Items | Tokyo Execution Grounds and Forgotten Souls: Dark History of Edo
Tokyo Execution Grounds and Forgotten Souls: Dark History of Edo
Minamisenju
Important Information
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Wheelchair accessible
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Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
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Service animals allowed
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Public transportation options are available nearby
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Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
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Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
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Great for fans of dark tourism, samurai lore, and lesser-known Tokyo. As this tour is centered around crime and punishment in the Edo period, there will be descriptions of punishment and violence. We will be visiting shrines and temples that still have functioning graveyards on the premises, so please cover shoulders and midriffs, and wear bottoms that cover the thighs, as to not disrespect other visitors. Included transportation includes public bus or taxi, depending on circumstances. Tour will still run in light rain. Due to the Japanese custom of often renewing shrines and temples or holding random private worship or closures, a location may partially be covered by construction scaffolding or be completely closed without notice. We will have a backup location, but please understand. The tour may be a little longer or shorter depending on group size.
Cancellation policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
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For a full refund, you must cancel at least 24 hours before the experience’s start time.
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Cut-off times are based on the experience’s local time.
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If you cancel less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time, the amount you paid will not be refunded.
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This experience requires a minimum number of travelers. If it’s canceled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund.
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Any changes made less than 24 hours before the experience’s start time will not be accepted.
Become our Lokal Curator
Are you ready to turn your hobbies into a business?
Already been to Sensoji and Zojoji? Have a love of history?
This guided tour explores a pocket of the city once feared and avoided—where execution grounds, unclaimed graves, and grim legends shaped local history.
We begin where a towering Jizō statue silently marks the site of Edo-period executions. Here you’ll hear chilling stories of executioners and the notorious figures who now rest nearby.
Once nicknamed the “Temple of Thrown-In Bodies“ for centuries, next was the final resting place for those cast aside by society—from Yoshiwara’s abandoned courtesans to today’s unclaimed dead.
We will also visit a quiet neighborhood shrine with a cafe on site to take a look at a local shrine.
D...
Highlights
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Any use of public transportation or taxis is included.
Drinks / snacks along the way and the optional cafe meal fee are not included in the tour price.
Meeting Points
Departure
McDonald's Minami-Senju Branch
McDonald's Minami-Senju Branch
Located in-between the JR Minami-Senju Station and the Tokyo Metro Minami-Senju Station
Return
Minowa Station
Tokyo Execution Grounds and Forgotten Souls: Dark History of Edo
Minamisenju
About
Already been to Sensoji and Zojoji? Have a love of history?
This guided tour explores a pocket of the city once feared and avoided—where execution grounds, unclaimed graves, and grim legends shaped local history.
We begin where a towering Jizō statue silently marks the site of Edo-period executions. Here you’ll hear chilling stories of executioners and the notorious figures who now rest nearby.
Once nicknamed the “Temple of Thrown-In Bodies“ for centuries, next was the final resting place for those cast aside by society—from Yoshiwara’s abandoned courtesans to today’s unclaimed dead.
We will also visit a quiet neighborhood shrine with a cafe on site to take a look at a local shrine.
D...
Highlights
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
3 hours
Offered in English
Free Cancellation
Mobile Ticket
What's Included
Any use of public transportation or taxis is included.
Drinks / snacks along the way and the optional cafe meal fee are not included in the tour price.
Meeting Points
Departure
McDonald's Minami-Senju Branch
McDonald's Minami-Senju Branch
Located in-between the JR Minami-Senju Station and the Tokyo Metro Minami-Senju Station
Return
Minowa Station
Itinerary
1
Kubikiri Jizo
We begin near Minami-Senju, where a towering Jizō statue silently marks the site of Edo-period executions. Here you’ll hear chilling stories of the Yamada Asaemon executioners—masterless samurai who tested swords on condemned criminals, sold unusual “medicinal” remedies, and played a surprising role in the birth of Japanese anatomical study. You’ll learn how Western medical knowledge entered Japan in this unlikely place, and about the notorious figures who now rest nearby.
30 minutes
2
Jokanji Temple
A short walk brings us to Jōkan-ji Temple, once nicknamed the “Temple of Thrown-In Bodies.” For centuries, this was the final resting place for those cast aside by society—from Yoshiwara’s abandoned courtesans to today’s unclaimed dead. You’ll see traces of infamous Edo crimes, including a well tied to a kabuki-famous murderer.
30 minutes
3
Oshimya Namidabashi
From there, we pass through Namidabashi—once the “Bridge of Tears,” the last crossing for prisoners on their way to die. Though the river is gone, the name still echoes in the lives of modern-day day laborers who inhabit its low-cost lodgings.
4
Arakawa
We will then visit a quiet neighborhood shrine with a cafe on the premises to take a look at a shrine visited by locals and to rest and refresh ourselves. It is located by a wide river where we can relax, if there is time!
