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Denpoin street in Asakusa

By Yoshi, November 21, 2010


Visting Asakusa, please walk on “Denpoin street”. (でんぽういんどおり, 伝法院通り).
It’s very close to “Senso-ji”. The street has atmosphere of the “Edo” period, from 1603 to 1868.
 

Palm reading(てそう, 手相), Cloths for “Kimono” (きもの, 着物)
  

 
Do you know what it is for?
 

It’s an old extinguisher in the period, called “Yousuioke”(ようすいおけ, 用水桶), a storage of water, and buckets. Houses in the period were built by woods, “Edo” city was a crowded city blocks of wooden dwellings, and therefore most people were afraid of fire.People put many extinguishers like this all throughout the city.
 
 
 
 
 
 
you can see this figure on the street.
  

  
He is one of 5 master thieves in the period, called “Shiranami gonin otoko” (しらなみごにんおとこ, 白浪五人男). They were very famous, and have been made into “Kabuki” plays.

Now these 5 thieves are on the street as bouncers :) Find them all!