Takada Baba (Takada Riding Ground) from "Guide to Famous Spots of Edo Vol.4"
Compiled by Saitō Chōshū, Painted by Hasegawa Settan 1834-1836 (Tempō 5 to Tempō 7) Kaga Collection 256

During the Keichō years, Takada used to be a resort of Acha-no-tsubone, who was the mother of the Echigo Takada-no-Shōshō (the feudal lord of Echigo-Takada), and that is how the place got its name. It is written in "Guide to Famous Spots of Edo" that improvements were carried out to the riding ground in 1636 and that it became a training ground for archery and horsemanship. It is said that the riding ground became known as Takada Baba (Takada riding ground) because it was used for the Ana Hachimangū Shrine (Takada Hachimangū Shrine) Yabusame (a Shinto mounted archery event). The riding ground was located in what today is Waseda 3 chōme, Shinjuku Ward.


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