Namerigawa, Kanagawa

The nihongo|Namerigawa|滑川 is a river that goes from the Asaina Pass in northern Kamakura, Kanagawa to the beach in Yuigahama, for a total length of about 8 km. It must be noted that, although Yuigahama is in fact the name of the entire 3.2 km beach that goes from Inamuragasaki to Zaimokuza's Iijima cape, the name is usually used just for its half west of the Namerigawa river's estuary, while the eastern half is called nihongo|Zaimokuza Beach|材木座海岸Kamakura Shōkō Kaigijo (2008:33)] . The name comes from the way it flows, kind of "licking" ("nameru" in Japanese) the stones at its bottom.

Only during the summer, during the bathing season, the river's estuary is crossed by a wooden bridge (in the photo).

Although very short, the river is called by locals with six different names according to the neighborhood it crosses. From the Asaina Pass to Jōmyō-ji it's about a meter wide and is called nihongo|Kurumigawa|胡桃川. After the temple's gate it takes the name Namerigawa, becomes wider and follows the course of the Kanazawa Road. Near the Omidōbashi Bridge it changes name again becoming the nihongo|Zazengawa|座禅川 in honor of Buddhist monk Mongaku, who used to live nearby. From Tōshōjibashi to Komachi it's called nihongo|Ebisudōgawa|夷堂川. In the last few hundred meters of his course, from Ichi no Torii (Tsurugaoka Hachiman-gū's first "torii" gate) to the sea it assumes two names, first nihongo|Sumiurigawa|墨売川 and finally nihongo|Enmagawa|閻魔川Kusumoto (2000:176-177)] . The name Namerigawa however is today the only one truly necessary [ [http://www.kcn-net.org/e_kama_history/komachi_yukinoshita/area1_2.htm Komachi/Yukinoshita/Nishimikado] article by the Kamakura Citizen Network, accessed on September 16, 2008]

The stele on the bridge in Komachi, next to Honkaku-ji's gate, says [Original Japanese text available [http://www.kcn-net.org/sisekihi/ebisu.htm here] ja icon] .

This is one of nihongo|Kamakura's Ten Bridges|鎌倉十橋. It is said that once here stood the nihongo|Ebisudō|夷堂. This river is now called Namerigawa, but it used to have several names that changed according to the place. In its upper course it used to be called Kurumigawa, near Jomyo-ji's gate it was called Namerigawa, near the remains of Mongaku's residence it was called Zazengawa, here it was called Ebisudōgawa, near Enmyō-ji it was called Sumiurigawa and near the remains of the Enmadō it was called Enmadōgawa.
Erected in March 1932 by the Kamakurachō Shōnendan

Aoto Fujitsuna's coins

The Taiheiki mentions the Namerigawa in a story well known to all in Kamakura [Mutsu (1995:64)] . The stele on the spot near Tōshō-ji where events are supposed to have taken place describes the story as follows [Original Japanese text available [http://www.kcn-net.org/sisekihi/aoto1.htm here] ja icon] :

According to the Taiheiki, Aoto Fujitsuna was judge in Kamakura at the time of Regents Hōjō Tokimune and Hōjō Sadatoki. One evening, having lost 10 nihongo|"mon"|文 in the Namerigawa, he bought a torch for fifty mon, entered in the water and started looking for the lost coins, finally finding them. Heard the story, people made fun of him saying that he ended up spending far more than he had lost. Fujitsuna replied that ten "mon" were not many, but losing them forever would have been a great loss. He had personally lost fifty "mon", but he had done that for the benefit of all.
Erected in March 1938 by the Kamakurachō Shōnendan

The Namerigawa in Kabuki

Judge Aoto Fujitsuna, together with the Namerigawa, became well-known as a Kabuki character after becoming the subject of a popular series of story books published in 1812Leiter (1999:2)] [http://kabuki21.com/gonin_otoko.php Shiranami Gonin Otoko] accessed on September 16, 2008] . The series later became the basis for several Kabuki plays.For example, the Kabuki play "Shiranami Gonon Otoko", also known as "Benten Kozō", mentions both Aoto Fujitsuna and the Namerigawa.

In the play, a criminal called Daemon sees head of police Aoto Fujitsuna on the Dōbashi bridge on the Namerigawa. Aoto, who is known as a man of virtue, explains that his men found an incense case while searching the Namerigawa for lost goods, and intends to return it to its rightful owners.

Notes

References

* cite book
last = Kusumoto
first = Katsuji
coauthors =
title = Kamakura Naruhodo Jiten
publisher = Jitsugyō no Nihonsha
date = July 2002
location = Tokyo
language = Japanese
id = ISBN 978-4-408-00779-3
* cite book
last = Kamakura Shōkō Kaigijo
first =
coauthors =
title = Kamakura Kankō Bunka Kentei Kōshiki Tekisutobukku
publisher = Kamakura Shunshūsha
date = 2008
location = Kamakura
language = Japanese
id = ISBN 978-4-7740-0386-3
* cite book
last = Mutsu
first = Iso
coauthors =
title = Kamakura. Fact and Legend
publisher = Tuttle Publishing
date = 1995/06
location = Tokyo
language = English
id = ISBN 0804819688
* cite book
last = Leiter
first = Samuel L.
coauthors =
title = The Art of Kabuki
publisher = Dover Publications
date = 1999
location =
language = English
id = ISBN 978-0486408729