Imagawa Yoshimoto was a famous daimyo (feudal lord) of the Sengoku period (Japan’s warring states period, 1467 – 1590) who built the foundations of modern Shizuoka City. All around the city, there are places related to the Imagawa clan and Yoshimoto himself.
The soul of Yoshimoto rests at Rinzai Temple, and Shizuoka Sengen Shrine that attracts many visitors is also one of those sites.
You can rediscover the charm of Shizuoka City by visiting areas related to the Imagawa clan.
Come and tour places related to the Imagawa clan by whichever means is best for you, either on foot, by bus, or on shared bicycles.
The bright red torii gate greets you at the front gate of Shizuoka Sengen Shrine. The 600-meter-long Sengen-dori is lined with a variety of stores, both old and new. After paying your respects at Shizuoka Sengen Shrine, you can enjoy Shizuoka's local specialties such as Oden and rice crackers.
This museum is located in a residential area off Sengen-dori. The museum exhibits works by famous modern Japanese and European painters. In addition to the permanent collection, special exhibitions are also held, where you can encounter unique masterpieces.
The park has an athletic field that attracts many people. The park also has a large flower clock with a diameter of 19 meters, a water plaza, and a Japanese garden, where you can enjoy the cherry blossoms in the spring and the Hitotsubatago flowers in the early summer.
This manhole cover featuring Imagawa-san, a mascot character of Shizuoka City modeled after Imagawa Yoshimoto.Imagawa Yoshimoto is a daimyo who ruled a wide swath of territory in modern day prefectures of Shizuoka and Aichi, during the Sengoku period. Thanks to his familiarity with the culture of Kyoto and skill managing his territory,he came to be known as “Kaido Ichi no Yumitori” (“The strongest general of the Tokaido region”). In Sumpu, Yoshimoto took charge of Tokugawa Ieyasu (originally named Matsudaira Takechiyo), who would go on to rule all of Japan.Imagawa is known for having recognized Tokugawa’s talent early on, and having raised him to be a great general. In places related to the legacy continuing from Imagawa to Tokugawa, where you can feel the “continuity of history”,you will find manhole covers featuring Imagawa-san.
写真提供：静岡新聞社
To commemorate the 500th anniversary of the birth of Imagawa Yoshimoto, a statue of Yoshimoto was installed in the public square on the north side of JR Shizuoka Station on May 19th, 2020 (in the second year of the Reiwa era of the Japanese calendar). The square already had statues of Tokugawa Ieyasu in his childhood (Takechiyo-gimi) and in his middle age. It was later discovered that these statues of Ieyasu and Yoshimoto are on a straight line extending to Kunozan Toshogu, the famous shrine dedicated to Ieyasu! It is not yet known whether this alignment was intentional or an auspicious accident.
Shizuoka Sengen Shrine is said to be the place where the Imagawa clan was awarded the flag emblem “Akatori” (red bird). It is currently undergoing work to relacquer and repaint over a period of 20 years. In December 2020, the shrine unveiled its marvelous tower gate, which had been completely relacquered and repainted for the first time in 40 years. Rinzai Temple, which is dedicated to Imagawa Yoshimoto and his brother Ujiteru, offers excellent views of Shizuoka City. Pass through the temple gate and climb the stone steps, and you will see the beautiful scenery of the city below.
