32km today. I rode from my home to Tokyo's old execution grounds in Minami Senju and back. 250,000 people were executed during the Edo period at this place, and it was also the city's largest "eta mura". All that is left is a large stone jizo (a statue which looks like Buddha). It is called the "kubukiri jizo", or "head-cutting" jizo, and looked over the spot were the condemned were beheaded.
This place was also a place were swords were tested, a sword would be placed in a special fixture, and tested to see how many bodies it could cut through.
The main street near the station is called "kotsu-dori", which used to mean "bone street". The kanji was changed to disguise the name, though it is still pronounced the same way. Since those executed were of little account, they weren't buried very deep, and with so many bodies buried, bones would always be exposed by rainfall, or dug up by dogs.
Because of the history of the place, and the eta village having been located nearby, it one of the cheaper places to live around Tokyo. Hotel rooms are cheap, and the area has a large immigrant population.
I rode around through the back streets, there are few shops and stores compared to the other business districts around Tokyo. The main part of the old village was renovated some years ago, and a new shopping street was created. But few people venture into the area to shop, and most of the stores are closed. This neighborhood also has the biggest population of homeless people in Tokyo. I rode by numerous men sleeping on the sidewalks, or chatting together while smoking and drinking beer.
This isn't the area which most people are interested in seeing when they come to Tokyo, but it is interesting to see what the bad part of town looks like. In the past it was called "Sanya", but that name was associated with the eta mura. The "eta" (now called buraku, or dowa) were ethnic Japanese, but were considered only one-seventh human. They did the dirtiest work, such as slaughtering animals, tanning leather, and handling the bodies of dead animals and executed criminals. "Sanya" has been removed from all maps, signs, and literature about the city. Leaving Sanya behind, I rode though the Yoshiwara.
The Yoshiwara was the Edo period red light district, and it still is today. There are numerous buildings with interesting names on the signs in front. In front of almost every one is a sharp-dressed man in a dark suit who will try to get you to come in.
From the Yoshiwara, I headed past Asakusa, dodging tourists, buses, and rickshaws, which are part of the traffic in the area. I headed past Asakusabashi station (the location of a smaller eta mura in the past), then into Nihonbashi. From there I rode through Ginza, and then through Shimbashi. I passed the US embassy as I rode into Akasaka. Not feeling like tackling the climb on Roppongi street, I headed toward Aoyama street, and took the more gradual hill up past the Canadian embassy.
It was a good ride, but I spent as much time stopped at red lights as I did riding.
Sunday's ride will be to Ikebukuro, which is not so interesting, but they have a good bike shop there that I want to visit.