2009年7月27日月曜日

Index of Japanese culture in Geshukuya Life

■■■ Index of Japanese culture
in “ A Geshukuya Life, Tokyo 1908 – 1909 in Takuboku Ishikawa’s diary”  ■■■


【 女中jochuh 】 maid
1908  May 9, 27 June 1, 4, 7, 8, 9, 17, 23, 24 July 2, 5, 24, 25, 27, 28 August 27
September 8,11,21 October 6, 12, 28 November 1, 30 December 1, 6
1909  January 9, 24, 29, 31 February 6, 9, 18 March 12
April 1, 6, 8, 9, 13, 18, 19, 20, 21, 27, 30 May 2, 3, 7, 14

【 心付け kokoro-zuke 】 chip
1908 November 30 1909 January 31, April 18

【 女将 okami 】 landlady
1908  July 2, 28 September 6 October 28 1909 January 4

【 芸者 geisha 】 geisha
1909  April 27

【 床の間 tokonoma 】 display corner in the wall
1908  May 22 August 1 September 7 1909 April 14

【 生花 ikebana 】 Japanese flower arrangement
1908  May 22, 28 June 1, 8, 23, 25 September 7 1909 April 14

【 障子 shohji 】 paper covered sliding doors
1908  June 8, 24 July 17 August 24 October 28 1909 April 7, 8, 20

【 雨戸 amado 】 wooden slidding doors outside the windows
1908  June 1 July 13, 29 1909 March 12 April 13, 18

【 畳 tatami 】 grass woven mat
1908  May 5, 27 July 24 September 8

【 布団 futon 】 Japanese bedding
1908  July 2, 13, 23, 24 August 3 September 1, 6, 17 October 22, 26 November 16, 29
1909 April 9, 14, 18, 19, 20

【 座布団 zabuton 】 Japanese cushion for sitting in the floor
1908  June 21 November 1

【 押入れ oshi-ire 】 Japanese closet
1908  April 18, 19

【 火鉢 hibachi 】 brazier
1908  July 1 1909 April 19, 20, 26 May 1, 3

【 風呂 furo 】 bath
1908  September 7 1909 January 5 March 25, 27 April 15, 17

【 銭湯 sentoh 】 public bath
1908  May 18 June 1, 13 July 17 August 2, 20, 29 1909 February 9 April 20, 21, 26

【 石畳 ishidadami 】 stone paved pass
1908  September 6

【 旅館 ryokan 】 inn
1909  April 1, 7, 8, 9





【 賄い Makanai 】 meals at geshukuya and etc.
1908 May 15, 25 June 17 July 8, 13, 17, 27, 29 August 7 September 19
October 7, 12, 18, 29 November 1
1909 January 1, 3, 4 February 24 April 8, 19

【 (一人)膳 zen 】 small low table for one person
1908  May 25 July 27 1909 April 8

【 味噌汁 miso-shiru 】 miso soup
1909  April 19

【 しゃもじ shamoji 】 bamboo made spoon for serving rice
1909  April 19

【 卵酒 tamago-zake】 hot sake mixed with egg
1909  January 9, 10

【 蜜柑 mikan 】 Japanese orange
1909  January 3

【 柿 kaki 】 persimmon
1908  November 27

【 天麩羅 tenpura 】 Japanese fries
1908  November 30 1909 February 7 May 8 - 13

【 蕎麦 soba 】 Japanese noodle
1908 September 30 October 4 December 1, 6





【 着物 kimono 】 Japanese traditional clothes
1908  July 14, 27 August 1, 24

【 袴 hakama 】 Japanese spread trousers
1908  September 5, 7 1909 January 21, 26

【 羽織 haori 】 Japanese jacket
1908  September 7 1909 January 21 April 8

【 帯 obi 】 belt for kimono
1908  October 12

【 足袋 tabi 】 Japanese socks
1908  November 1 1909 April 8

【 草履 zohri】 grass woven sandals
1908  July 24 September 7

【 下駄 geta 】 wooden clogs
1908 September 7




【 正月 shohgatu 】 New Year
1908  December 14 1909 January 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 19, 25

【 除夜の鐘 joya-no-kane 】 sound of temples’ bells in the New Year’s Eve
1909  January 1

【 餅 mochi 】 rice cake
1909  January 1, 25

【 年賀状 nengajoh 】 New Year’s greeting post card
1908   December 14 1909 January 1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12, 19

【 かるた karuta 】 Japanese New Year’s card game
1909  January 3, 4, 5, 6

【 酒 sake 】 sake
1909  January 1

【 凧 tako 】 kite
1909 January 4



【 雪 yuki 】 snow
1909  January 9,10,11,13

【 梅 ume 】 plum blossoms
1909  March 11

【 鶯 uguisu 】 nightingale
1909  March 11 April 16

【 桜 sakura 】 cherry blossoms
1909  April 4, 7, 14

【 竹 take 】 bamboo
1908  May 5, 8 August 5, 24, 31 1909 April 19

【 虫 mushi 】 insects
1908  July 13 August 24 September 6, 8

【 蚊 ka 】 mosquitoes
1908  June 26 July 10, 29 August 3

【 蚊取線香 katori-senkoh 】 mosquito repellent incense
1908  July 17, 29 August 3, 4

【 盆踊り bon-odori 】 summer dance for ancestors’ sprits
1908  August 20

【 蝉 semi 】 cicadas
1908  July 24, 29

【 扇子 sensu 】 fun
1908  August 1

【 氷水 koori-mizu 】 cold water with shaved ice
1908  July 29 August 2, 20

【 花火 hanabi 】 fire work
1908  August 1

【 月 tsuki 】 moon
1908  July 13 September 8 October 2

【 蜻蛉 tonbo 】 dragonfly
1908 October 1





【 浅草 Asakusa 】
1908 October 4 November 1
1909 Febrary 8 March 10 April 4, 6 June 1

