Divine Talisman Vendor, Entrance to Atago Shrine, Tokyo, c. 1930.

Divine Talisman Vendor, Entrance to Atago Shrine, Tokyo, c. 1930. Atago Hill remains a modest rise near the center of Tokyo, crowned by an historic Shinto shrine famed for its steep “Success Stairs” and longstanding association with protection from fire and good fortune.

“For those living in Tokyo: on the day you first put on your lined summer kimono (awase), whether it be morning, noon, or evening, try climbing to any high vantage point along your way — perhaps the top of Kudan Hill, Kanda Myojin, Yushima Tenjin, or Mount Atago in Shiba — and look out over the city.

Map: Atago Hill in relation to Shiba Park, c. 1940.

“… If there is anything that can be called ‘metropolitan beauty’ in today’s Tokyo, I would assert that its primary elements are the trees and the water. The ancient trees that cover the Yamanote hills and the rivers that flow through the Shitamachi lowlands are Tokyo’s most precious treasures.

“In a city like Paris, architectural beauty alone might suffice, but in our Tokyo, if it were not for the lush, dense groves of trees, even the magnificent mausoleums within the Shiba temple grounds would surely be unable to maintain their beauty and dignity.”

– Hiyori Geta, by Kafu Nagai, 1915

“View of Atagoyama”, Tokyo, c. 1910. A panoramic view of the low-rise capital city near the turn of the 20th century.