Teradaya

Author: Richard Perkins
Photos/Videos Taken: 2020/12/30
Address: 263 Minamihamacho, Fushimi-ku,
Kyoto-shi, Kyoto,【612-8045】
Entrance Fee: Adults ¥600｜Middle School Students ¥300｜
Elementary School Students ¥200｜Infants Not Allowed

寺田屋 (teradaya) is a traditional Japanese inn located in the Fushimi Ward of Kyoto, Kyoto Prefecture. Dating back to the Edo period (1603–1868), it was not all that different from many other Japanese inns built during that era. However, what sets this inn apart is that it became the site of two famous incidents, both collectively known as the “Teradaya Incident”.

The first Teradaya Incident is the 薩摩藩志士粛清事件 (satsumahan-shishi-shukusei-jiken). It is also referred to as the “Teradaya Disturbance” and took place on April 23, 1862.

This incident was a purge that arose from a conflict between the leader of the Satsuma Domain (Kagoshima Prefecture), Hisamitsu Shimazu, and Shinshichi Arima of the Seichū group (an organization within the Satsuma Domain). Shinshichi Arima mistakenly believed that Hisamitsu Shimazu was planning to lead a thousand men in support of 尊皇攘夷 (sonnō-jōi), a political ideology centered on revering the emperor and expelling foreigners—and foreign influence—from Japan. To gain a clearer understanding of what was actually going to happen, the two met to discuss the matter. However, the talks quickly broke down and ultimately ended with both sides drawing their swords and engaging in a fight.

The second Teradaya Incident is known as the 坂本龍馬襲撃事件 (sakamoto-ryōma-shūgeki-jiken). This incident took place four years after the first Teradaya Disturbance. As the name suggests, it involved Sakamoto Ryōma, a well-known historical figure who lived during the 幕末 (bakumatsu), the final years of the Tokugawa shogunate and the closing years of the Edo period.

Sakamoto Ryōma was a skilled swordsman who played an important role in helping reconcile the Chōshū Domain (Yamaguchi Prefecture) and the Satsuma Domain. He also helped establish 亀山社中 (kameyama-shachū) in Nagasaki Prefecture, which is said to have been the first trading company in Japan. Sakamoto Ryōma left a lasting legacy and made substantial contributions to Japan’s modernization.

Going back to the Sakamoto Ryōma shūgeki jiken, this incident took place on January 1, 1866, while Sakamoto Ryōma was staying at Teradaya. That evening, Hayashi Tadakata, a magistrate (a civil officer who administered the law), dispatched thirty constables (officials whose job was to catch criminals), who surrounded Teradaya. Sakamoto Ryōma’s wife, O-Ryō, was taking a bath when the constables arrived and quickly realized that the inn had been surrounded. She immediately got out of the bath and ran upstairs, completely naked, to alert Ryōma to the danger.

The constables attacked Sakamoto Ryōma. He fought back but was eventually unable to continue after sustaining an injury to his hand. Miyoshi Shinzō, a clansman of the Chōshū Domain, was staying at Teradaya that night as Sakamoto Ryōma’s bodyguard. Realizing that Ryōma could no longer fight, Miyoshi Shinzō stepped in and fought in his place, helping him escape from Teradaya.

It was these two incidents that made Teradaya the famous Japanese inn it is today. Unfortunately, Teradaya was destroyed by fire during the Battle of Toba-Fushimi in 1868. The building that stands today is a reconstruction, but it was rebuilt using the same layout as the original Teradaya. Visitors can enter the building, explore the interior, and even stay overnight.