I took the Keikyu Daishi Line for the first time in a while. It’s almost unthinkable for a Keikyu Line enthusiast, but I’d somehow forgotten to take a photo of the “Birthplace of Keikyu” monument next to Kawasaki-Daishi Station, so I took this opportunity to make a detour and snap a picture.
Keikyu’s predecessor was the Daishi Electric Railway, which opened in this area in 1899 (Meiji 32). As its name suggests, it was originally a streetcar line designed primarily to transport pilgrims to Kawasaki Daishi temple.
At the time of its opening, the local rickshaw association strongly opposed the line extending to Kawasaki Station (operated by the Ministry of Railways—later JNR), fearing it would take away their customers. As a result, the starting station was established not at Kawasaki Station, but at the foot of Rokugo Bridge, some distance away. It seems they sought to maintain a clear division of labor, with rickshaws operating between Kawasaki Station and Rokugo Bridge, and the newly built streetcar taking over from there. Consequently, it took about three and a half years before the line was extended to Kawasaki Station.
The reason this monument stands next to Kawasaki Daishi Station is rooted in that history of the Keikyu Line, but in fact, this monument is accompanied by a mischievous little sidekick right next to it.
The mascot character “Keikyun” was created in 2011 to commemorate the opening of the Haneda Airport Line (and the opening of Airport Terminal 1 Station), so I think the bronze statue of the character should really be erected somewhere along the Haneda Airport Line rather than here. Yet, for some reason, it’s standing here alongside the monument marking the line’s birthplace. Well, since it would seem a bit out of place if it were just standing there on its own, perhaps it’s better for both of us that it stays here and people can just casually walk right past it.
