“Is that a fish basket?” someone asks. That’s what people often wonder when they first hear about Gyozaka. Gyozaka is not just any hill. The name Gyozaka translates to “fish basket hill”. But the “basket” in Gyozaka is not “Kusakanmuri” it is “Takekanmuri”. Also, “Gyoran” is not a basket for putting fish in. It means “Biku”.
Gyozaka is a slope. It is located on the border of Mita and Takanawa in Minato Ward Tokyo. More precisely it sits between Mita 4-chome and Takanawa 1-chome. You may also see it written as Gyoranzaka.
Did you know that Gyozaka got its name from Gyozoji Temple? The temple is located midway up the slope. So, the hill was named after the temple.
Gyozaka-shita intersection goes up. From the top, it reaches Iozaka. The climb from Asabu slope is Gyozaka. The slope that descends from the top to the sea side is Iozaka.
Near the Gyozaka-shita intersection is Toppan Printing. There is also a gym called Total Workout. K-1 Yamazaki manages it. The Akurui Building was also located there until November 2005. Now, SAPIX cram school is there.
Gyozaka Temple houses the Gyozon Kannon. It is the 25th temple of the Edo Thirty-three Kannon. The “ran” in Gyozaka refers to a basket for fish.
The Gyozan Kannon is a statue. It depicts Kannon holding a fish basket.
There are signboards at the top and bottom of Gyozaka. These were installed by Minato Ward.
National Route 1 passes Gyozaka-shita intersection. The straight-line slope rises south-southeast. It goes towards the border of Takanawa 1-chome and Mita 4-chome.
The album SUPER ZOO includes the song “Gyozaka Crossing”. The closest station to Gyozaka is Shirokanetakanawa Station.
Many people travel up and down Gyozaka every day. Remember the fish basket. Remember the temple. Remember the history as you traverse Gyozaka.