「イザベラ・バード」を歩く:/8 快適だった日光「侍屋敷」

明治時代に日本を旅した英国人女性旅行家、イザベラ・ルーシー・バード。インバウンドの先駆けといえる外国人に日本はどう映ったのか。彼女が残した旅行記から、時空を超えて、当時の日本を旅する連載です。

1878（明治11）年6月13日。日光に入ったイザベラ・バード一行は、鉢石の集落を抜け、朱塗りの橋で知られる「神橋（しんきょう）」までやってきた。この先は神君家康公を祭る東照宮の「聖域」となる。人力車はここまでで、車夫たちは荷物を担いで一般用の橋で大谷（だいや）川を渡り、その先にある小さな宿屋に入った。

ここは数年前から外国人の受け入れを始めた宿で、後に「金谷カテッジイン」と呼ばれた。横浜などの居留地を除いて、日本で初めて外国人向けに和風建築を開放した宿である。

主の金谷善一郎（かなや・ぜんいちろう）は東照宮に属する楽人の家系で、自ら「笙」を奏でた。明治維新後、雅楽の演奏だけでは生活ができなくなり、もとは日光奉行所の役人宅だった武家屋敷を買い取って、そこを外国人向けの宿にすることにした。

バードが横浜で会った米国人宣教医ヘボン博士はすでにここに2度ほど泊まっていて、宿開業はヘボンの提案だったようなので、あるいはバードもそのことを聞いていたのだろう。宿に着くところから、「Unbeaten Tracks in Japan」を読んでみよう。

Its proprietor, Kanaya Zenichiro, came from a family of court musicians attached to Toshogu Shrine and was himself a performer of the sho, the ancient mouth organ of Japanese court music. After the Meiji Restoration, however, it became increasingly difficult to earn a living solely through the performance of gagaku. He therefore purchased a former samurai residence, once occupied by an official of the Nikko magistrate's office, and transformed it into an inn catering to foreign visitors.

Dr. James Curtis Hepburn, the American missionary physician whom Bird had met in Yokohama, had already stayed here on two occasions. Indeed, it appears that the very idea of opening the inn to foreign guests was suggested by Hepburn himself. It is therefore possible that Bird had heard something of the place before her arrival.

Let us now turn to ‘Unbeaten Tracks in Japan’ and accompany her from the moment she reached the inn.

Ito was long away, and the coolies kept addressing me in Japanese, which made me feel helpless and solitary, and eventually they shouldered my baggage, and, descending a flight of steps, we crossed the river by the secular bridge, and shortly met my host, Kanaya, a very bright, pleasant-looking man, who bowed nearly to the earth. Terraced roads in every direction lead through cryptomerias to the shrines; and this one passes many a stately enclosure, but leads away from the temples, and though it is the highway to Chiuzenjii, a place of popular pilgrimage, Yumoto, a place of popular resort, and several other villages, it is very rugged, and, having flights of stone steps at intervals, is only practicable for horses and pedestrians.

At the house, with the appearance of which I was at once delighted, I regretfully parted with my coolies, who had served me kindly and faithfully. They had paid me many little attentions, such as always beating the dust out of my dress, inflating my air-pillow, and bringing me flowers, and were always grateful when I walked up hills; and just now, after going for a frolic to the mountains, they called to wish me good-bye, bringing branches of azaleas.

【まとめて読む】 連載 「イザベラ・バード」を歩く 1/1 09:00 /7 豊かな水田と小麦畑 関東平野 8/1 06:00 /6 出発、最初の宿で待っていた洗礼！ 粕壁 7/18 06:00 /5 ぶらりと浅草散策、政府要人にも接触 7/4 06:00 /4 「旅人」か、「諜報員」かーー裏で動いた英国公使・東京 6/20 06:00 /3 見つかった「相棒」－－出発前の準備・横浜 6/6 06:00 あわせて読みたい この記事の特集・連載 連載 「イザベラ・バード」を歩く フォロー すべて見る この記事の筆者 森忠彦