[Japanese] Edo, Yotsuya (Tokyo)

Rare 1857 (Ansei 4) Japanese woodblock map of Yotsuya, a neighborhood in Shinjuku, Tokyo (Edo). Yotsuya is located in the southeastern part of Shinjuku.

Before the growth of Edo, Yotsuya was a farming village outside the city. In 1634, with the digging of the outer moat around Edo Castle, many temples and shrines moved to Yotsuya. The moat had stone walls, and a mitsuke, or watch tower, was also built. Yotsuya Mitsuke stood near the present-day Yotsuya Station.  The relocation of the temples and construction of the mitsuke brought settlements of workers, and following the devastating Meireki fire, many more people moved to Yotsuya, which had been spared. Gradually the area became part of the city of Edo.  

In 1695, the shogun Tokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered the establishment of a vast kennel. The purpose was to board stray dogs as part of his policy of showing mercy to animals. Yotsuya developed rapidly due to its central location.