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Atlas  /  For your career  /  The Stone Steps of Success (Atago Shrine)No. 103
Plate IEast Asia · Japan (Tokyo)The Stone Steps of Success (Atago Shrine), drawn by Wishlore
Pl. IThe Stone Steps of Success (Atago Shrine). A steep flight of stone steps rising up a wooded hill, with a branch of plum blossom. Drawing: Wishlore.
No. 103  ·  For your career  ·  East Asia

The Steps of Success at Atago

A steep flight of stone steps up Atago hill in Tokyo, known as Shusse no Ishidan, the Stone Steps of Success. A story says a samurai once rode a horse up them for the shogun. People climb them today hoping to get on in their careers.

Earliest record
Atago Shrine founded 1603; prints of the ride, 19th century
Source
Wikipedia, Atago Shrine (Tokyo)
Region
East Asia · Japan (Tokyo)
Wish
For your career
Layers
Record Folk Modern
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The story · three layers

The story, in three layers.

Record, Folk and Modern are kept apart, and each one carries its source.

I
Record
Shrine founded 1603; prints, 19th century

The shrine and the prints

Atago Shrine stands on Atagoyama, a hill in Minato, Tokyo. It was founded in 1603 on the order of the shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu; its present buildings date from 1958. Museum catalogues list woodblock prints of the ride up its steps by the print designers Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Ogata Gekkō.

To verify: The two museum records, their dates and wording: we could not open them; The date of Gekkō’s print: one record gives 1893, while Wikipedia dates his Gekkō Zuihitsu series to 1886–87

II
Folk
Edo, 17th century (a story)

A ride for the shogun

The story goes that a young samurai dared to ride his horse up the steep steps to bring plum blossom to the shogun. The climb took the horse a minute; the way down took three-quarters of an hour. Prints name the rider Magaki Heikurō, and a painting of the scene hangs in the shrine’s main hall. The steps are known as Shusse no Ishidan, the Stone Steps of Success: shusse means getting on in the world.

To verify: The rider’s name, Magaki Heikurō, as given in the print titles; Which shogun: travel guides name Tokugawa Iemitsu; The year of the ride (given as 1631 or 1634) and the number of steps (86 or 88); The Japanese name Shusse no Ishidan, in a Japanese local-history source

III
Modern
Tokyo, today

Climbing for a career

The steep steps are said to stand for success in life, and people climb them hoping to get on at work. A festival named after them, the Shusse no Ishidan Matsuri, carries portable shrines up and down the flight. We tell the story and the climb, and leave the career to you.

To verify: The festival and how often it is held (listings say every other year, in September)

The Stone Steps of Success (Atago Shrine)
Atago Shrine founded 1603; prints of the ride, 19th century
Story and sources on the reverse
Pl. IIThe story card. Every printed piece carries the story and a code that opens the full source list.
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In one breath
Up the steep steps, for a branch of plum blossom. Who would you keep it for?
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