それは雑誌のグラビアで、観光案内書で、そして史跡紹介ページで何度も見る場所だった。何となく行ったことがあるような気になっていた。本郷壱岐坂にある私の勤め先にほど近く、いつでも行けると高をくくっていた。けれど、実際は行ってみたこともないし本当はどこにあるのかよく知らなかった。ある日、今日こそはと近くまで来たものの、どこをどうたどればその場所に至るのかよく分からず、途中で断念した。かくて長い雨続きの夏が終わり、秋と言うにはまだ照り返しの強い午後、珍しく顔を出した青空に誘われて今度こそと出かけた路地裏。何かに導かれるように角を曲がり曲がったら、樋口一葉旧居跡の、あの井戸ポンプが目の前にあった。時を遡る迷路のような本郷菊坂界隈の路地を辿る。

Because I've often seen the spot in gravue pages of magazines, travel guide books, and introduction of historical sites, I was feeling I've been there before. As it's not far from my workplace, I was feeling it's not difficult for me to visit the spot anytime if I wish to do so. In fact, however, I've never been there nor known where it exists exactly. One day, I tried to go there without a map or any particular information at hand, thinking it might be just simple fo find it but I was easily lost and gave up the trip, Eventually, after the long rainy summer the bright autumn sky invited me to walk talong back alleys. Turning corners attracted by unseen introduction, I found myself suddenly in front of the old pump of a well, probably the writer Higuchi Ichiyo used to push its handle many decades ago. I followed the alleys around Kikuzaka, Hongo; the amazing maze back to the past days still vitally alive.

旧弓町から春日通りを渡って旧真砂町へ/ I walked from Yumi-cho through Kasuga-dori to Masago-cho

マンションの一階は「文京区男女平等センター」（「文京区女性センター」改め）/ The ground floor of a building in Masago-cho is "Bunkyo-ku Gender Equality Center"

センターはす向かいはカラフルな「本郷小学校」/ The colorful new building is Hongo Elementary School

空き地から見晴らす「本郷通り」雑多な形のビルが増えた/ From the open lot, Hongo-dori with newly built buildings of various shapes are seen

センター脇にある「真砂遺跡跡」を示すプレート/ A plate indicating the site of old ruins discovered in Masago-cho

センター前「本妙寺坂」を下ったところ、横の通りが「菊坂」/ Walking down Honmyo-ji Saka in front of Gender Equality Center, you arrive at Kikuzaka.

真昼の菊坂/ Kikuzaka at noon

菊坂手前の「本郷旅館案内センター」。このあたりには旅館が多い。/ The information center of inns in Hongo area.

菊坂の由来を示すプレート/ A plate introducing Kikuzaka

鉄工所の脇を下ると路地が広がる/ Beside buildings are narrow steps down to back alleys

鉄工所の向かいは長泉寺の石段/ Steps up to Chosenji Temple

長泉寺山門/ The gate of Chosenji Temple

山門から見下ろす菊坂/ Looking down at Kikuzaka from Chosenji Temple

長泉寺境内/ Inside of the temple

菊坂から路地へ下る階段/ The steps down from Kikuzaka

一人通るのが精一杯。菊坂の上と下を結ぶ階段。/ Narrow steps to connect Kikuzaka and the alley behind it.

階段の途中にある「宮沢賢治旧居跡」を示すプレート/ A plate introducing the site of where Miyazawa Kenji, a poet, novelist, scientist, and humanist once lived

菊坂を一筋南へ下った路地/ A lane down from Kikuzaka

菊坂下の表路地。昔の防火用水入れ。/ Once water was kept in the stony box to quench fire

何気なしに踏み込んだ路地の奥に・・・/ As I stepped into the narrow alley....

一葉旧居跡の、あの井戸が/ I found the well in front of where Higuchi Ichiyo once lived

手押しポンプの井戸/ A pump with a handle

井戸は今も現役/ A notice telling people to boil the water for drinking

樋口一葉の菊坂旧居跡を示すプレート/ A plate telling this is where once Higuchi Ichiyo lived

井戸の奥には三階建ての木造家屋と屋根付きの門/ Beyond the well is a three-story wooden house with a roofed gate

ここはもちろん今も人の住まいである/ Certainly people live here now

「旧菊坂町」と一葉の旧居跡を示すプレート/ An old plate telling this place is once called "Kikuzaka-cho"

ポンプの先にはこざっぱりした豆絞りの手ぬぐい/ A traditional Japanese cotton handkerchief covers the end of the pump

井戸にぶら下がっている一束の小枝は何かのまじない？/ Is the bundle of sticks hanging a spell of a kind?

この路地は今も石畳/ The pitching of the alley

一葉旧居跡手前の塀に張られた注意書き/ A notice to respect the privacy of inhabitants in Ichiyo's old house and its neighborhood

古いが頑丈な木造家屋/ An old and tough wooden house

木造には簾がよく似合う/ Japanese traditional sunshades suit the wooden house

銭湯と床屋が向かい合う/ A public bath house and a barber

葡萄の蔓が絡む床屋の店先/ A bunch of grapes is hanging from the barber's roof

「菊水湯」正面の門飾りと瓦/ The front engraving of Kikusui-Yu (a public bath house)

菊水湯入り口（左手はコインランドリー）/ The entrance of Kikusui-Yu

路地から菊坂へあがる階段/ Steps up to Kikuzaka

菊坂を下りきって「言問い通り」と出会うところ/ Where Kikuzaka meets Kototoi-dori Avenue

菊坂に面した「伊勢屋質店」の土蔵/ The clay storehouse of a pawnshop "Iseya" Higuchi Ichiyo frequented

土蔵の窓は久しぶりに出たお天道様に向かって開いている/ The wooden windway of the clay storehouse is open to the sun

「一葉ゆかりの伊勢屋質店」を示すプレート/ A plate telling of Higuchi Ichiyo's close connection to the pawnshop

土蔵の開いた窓に電灯の明かりが見える/ A dim light is seen inside of the storehouse

伊勢屋質店の土蔵/ The clay storehouse of "Iseya"

今はもう商売を畳んだ伊勢屋質店の母屋/ The main house of "Iseya" once a pawnshop