いま歩いているこの参道を、江戸のころ、一人のイギリス人が歩きました。
お客様の国の初代の公使、オールコックです。
そのとき何が起きたか、本人が書き残しています。
This approach you are walking along now was once walked by a British man, back when this city was still called Edo.
He was Rutherford Alcock, your country's first minister to Japan.
He wrote down what happened to him here.
彼が最初に来たのは、十一月の末でした。楓がまだ紅かったと書いています。
門と門のあいだの参道には、露店がびっしり並んでいました。
玩具の品を、彼は一つずつ書き留めています。
風車。虎のぬいぐるみ。吠える犬。太鼓と笛。
小さな刀と弓矢。着せ替え人形。面。凧。輪回し。
そして、こう続けます。
「日本の子どもの玩具にも、人間に共通のものが現れている」。
女の人の簪も見ています。中が空のガラス玉に、色の付いた水を入れたもの。
そして、彼自身がどう見られたか。
「外国人を一目見ようと、人々が参道の端から端へ走った」。
「その音は、遠くの雷のようだった」。
二つ目の門をくぐると、厩がありました。
神様のための白い馬が、二頭飼われていました。
門の前で、彼は馬を降りるように言われました。
あとで、位のある役人は内門まで乗ったまま進むと知ります。
次に来たときは、彼も乗ったまま進みました。
お堂の裏には、見世物が並んでいました。
木を彫って彩色した、人の背丈ほどの人形です。場面ごとに並べてある。
読書する老人。海辺で水浴する人たち。
遊女の身支度。後ろでは髪結いが髪を結い、下女が四つん這いで煙管を差し出している。
割竹に封書を挟み、鈴を鳴らして走る飛脚。
浪人の一団に襲われた旅人が、ひるまずに刀を抜く。
その気迫に、浪人たちのほうが恐れて固まっている。
ここで彼は、一言書き添えています。
自然に忠実というより、芝居がかっているようだ、と。
そして最後の場面。
突然、虎に襲われた武者の一群。
日本側の年表も、この奥山に出た見世物を書いています。
『増訂武江年表』は、秋山平十郎の作った
「加藤清正の虎狩」の活人形がここに出た、と書いています。
そして、こう続けます。
活人形は次第に巧みになったけれど、珍しくないので見物は少ない。
His first visit was late in November. The maples, he wrote, were still bright scarlet.
The approach between the two gates was lined with stalls.
He set down the toys one by one.
The infant windmill. Stuffed tigers. Barking dogs. Drums and fifes.
Miniature swords, bows and arrows. Dressed dolls. Masks. Kites. Hoops.
And then he wrote:
"so that our common humanity asserts itself even in toys for Japanese children."
He noticed the women's hairpins too: hollow glass heads filled with brightly coloured liquid.
And then, how he himself was seen.
"...who rush through from one extremity to the other, to catch a sight of the foreigner,"
"with an uproar as loud as distant thunder."
Past the second gate was a stable.
Two sacred white horses were kept there for the god's use.
At the gate he was told to dismount.
He learned later that officials of rank rode as far as the inner gate.
The next time he came, he rode in too.
Behind the hall stood the shows.
Life-sized figures, carved in wood and painted, arranged scene by scene.
An old man reading. People bathing at the sea-shore.
A courtesan at her toilet. Her hair is being dressed from behind, and a maid on her hands and knees holds out a pipe to her.
A courier at a trot, his sealed letter in a cleft bamboo, a little bell to clear the way.
A lone traveller set upon by a band of ronin. Nothing daunted, he has drawn his sword.
Such is his air of determination that the ronin themselves seem paralysed with terror.
Here he added a remark of his own:
"I should be disposed to conclude this was more theatrical than true to nature."
And the last scene of all:
a heroic group of warriors, suddenly attacked by tigers.
A Japanese chronicle also records shows put on at this same Okuyama.
The Zoutei Bukou Nenpyou says that Akiyama Heijuurou's figures
of "Katou Kiyomasa hunting the tiger" were on show here.
And it adds:
the figures had grown more skilful — but they were no longer a novelty, so few came to look.
この話のもとになった記録の言葉です。ページは、その本に刷られたものです。
増訂武江年表一次史料
同月より淺草寺奧山に於て、秋山平十郞作加藤清正虎狩の活偶人、竹田縫之助が作のからくり人形を見せものとす
活人形は次第にたくみになりたれど、珍らしからねば見物少し
The Capital of the Tycoon, Vol. II（London: Longman, 1863）一次史料
One of the largest and most celebrated in Yeddo is the temple at Asaxa, situated in one of the most populous quarters of the city; and in describing what is to be seen there, I shall have discharged my duty as a faithful cicerone
the thousand idlers, who seem to be never wanting in its vicinity; and who rush through from one extremity to the other, to catch a sight of the foreigner, with an uproar as loud as distant thunder
A long avenue intervenes between the outer and inner gateway, as at Tozenjee, and on each side are stalls or booths forming a vast bazaar of a very mixed character
The infant windmill, stuffed tigers, and barking dogs, drums and fifes, and miniature swords, bows and arrows, dressed dolls, and masks, kites, and even hoops, seemed to make the staple of the toy booths; so that our common humanity asserts itself even in toys for Japanese children
pins with hollow glass heads, filled with bright-coloured liquids, also seemed to enjoy great favour
It was late in November when I paid my first visit… The autumnal tints of brightest scarlet were still on the maple-trees
what seemed to me to be a fair or semi-festival, appears to continue all the year round. The numerous amusements provided within the gardens, went far to account for this, and no doubt the principal revenues of the temple come from this source
We have passed the stable, where two sacred white horses are kept for the god's exclusive use
The collection was however, as a whole, well worth a visit, and many of the figures were admirably true to life. They all seemed carved in wood and painted to represent life.
The last, I remember, was an heroic group of warriors suddenly attacked by tigers
Tight-rope dancing, and a circus, may sometimes be seen here, and rope-dancing in their peculiar wooden sabots must be worth seeing, but neither have I seen in play when I happened to be there.
behind in dressing the hair with a broad grin on her face, while a slave, on her hands and knees, is tendering a pipe to the belle, who, without moving, her head held fast by the tire-woman, stretches out her hand for the proffered solace.
a band of lonins of ferocious aspect have suddenly pounced upon a solitary traveller, leading his horse laden with baggage ; but nothing daunted, he has valiantly drawn his sword, and such is the effect of his air of determination, that the lonins themselves seem all paralysed in various attitudes of terror.
I should be disposed to conclude this was more theatrical than true to nature.
we had dismounted from our horses outside, being told by our yacounins that such was the rule… I afterwards found that all officers entitled by their rank to ride, proceed mounted up to the inner gate; and upon the next occasion, I did the same with my mounted escort
In the next apartment with its raised platform, is an old man reading — very cleverly imitated, both as to attitude and expression … a band of lonins of ferocious aspect have suddenly pounced upon a solitary traveller, leading his horse laden with baggage ; but nothing daunted, he has valiantly drawn his sword
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