Fukagawa is an area in Kōtō, Tokyo, Tokyo. It is one of the representative shitamachi of Tokyo. Formerly, it was a ward of the historical Tokyo City. In 1947, Fukagawa was incorporated into the ward of Kōtō, together with Suginami.
History
The Fukagawa neighbourhood is named after its founder, Fukagawa Hachirozaemon. Originally, parts of the Fukagawa district below the Eitai river had been part of the adjoining Pacific Ocean coastline; Hachirozaemon developed these areas into viable land through the use of landfills. After the loss of roughly 60 percent of the city to the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657, the local shogunate ordered Buddhist temples on the north and west banks of the Onagi River and the east bank of the Sumida River to be relocated. During this time, the area had been mainly occupied by fishermen, with a population of just over 1000; as of 1695, the area became officially known as the town of "Fukagawa-Sagamachi". Following this, Fukagawa became known for its granary trade in rice and other grains; up until World War II, it was known as one of Tokyo's largest grain markets. In later decades, the construction of bridges along the Sumida River allowed greater external access to the area, leading to Fukagawa becoming a gateway for the neighbouring town of Monzen-machi and a local red-light district. Fukagawa was an area particularly known for the brash and cutting-edge styles of the geisha who worked there, known as "haori geisha" or "tatsumi geisha", the former moniker ostensibly for having popularised the wearing of the haori - a kimono jacket - by women, when previously it had been worn solely by men. Fukagawa may have been the location of the first female geisha in Edo, as geisha had originally been male entertainers before transitioning to a majority-female profession in the early 19th century. As a geisha district, Fukagawa had been in decline for many years, but following the move of Australian geishaFiona Graham to the area in 2015, has experienced a revival.
Connections to
Fukagawa is known for its relations to the famous Japanese poet, Matsuo Bashō. In 1680, Bashō moved to Fukagawa. Here, he wrote one of his most famous poems,.
