Dogs and Shorui Awaremi no Rei: The Nakano Kennels and Their Site Today

Edo-period Nakano was home to vast enclosures built for dogs. This is a story tied to Shorui Awaremi no Rei, the collective name for laws protecting living things issued under the fifth shogun, Tokugawa Tsunayoshi. Once you know it, walking past the station with your dog can feel a little different.

Using materials from the National Diet Library and Nakano City, this article traces how the edicts came about and how large the kennels were. It also introduces a view that reconsiders Tsunayoshi's image as a tyrant. By the end, you can plan a walk around Nakano Station with your dog.

Shorui Awaremi no Rei Was a Group of Laws Protecting Living Things

Shorui Awaremi no Rei does not refer to one single law. It is a collective term for several laws protecting living things that were issued during Tsunayoshi's roughly 30 years as shogun. Among them, the protection of dogs is the best known.

Dogs were not the only animals covered. Shigehiko Ioku, professor emeritus at Keio University, quotes a passage telling people to care for sick cattle and horses and to come forward without hesitation if they could not look after them. It shows that sick cattle and horses were also given attention.

According to the Meiji University Museum, Tsunayoshi valued Confucian learning and wanted to put its ideas into practice in government. The National Diet Library notes that there are various views on when the edicts began, and no theory has become settled.

The Nakano Kennels Covered 280,000 Tsubo Around Today's Nakano Station

According to Nakano City, Tsunayoshi issued the edicts in the Jokyo era (1684–1688) and had kennels built around what is now Nakano Station. The city's materials give the size in two units: 280,000 tsubo (a tsubo is a traditional unit of about 3.3 square meters) and about 100 hectares.

According to the city newsletter, the kennels were dog compounds for protecting stray dogs and were called okakoi, or enclosures. They were divided into five sections, the first through fifth enclosures. Even with the numbers in hand, an area that large is hard to picture.

A guide from the Nakano City Central Library says that around 100,000 dogs are said to have lived there. Since the library does not state it as certain, it is best to read the figure as a rough guide.

An Old Map From 1697 Offers a Glimpse of the Kennels

The best-known old map of the Nakano kennels is the Inugoya Okakoiba Ezu, a picture map of the kennel enclosures. It was made in 1697 (Genroku 10) and is held by the Tokyo Metropolitan University Library. The Nakano City Central Library guide also introduces books on how the land was used and how the former site changed from the Meiji era through the Showa era.

Nakano was also the shogun's falconry grounds, called otakaba. For that reason, catching birds there without permission was banned. It was a place closely tied to the shogun, home to both the kennels and the otakaba.

A Nakano Library Guide Introduces a View Reconsidering Tsunayoshi as a Tyrant

In a 2021 guide, the Nakano City Central Library says that a view reconsidering Tsunayoshi's image as a tyrant has become mainstream in recent years. The guide puts it as the idea that Tsunayoshi may not have been such a tyrant after all.

The edicts began to be abolished right after Tsunayoshi died in 1709 (Hoei 6). Some researchers focus on how the edicts changed everyday life. Shigehiko Ioku, professor emeritus at Keio University, writes that dogs had been eaten in Japan until then, and that the practice stopped because of the edicts.

Land That Once Held the Kennels Is Now a Busy Neighborhood

According to a 2022 city newsletter, university campuses and Nakano Central Park had been built on the former site of the National Police Academy and other facilities, on part of the land where the kennels once stood. At the time, the newsletter described the area as busy with students, families and others. Walking with your dog from the station to the area of the former site could be a nice outing.

With a map of the station area in hand, try imagining how far the enclosures stretched. An ordinary walk turns into a small history tour. If you pick a quieter time of day, your dog can sniff around without worrying about the crowds.

For more on dogs in Japanese history, see our related column, Tracing the History of the Shiba Inu.

On Your Next Walk, Trace Edo-Period Dogs Around Nakano Station

Since the city's materials say the kennels were centered on today's Nakano Station, starting from the station makes it easier to match the map to the streets. Walk only as far as your dog is comfortable. If your dog stops along the way, give it a moment. The walk is easier if you plan it along the lines below.

Why sniffing time matters is explained in our related column, How Powerful Is a Dog's Sense of Smell? You can find places near stations and places near parks to rest after your walk on Inucomi. Rules for dogs differ by venue, so please also check the dog rules on each venue's page.

Test what you know about today's animal protection rules with the quiz Animal Welfare and Owner Responsibility (Advanced). For walking know-how, try Walks and Trips (Advanced).