is with Maestro Masakazu Ando, the second owner of the "Ando Chobo Account Book Store" located in Ginza 1-chome.

“Ono-ya Sohonten” The 6th owner, Mr. Yasuo Fukushima

The name of the town Shintomi is derived from a playhouse called "Shintomi-za", one that was a large modern theatre in Tokyo during the Meiji Era. The town thrived as a theatrical quarter, where many Kabuki-related people lived. The town is strongly connected with traditional performing arts places even now, such as the Kabuki-za Theatre and Shinbashi Enbujo Theatre. In this town, there is a "Ono-ya Sohonten", a custom-made tabi (Japanese socks) shop, serving Kabuki actors such as Kankuro Nakamura and Ebizo Ichikawa, or classical Japanese dancers.
We introduce maestro Yasuo Fukushima, the 6th owner of the store in this month's feature.

“Hamacho Takatora” The second owner, Mr. Kinya Takahashi

The name of the town “Nihonbashi-hamacho” came from the fact that it used to face the shore along the Sumidagawa River. The mansions and storehouses of many clans rested along the river, and the area was known as a craftsmen’s town during the Edo Period. Originally called “Kon-ya”, the shop “Hamacho Takatora” has been in business in Hamacho, Nihonbashi, since changing its name in 1948.
This month, we interviewed Maestro Kinya Takahashi, the 2nd owner of Hamacho Takatora. He manages the various processes of dyeing, keeping a stylish Edo sprit in his works which include “Hanten” - kimono style festival gowns, japanese washcloths, japanese pouches, and kakemori.

“Iwai Tsuzura store” The owner, Mr. Ryoichi Iwai

Tsuzura is a craftwork that was first made by craftsmen in Kanda, Tokyo, early in the Genroku era. Although there were more than 250 tsuzura stores all over Japan at the beginning of the Showa era, there are only two stores left in Tokyo today. One of them is "Iwai Tsuzura ten" in Chuo-ku. The popularity of tsuzura has been growing again recently, not just as a container for kimono or accessories but as a home decoration and a gift for overseas.
This month, we introduce maestro Ryoichi Iwai of "Iwai Tsuzura-ten," located on Amazake Yokocho Street, Nihonbashi, the only store that crafts and sells Tsuzura products in Chuo-ku today. The store was established at the end of the Edo era, and has been handing down the traditional technique of crafting "Tsuzura" for the past 200 years, since the 17th Century.

“Nakazawa Katsura house” The third owner, Mr. Toshiaki Nakazawa

Since the Edo era, there have been a number of popular theaters named "Yamamura-za" and "Morita-za". It used to be called the "Kobiki-cho theater district," the former name of the area. Kabuki-za, since its establishment in 1988, has helped raise Kabuki to the great level it has today in representing Japanese culture for the past 400 years. The "Katsura", or wig, is one of the essential elements used that has helped maintain the elaborate beauty of kabuki behind the scenes. Due to the number of theaters, a similar number of katsura houses also exist in Chuo-ku. This month's feature introduction interview is with Maestro Toshiaki Nakayama, the third generation "Nakazawa Katsura ten", located in front of the Kabuki-za theater.

“Bachiei” The second owner, Mr. Eijiro Kobayashi

This street, called "Amazake Yokocho", retains the atmosphere of old downtown Edo. It attracts people from the neighboring business areas, tourists, and people making prayers while visiting the Suitengu shrine. In this unique town, there is a "Bachiei" - a Shamisen house which has continued 90 years of tradition since the Taisho period (1917). With sincere and polite work, this bachiei attracts many fans, from professionals such as Kabuki actors and Geisha, to everyday people.Today's guest on "Tokyo Chuo Net" is Maestro Eijiro Kobayashi, a 2nd generation bachiei, together with Mr. Eisuke Kobayashi, the 3rd generation bachiei of the house.