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Essay

The Edo spirit

By Kaori Shoji


江戸っ子かたぎ

「パリジャン」や「ニューヨーカー」と比べると、「東京っ子(江戸っ子)」という言葉には、国際的なアピールが今一つ弱いように思えてしまう。 しかし、こと国内に限ってみれば、「江戸っ子」は徳川時代の空気を色濃く映し出すさまざまな気質を備えているのだ。

Being a Tokyoite doesn't have the same glamorous connotations as being a Parisian or New Yorker, but inside Japan, we've managed to rack up some fame.

A Tokyo local, or Edokko, is proud of the Edokko katagi, or Edo spirit. This is defined by being sappari in mind and manner. In other words, Tokyoites are less prone to hold grudges and more likely to forgive and forget. Being quick to resign oneself to fate, or akirame ga ii, is a big part of the Edokko personality. After living for centuries under the Tokugawa bureaucracy, then enduring the political upheavals since the Meiji Restoration, Tokyoites have learned to write off the damage and get on with work and life.

The Tokyo brand of philosophy stems from 400 years of male-oriented history. Consider the city maxims of the Edo Period, such as "fires and fighting are the soul of Edo," or "Tokyo locals never keep cash for longer than a day." Back then, the streets were full of men hurrying to and fro, cutting deals, getting drunk, looking for action.

Tokyo has little of that soft, feminine elusiveness that permeates the air of Kyoto. Edo-mae, or Edo-like foods such as soba, sushi and tempura, evolved from the working male's need to order, eat and leave the premises in 10 minutes flat, so they could get back to work.

Tokyo men have always boasted of their capacities for haya-aruki (fast walking), haya-meshi (fast eating) and haya-buro (fast bathing). Letting things drag, from a love affair to a bowl of noodles, was a contemptible sign of weakness.

That said, the Tokyo woman is pretty much the same. She steers clear of histrionics and is renowned for being kippu ga ii, which means energetic and good at discarding excess baggage. Like her male counterparts, she's uncomplaining and hard-working, apt to cut her losses without a backward glance.

Not surprisingly, the ultimate romantic dream of a Tokyo male is to date a Kyoto girl — with her slow, soft speech and skills of seduction. Kyoto women are considered polar opposites of the straightforward Tokyo women.

The one trait Tokyo men and women admire in each other is: jo ni atsuku, namida moroi. This roughly translates to "kind of heart and sensitive to the sadness of other people." A true Edokko will never refuse a person in need, and though s/he will never succumb to self-pity, they're always ready to open the floodgates at the plight of others. Sadly, the genuine loveable Edokko is increasingly hard to find. The myth, however, lives on.



Shukan ST: April 25, 2008

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