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新しい通りの名前を付けてみる社会実験
Fukuoka City used to be divided into two districts along the Nakagawa (river); the eastern merchant district of Hakata and the western town, Fukuoka. Since so much of each district’s characteristics flowed over into the other, people are not sure of the boundary between them. One characteristic they shared, though, was that even the smallest of streets in these ancient castle towns had street names.
Since 1962, however, many of those names—especially small ones—have been erased one by one, as the new numbered address system was introduced. This year, the “We Love Tenjin” association, composed of companies and residents of Tenjin and Daimyo, initiated a project to erect street signs and re-introduce the lost street names. It is a three-month experiment known as the “Town Sightseeing Navi Project”. Residents of Fukuoka were actively involved in deciding the new names for the streets.
The old name, Daimyo, used when it was a castle town, has been adopted again. The names of doctors from the Kuroda Clan—Ganrin and Yoha—have also been used. In Tenjin, the street home to the Post Office, Fukuoka Branch of the Bank of Japan, and JA, is named Komekome-dori, after JA’s association with kome (rice). Tenjin 3-chome, where the Fukuoka Now office is situated, is named “Oyafuko-dori”, a name already familiar to locals. The three streets northward, parallel to Showa-dori, are called Tenjin Kono-tori, Tenjin Sono-tori and Tenjin Ano-tori, (this, it and that streets!) respectively. The office of Fukuoka Now is situated on Tenjin Sono-tori.
These are only temporary signs as the project runs until January next year. However, depending on the public’s response, they may be recognized officially.
Fukuoka City used to be divided into two districts along the Nakagawa (river); the eastern merchant district of Hakata and the western town, Fukuoka. Since so much of each district’s characteristics flowed over into the other, people are not sure of the boundary between them. One characteristic they shared, though, was that even the smallest of streets in these ancient castle towns had street names.
Since 1962, however, many of those names—especially small ones—have been erased one by one, as the new numbered address system was introduced. This year, the “We Love Tenjin” association, composed of companies and residents of Tenjin and Daimyo, initiated a project to erect street signs and re-introduce the lost street names. It is a three-month experiment known as the “Town Sightseeing Navi Project”. Residents of Fukuoka were actively involved in deciding the new names for the streets.
The old name, Daimyo, used when it was a castle town, has been adopted again. The names of doctors from the Kuroda Clan—Ganrin and Yoha—have also been used. In Tenjin, the street home to the Post Office, Fukuoka Branch of the Bank of Japan, and JA, is named Komekome-dori, after JA’s association with kome (rice). Tenjin 3-chome, where the Fukuoka Now office is situated, is named “Oyafuko-dori”, a name already familiar to locals. The three streets northward, parallel to Showa-dori, are called Tenjin Kono-tori, Tenjin Sono-tori and Tenjin Ano-tori, (this, it and that streets!) respectively. The office of Fukuoka Now is situated on Tenjin Sono-tori.
These are only temporary signs as the project runs until January next year. However, depending on the public’s response, they may be recognized officially.
福岡市はご存じのように、中洲を流れる那珂川を境に東側を商人の町・博多、西側を城下町・福岡と呼んでいた。今も、その名残があるので、どこが博多でどこが福岡なのかよく分からない人は多い。福岡市に訪れる人は年間１６３５万人（２００４年調べ）、そのほとんどの人たちが訪れているだろう天神の街は旧城下町である。若い人でいっぱいの大名も名前が示すように福岡・黒田藩(江戸時代)の大名屋敷があったところ。古い地図を見ていると、城下町だったところには小さな通りにも名前が付いている。昔は、通りの名前が町の名称であり、住居表示であった。ところが１９６２年、町の区域をブロックに割り順序よく番号を付けて住所を分かりやすくしようという「住居表示制度」が制定されて以来、ブロックの中にある小さな通りから順々に名前を消されてしまったのだ。
しかし今年、天神にある企業や団体、住民でつくるまちづくり組織「Ｗｅ ｌｏｖｅ 天神協議会」により、天神と大名地区の通りに親しみやすい愛称を付け、案内板を設置するプロジェクトが動き始めた。その名も「まちめぐりナビプロジェクト」、国土交通省が実施する社会実験である。通りの名前はその町に住む住人や勤務する人たちが集まって討論しながら決められた。
たとえば大名は、城下町の頃に付けられていた名前が復活し、黒田藩の医者だった雁林（がんりん）、養巴（ようは）の名前が通り名にそのまま使われる。天神では、郵便局通りや日銀小路、ＪＡ（農協）がある通りは「こめこめ通り」と名付けられた。フクオカ・ナウの編集部がある天神３丁目では、昭和通りから北に向かって順番に「天神この通り」「天神その通り」「天神あの通り」という親しみやすい名称が付いた。ちなみに編集部は「天神その通り」にある。
11月から案内板は設置されたが、この通り名は来年１月までの仮の名前。でも、実験期間中に町の人や訪れた人たちに気に入って使ってもらえれば、渡辺通りやけやき通りのようにずっと残る名称になるかもしれない。
Fukuoka City used to be divided into two districts along the Nakagawa (river); the eastern merchant district of Hakata and the western town, Fukuoka. Since so much of each district’s characteristics flowed over into the other, people are not sure of the boundary between them. One characteristic they shared, though, was that even the smallest of streets in these ancient castle towns had street names.
Since 1962, however, many of those names—especially small ones—have been erased one by one, as the new numbered address system was introduced. This year, the “We Love Tenjin” association, composed of companies and residents of Tenjin and Daimyo, initiated a project to erect street signs and re-introduce the lost street names. It is a three-month experiment known as the “Town Sightseeing Navi Project”. Residents of Fukuoka were actively involved in deciding the new names for the streets.
The old name, Daimyo, used when it was a castle town, has been adopted again. The names of doctors from the Kuroda Clan—Ganrin and Yoha—have also been used. In Tenjin, the street home to the Post Office, Fukuoka Branch of the Bank of Japan, and JA, is named Komekome-dori, after JA’s association with kome (rice). Tenjin 3-chome, where the Fukuoka Now office is situated, is named “Oyafuko-dori”, a name already familiar to locals. The three streets northward, parallel to Showa-dori, are called Tenjin Kono-tori, Tenjin Sono-tori and Tenjin Ano-tori, (this, it and that streets!) respectively. The office of Fukuoka Now is situated on Tenjin Sono-tori.
These are only temporary signs as the project runs until January next year. However, depending on the public’s response, they may be recognized officially.
