“Did you know that even a simple slope can carry a legend?” I ask you all as we gather at the base of Tunanotebikizaka. This is commonly known as Tsuna no Tebikizaka. It is located between Mita 1-chome and Mita 2-chome in Tokyo’s Minato Ward.
Tsuna no Tebikizaka has a fascinating story. It links back to Watanabe no Tsuna. He was a warrior of the Heian period and one of Minamoto Yorimitsu’s Four Heavenly Kings. Legend says Mita is where Watanabe no Tsuna was born. So the slope’s name comes from this connection.
The name Tsuna no Tebikizaka literally means “Tsuna’s Hand-Pulled Slope”. Another name for it is Uba-zaka. This translates to Granny Slope.
At the top of Tsuna no Tebikizaka once stood the Mita Kasumi-cho Mitsui Club. If you go west and down Hinoki-zaka you reach Nijunohashi Bridge. From there you can go to Mita and Shiba.
Halfway up Tsuna no Tebikizaka is another slope called Tsuna-zaka. Tsuna-zaka also gets its name from Watanabe no Tsuna.
Hongyo-ji Temple is in Mita 2-chome. There you will find the well where Watanabe no Tsuna was washed as a baby. However the actual birthplace of Watanabe no Tsuna is said to be Komada village in Musashi Province. This is now Washimiya, Saitama Prefecture.
The truth seems to be that Musashi Komada was mistaken for Musashi Mita. This created the legend.
The north side of Tsuna no Tebikizaka was once the site of the Kuwaeda Arima family’s residence. The family allowed worship at their shrine. It was called “Arima’s Water Deity with Affection”. The shrine was moved to Nihonbashi Kakigara-cho. But a branch shrine is located near Moto-Shinmei Shrine near Tsuna no Tebikizaka.
The Minato Ward put up signs at the top and bottom of Tsuna no Tebikizaka. They explain the history.
Tsuna no Tebikizaka is also called Koyama-zaka. This is because it was on the edge of old Mita-Koyama town. The origin of the names Uba-zaka and Bajoba-zaka is unknown.
As we stand here I hope you can feel the echoes of history. Tsuna no Tebikizaka is more than just a slope. It is a reminder of legends.