The District of Ōi
The Ōi district of Shinagawa Ward may not be as famous as Shibuya or Ginza, but it has a long and layered history. Look a little closer, and the area begins to tell a much older story. Thousands of years ago, this land faced the sea and formed part of the coastline inhabited by Jōmon fishing communities. Over time, court nobles and samurai families followed. Today, the same area sits at the heart of modern Tokyo, with freight terminals, rail lines, and residential streets side by side.
Ōi includes several neighbourhoods, including Ōi, Higashi-Ōi, and Nishi-Ōi. Each offers a different window onto the past. Together, they help visitors understand how Shinagawa developed and how the Tokyo Bay coastline has shifted and expanded over time.
💧 What’s in the Name “Ōi”?
The characters 大井 (Ōi) mean “great well” or “large spring,” a name that points to the area’s rich water sources. In the past, this abundance made the land attractive for early settlement. At that time, Ōi faced Tokyo Bay directly, before later land reclamation pushed the shoreline outward.
Springs, small streams, and natural embankments shaped the local landscape. These features supported early rice cultivation and daily life. Over time, the same conditions drew temples, workshops, and later small-scale industry to the area.
🏺 Early Settlements and Archaeological Evidence
Ōi is home to one of the most important prehistoric sites in southern Tokyo: the Ōmori Shell Mounds. Preserved today as the Ōmori Kaizuka Archaeological Site Garden, this site provides clear evidence of human activity during the Jōmon period along the former Tokyo Bay shoreline.
The shell mounds contain remains of daily life, including food waste, tools, and pottery. Together, these finds show that people lived and worked in this area thousands of years before Edo or Tokyo existed. Although later urban development reshaped much of Ōi’s landscape, the preserved shell mound site offers a rare window into its deep past.
🏯 Medieval Land and Administration
In the Kamakura period, the Ōi area formed part of southern Musashi Province, close to the growing hub of Shinagawa. Rather than showing a single, stable “lordship,” the records point to changing patterns of landholding and local control. In particular, the Shinagawa archive describes the Kisei Ōi clan (紀姓大井氏) as a local lineage tied to Shinagawa and its surrounding public lands in the twelfth century.
Even so, medieval administration rarely followed neat modern boundaries. Estates, public lands, and service obligations overlapped. As a result, power shifted through inheritance, alliances, and the politics of the shogunate. Over time, these arrangements influenced later place names and the way villages took shape in the early modern era.
🌾 Ōi as an Edo-Era Farming Village
In the Edo period, Ōi remained largely rural. Farmers worked fields and supplied food to the expanding city of Edo. Records from the Tenpō era describe Ōi as a place known for vegetables, especially carrots, alongside Shinagawa’s famous green onions. Because Edo demanded fresh produce every day, nearby villages like Ōi played a steady supporting role.
At the same time, Shinagawa’s landscape mixed farms, roads, and small settlements. Villagers carried goods toward the city, and local networks supported travel and daily life. In this way, Ōi linked the open fields of the outskirts with the growing appetite of Edo.
The 20th Century: From Station to Industry
The turning point for modern Ōi came in 1914, when Ōimachi Station opened on what is now the Keihin–Tōhoku Line. From that moment, rail access reshaped the district. Housing expanded, streets filled in, and daily life began to orient toward the station.
Over time, workshops, warehouses, and small factories appeared along the Tachiaigawa River. As a result, parts of the former agricultural landscape gradually gave way to mixed urban use. Fields and paddies did not vanish overnight, but development continued as Tokyo grew. Ōi’s flat terrain and strong transport links made this change both practical and lasting.
Subdistricts of the Ōi Area
- Ōi (大井): The central historic area; originally a farming village and now a residential/commercial zone.
- Higashi-Ōi (東大井): East Ōi, near the Keikyu Line and Tachiaigawa; developed around small businesses and apartments.
- Nishi-Ōi (西大井): West Ōi, closer to the border with Ōta Ward, and home to newer housing developments and parkland.
⛩ Temples and Shrines of Ōi
The Ōi area contains a number of temples and shrines that developed alongside farming villages, roads, and waterways. These religious sites served local residents, travelers, and nearby communities, offering places for prayer, memorial services, and seasonal rituals. Many structures seen today reflect rebuilding and change over time, while still preserving long local traditions.
- Raifukuji Temple (来福寺): A Shingon Buddhist temple traditionally said to have been founded in the Heian period. It is known for its calm grounds, historical monuments, and close ties to the local community.
- Daikyōji Temple (大経寺): Located beside the former Suzugamori Execution Grounds, this Nichiren temple is known for conducting memorial services for those executed there. It remains a place of quiet remembrance.
- Yōgyokuin Temple (養玉院 / 如来寺): A temple with a long history in Ōi, closely associated with the area’s Buddhist traditions and later cultural activities. It continues to function as an active religious site.
- Kashima Shrine (鹿嶋神社): A local Shinto shrine with deep roots in the neighbourhood. Tradition links its origins to early settlement in the area, although exact founding dates remain uncertain.
- Ōi-no-Suijinsha Shrine (大井の水神社): A shrine dedicated to a water deity, reflecting the importance of springs and water management in Ōi’s agricultural past. Local tradition places its foundation in the Edo period.
🌿 Historic Landscape Traces
Although modern development has transformed much of Ōi, traces of its earlier landscape still remain. One of the most important is the Shinagawa Yōsui (品川用水), an Edo-period irrigation channel that once carried water from inland sources toward the fields and villages of southern Shinagawa.
