At Least Anjo Station is Nice

In Japan, as in most parts of the world, it is not uncommon for people to make pilgrimages to the birthplaces of famous people. We are drawn by the irresistible urge to gain some sort of insight about the person based on seeing the place where they spent their formative years. Whether it is Matsuo Basho’s home in Iga Ueno, or seeing the grave site of Aikido founder Ueshiba Morihei in Tanabe, Wakayama, the birthplaces often do a good job providing a meaningful experience for tourists.

With this thought in mind, seven years ago I travelled to Anjo City in Aichi prefecture to see how Ishikawa Jozan was celebrated by his hometown (technically Izumi, but long since absorbed by Anjo). According to a now defunct English website hosted by the city, there was a replica of Shisendo, known as Jozan-en, so I was looking forward to the opportunity.

The train station was bright and modern, housing a useful diorama of Anjo to provide a sense of the landscape. Jozan-en was quite far from the station so we took a taxi. Upon arrival, I was disappointed to see that it was less of a Shisendo replica than a loose reinterpretation of it. Perhaps this complaint might seem picky, but for a country that gave us Eiffel Tower lookalike Tokyo Tower and the miniaturized wonders at Tobu World, it would not have surprised me to see a perfect knock-off. Given that Kyoto visitors are no longer allowed access to the second floor moon viewing room of Shisendo, it seems like Anjo missed an opportunity to offer Jozan fans a unique experience.

Next, we walked by a small wooden building orphaned on a narrow property. It was said to house Jozan’s personal library from Shisendo, which meant little since the building appeared to be sealed.

Perhaps the most revealing statement about our experience is that we didn’t take any pictures after leaving the station. Lest the visit seem to have been a waste, I did get a personal look at Anjo that I incorporated into the setting descriptions from the early chapters of The Samurai Poet. Unless you are writing your own book about Ishikawa though, it is difficult to recommend including Anjo on your itinerary while in Japan. If anyone reading this would like to share some worthwhile reasons to stop there that I missed, please set me straight.

Fortunately, we were traveling with a JR Rail pass, so we took the shinkansen to Sekigahara, site of one of the most significant battles in Japanese history, which saved our travel day. Since Ishikawa was present at the fight, it will be the subject of an imminent blog post in this series on Japanese attractions connected with Jozan’s life.

Travis Belrose is the author of The Samurai Poet, a work of historical fiction based on the life of Ishikawa Jozan. Learn more here.