【 上野 Ueno 】
1909  April 4 June 16

【 墨田川 Sumida-gawa 】 Sumida River
1908  August 1

【 富士山 Fuji-san 】 Mt. Fuji
1908 September 8, 15


【 人力車 jinrikisha 】 vehicle drawn by a man
1908  November 1, 30 December 1, 4 1909 March 10 April 14 June 16

【 市電 shiden 】 streetcar
1908 July 27 August 1, 24 September 8 October 4 November 1 December 1
1909 January 7 March 3, 11, 12, 30 April 1, 3, 21, 27

【 貸本屋 kashihon-ya 】 rental books peddler
1908 October 16, 18, 20, 24, 28 November 1, 3, 7, 16
1909 February 4 March 12 April 7, 13, 14





【 寺 tera 】 temple
1908  July 24, 29 August 20 1909 January 1

【 神社 jinja 】 shrine
1908 September 21 1909 January 9





【 源氏物語 Genji-Monogatari 】 Genji tales
1908  September 8, 9, 17, 19 October 2 1909 April 1

【 漢詩 kanshi】 Chinese classic poems
1908  September 30

【 将棋 shohgi 】 Japanese chess
1908  August 19, 20 September 6 1909 January 3, 5 May 7

【 印鑑・はんこ inkan ・hanko】 seal
1908  November 1

【 故郷・ふるさと kokyoh・furusato 】 hometown
1908  September 3 October 28 1909 February 7,18 June16

2009年7月21日火曜日

下宿屋 geshukuya : Japanese boarding house

下宿屋 geshukuya : Japanese boarding house
- as a part of Japanese living culture and social history especially urbanization in Tokyo -

高橋幹夫 Mikio Takahashi


In Japan, the Westernization from 明治時代 Meiji Era ( 1868 - 1912 ) was partly establishing Western style schools, for example, Western law schools, medical schools in Tokyo with the top of them, Tokyo University.Many students from countryside had their sleeping spaces and meals in 下宿屋 geshukuya, Japanese boarding houses.

下宿屋 geshukuya had its origin in 旅館 ryokan, Japanese inn, giving sleeping spaces and meals likeg下宿屋 eshukuya as the hotel were the origin of the residential hotel.In下宿屋 geshukuya, there were not only students living there, but also people staying for some days like guests of 旅館 ryokan.Some 下宿屋 geshukuya had changed into 旅館 ryokan again, especially in 本郷 Hongoh area near Tokyo University. For example, today’s 太栄館 Taieikan ( former 蓋平館 Gaiheikan where the writer of the original diary, 石川啄木 Takuboku Ishikawa, not a student but a person living alone in Tokyo like a student, was living from September 6, 1908 to June 16, 1909 ), 鳳明館 Homeikan and etc. A lot of owners of下宿屋 geshukuya also came from countryside, including some brothers and relatives from 岐阜 Gifu district near 名古屋 Nagoya to本郷 Hongoh area, the first owners of鳳明館 Homeikan and 本郷館 Hongokan which has been still now since 1905 , the ancestors’ of today’s owners of太栄館 Taieikana and 鳳明館 Homeikan and others. Some owners of下宿屋 geshukuya were large-income earner and members of the本郷 Hongoh ward assembly and can be found in 日本紳士録 Japan Who’s Who. For example, the first owner of 鳳明館 Homeikan was elected in 1920 and can be found in日本紳士録 Japan Who’s Who published in 1909, 1918~1927, 1929~1934, 1936, 1937.

Not like Western boarding houses nor residential hotels, but just like 旅館 ryokan including today’s太栄館 Taieikan, 鳳明館 Homeikan and others, in geshukuya, without dining room for guests, each meal was served to each guest’s bed room an下宿屋 d sometimes they had shared bath.In 下宿屋 geshukuya, room maids were bringing to each guest’s bed room not only meals but also charcoal for the brazier, newspaper, letters・・・opening and closing 雨戸 amado, sliding wooden doors outside the window, sweeping・・・
In 下宿屋 geshukuya, each guest spent one’s young days among room maids working well, sometimes doing 生花 ikebana, Japanese flower arrangement by oneself for each 床の間 tokonoma, display corner in the wall and reading books rented from 貸本屋 kashihon-ya, rental peddler visiting to each bed room.

下宿屋 geshukuya, Japanese boarding house was born by the Westernization in Japan but different a lot from Western boarding houses.
Reading石川啄木 Takuboku Ishikawa’s diary is experiencing of Japanese living culture and Japanese tradition in Modern time Japan and would be good hints for your stay in Japan, particularly 旅館 ryokan, 太栄館 Taieikan, 鳳明館 Homeikan, 澤の屋 Sawanoya and others.


Bibliography ( books and web site by 高橋幹夫 Mikio Takahashi )

下宿屋という近代   ISBN9784883310524 2007
本郷,下宿屋ものがたり  ISBN9784990364205 2007
「日本紳士録」掲載下宿屋等一覧  ISBN9784990364212 2007
The 20th century of Hongoh-kan, a neighbor of Tokyo University  ISBN9784990364229 2007

下宿屋公営住宅等集合住宅等歴史資料等http://geshukuyahistory.blogspot.com/