In Ōi and Nishi-Ōi, the former course of the Shinagawa Yōsui can still be followed through subtle changes in street lines, pathways, and neighbourhood layout. These routes mark where water once flowed, supporting agriculture and shaping daily movement. They reflect a time when careful water control underpinned village life.
Seen alongside preserved sites such as the Ōmori Shell Mounds, these landscape traces help visitors imagine how Ōi functioned before railways and dense housing arrived. Together, they reveal a district shaped not only by modern infrastructure, but also by water, farming, and long continuity of use.
🚆 Ōi in the Modern City
In the twentieth century, Ōi developed into a mixed residential and industrial district shaped by rail transport. The opening of Ōimachi Station in 1914 accelerated this shift. Housing, workshops, and local businesses gradually replaced much of the former farmland.
Today, Ōi combines everyday neighbourhood life with major transport and maintenance facilities. Rail yards, stations, schools, and parks exist side by side. While the district has changed dramatically, its earlier layers remain visible in preserved sites, place names, and long-standing religious institutions.
Ōi and the Shinagawa Hyakkei
The Ōi district blends deep historical legacy with modern energy; temples, execution grounds, racecourses, museums, and more all come together in this vibrant district. These Shinagawa Hyakkei spots offer a taste of its diverse character:
Sacred & Historical Sites
Hachiman Shrine (八幡神社)
An important guardian shrine of the Ōi region with a long-standing role in protecting local communities and agricultural life.
Grounds of Raifukuji Temple (来福寺の境内)
Peaceful and atmospheric, the grounds of Raifukuji host seasonal plants and quiet walks beside gravestones steeped in history.
Remains of Suzugamori Execution Ground and Daikyoji Temple (鈴ヶ森刑場跡と大経寺)
A solemn but significant site preserving the memory of Edo-period executions. Daikyoji Temple nearby served the condemned with last rites.
Yogyokuin Temple (Nyoraiji Temple) (養玉院 如来寺)
A deeply spiritual temple where quiet reflection and cultural festivals continue to thrive.
Kashima Shrine (鹿嶋神社)
A beautiful Shinto shrine nestled in the residential fabric of Ōi, providing spiritual respite for centuries.
Omori-kaizuka Shell Mound (大森貝塚)
An archaeological treasure of the Jomon period; evidence of ancient life, tools, and coastal settlement over 5,000 years ago.
Tomb of Hirobumi Ito (伊藤博文公墓所)
Final resting place of Japan’s first Prime Minister, located in a tranquil spot in the Ōi area; an important Meiji-period legacy.
Sentokuyo Festival of Obotoke (大仏の千灯供養)
Held annually at the site of the Great Buddha, this thousand-lantern memorial service honors ancestors in glowing solemnity.
Parks, Statues, and Riverscapes
Shinagawa Kumin Park (しながわ区民公園)
A large and much-loved local park featuring green lawns, playgrounds, and water features perfect for all ages.
Oi Suijin Park (大井水神公園)
Named for the nearby Suijin Shrine, this riverside park is ideal for morning jogs, cherry blossoms, and family strolls.
Oi-no-suijinsya Shrine (大井の水神社)
A water deity shrine quietly located near the canals, offering prayers for safety and seasonal blessings.
“Oath of Peace” statue (「平和の誓い」像)
A symbolic sculpture in the park representing the district’s postwar hope and commitment to peace.
Cherry trees along Sakura-shinmichi Avenue (桜新道の桜並木)
A corridor of cherry blossoms that lines this local road; perfect for seasonal photo walks.
Sakamoto Ryoma-zo in Tachiaigawa (立会川の坂本龍馬像)
A statue of the famed samurai reformer stands near where he once studied. Now a proud symbol of modern spirit in old Tachiaigawa.
Festivals & Local Life
Oi Dontaku Summer Festival (大井どんたく夏祭り＜8月＞)
This high-energy summer celebration fills the streets with dance, music, street food, and joyful crowds under lantern light.
Modern Infrastructure & Transit
Oi Racecourse and Twinkle Race (大井競馬場とトゥインクルレース)
Famous for its night-time “Twinkle Races,” Oi Racecourse brings excitement, lights, and horses to Tokyo Bay’s edge.
Oi Keibajo-mae Station, canal, and monorail (大井競馬場前駅と運河、モノレール)
This futuristic transport nexus connects trains, canals, and monorails in a uniquely urban-industrial vista.
JR East Tokyo General Vehicle Center (ＪＲ東日本東京総合車両センター)
An enormous rail yard and maintenance center. Frustratingly, not usually open to the public, but fascinating for train enthusiasts and a key part of Ōi’s role in Tokyo’s transport ecosystem.
Shinagawa Hanakaido and Harbour (しながわ花海道と船だまり )
A celebrated modern scenic route; flower paths and fishing boats at rest along the bay. A rare spot where traditional shoreline life remains visible.
Shinagawa Aquarium (しながわ水族館)
Popular with families, this local aquarium features sea life native to Tokyo Bay alongside playful otters and dolphins in curated tanks.
Nishi-Oi Station and the neighbourhood (西大井駅とその周辺)
A quieter corner of Ōi, this neighborhood near the Yokosuka Line combines commuter convenience with postwar residential charm.
Shinagawa History Museum (品川歴史館)
Explore local history from Jomon to Edo and modern times. Exhibits include ancient tools, neighborhood maps, and rotating features on Shinagawa life.
