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/