In the past, the Tosa Domain had a secondary residence here, and shortly after Perry’s return in the early Ansei era, a battery was installed on the left bank of the Tachiaigawa River mouth. The “Hamakawa Battery Cannon” restored and installed in Shin-Hamakawa Park in 2015 is a full-scale reproduction (3 meters in length, with wheels 1.8 meters in diameter) of one of the eight cannons originally placed there, a 30-pound, 6-kan Hoistle cannon. It was built through local fundraising mainly by members of the Shinagawa Ryoma Association and donated to the ward.
立会川からさらに東海道を歩くと、町名が大井に変わる。 If you continue walking along the Tokaido from Tachiaigawa, the neighborhood name changes to Oi.
浜川橋というこの橋は、何の変哲もない橋に見えるが… his bridge, called Hamakawabashi, looks like an ordinary, unremarkable bridge—but...
通称「涙橋」と呼ばれていたそうだ。この地で、鈴ヶ森刑場に搬送される罪人の親類縁者がこっそり別れを惜しんだからだという。 It was popularly known as “Namida-bashi” or “The Bridge of Tears.” This was because relatives and friends of prisoners being taken to the Suzugamori Execution Grounds would secretly say their goodbyes here.
その鈴ヶ森刑場跡は、旧東海道が国道15号と合流するところにある。 The site of the Suzugamori Execution Grounds is located where the old Tokaido Road merges with National Route 15.
Originally, the execution site was located in Mita, but as Edo expanded, it was gradually moved southward and eventually relocated to Suzugamori.
刑場跡には多くの供養塔が建てられている。 Many memorial towers have been erected at the site of the execution grounds.
題目供養塔といって「南無妙法蓮華経」と刻まれているようだ。建てられたのは元禄11年(1698)年とのこと。 They are called "Daimoku memorial towers," inscribed with "Namu Myōhō Renge Kyō."
火炙りと磔に使われた台石の跡。実は、鈴ヶ森で行われていたのはもっぱら火炙りや磔など見せしめ的な処刑で、通常の死刑である斬首刑の多くは小伝馬町の牢屋敷で執行されていたそうだ。 Remains of the stone platform used for burning at the stake and crucifixion. In fact, at Suzugamori, executions were mainly by burning and crucifixion as public deterrents, while most beheadings—the usual form of death penalty—were carried out at the Kodemmacho prison.
また、獄門の場合は小伝馬町で死刑を執行した後に、首だけ運ばれてきて鈴ヶ森刑場で晒されていたという。 Also, in the case of gokumon (displaying the severed head), the death sentence was carried out at Kodemmacho prison, after which only the head was transported to Suzugamori execution grounds to be publicly exhibited.