Tokyo Execution Grounds and Forgotten Souls: Dark History of Edo

We begin near Minami-Senju, where a towering Jizō statue silently marks the site of Edo-period executions. Here you’ll hear chilling stories of the Yamada Asaemon executioners—masterless samurai who tested swords on condemned criminals, sold unusual “medicinal” remedies, and played a surprising role in the birth of Japanese anatomical study. You’ll learn how Western medical knowledge entered Japan in this unlikely place, and about the notorious figures who now rest nearby.

A short walk brings us to Jōkan-ji Temple, once nicknamed the “Temple of Thrown-In Bodies.” For centuries, this was the final resting place for those cast aside by society—from Yoshiwara’s abandoned courtesans to today’s unclaimed dead. You’ll see traces of infamous Edo crimes, including a well tied to a kabuki-famous murderer.

From there, we pass through Namidabashi—once the “Bridge of Tears,” the last crossing for prisoners on their way to die. Though the river is gone, the name still echoes in the lives of modern-day day laborers who inhabit its low-cost lodgings.

We will then visit a quiet neighborhood shrine with a cafe on the premises to take a look at a shrine visited by locals and to rest and refresh ourselves. It is located by a wide river where we can relax, if there is time!