There are still many descendants of the Hibiya Family, mainly in Adachi ward, Tōkyō.

　A gōshi (郷士) is a samurai who lives and is in charge of his own hometown. They were mainly in the suburbs of Edo, especially in the early Edo period (1603−1868). Through the development of new fields policy (shinden kaihatsu 新田開発) and the vassalization of samurai under the local governor, the samurai's territories became officially recognized. In the middle of the Edo period, they had the status of peasant, but by the end of the Tokugawa shogunate, they had a samurai status again.

　The Hibiya Family (日比谷家) is a family of local samurai (gōshi 郷士) which was based in Edo even before Tokugawa Ieyasu (徳川家康) (1543−1616) was there. It seems that the Hibiya village was located far south of the current Hibiya area in Chiyoda Ward (currently Atago-Shiba, near Tōkyō Tower in Minato ward). It is said that the Hibiya Family was moved to Koemon Shinden (currently Adachi ward, Tōkyō) when Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo. Regarding Hibiya Park, it seems to have been named after the Hibiya Gate of the Imperial Palace a long time ago.

　According to the explanation given at the Hibiya Park, the name Hibiya comes from the seaweed cultivation tool (hibi ひび) during the Edo period (1603−1868). However, according to the description given by the Hibiya village, the name already existed before the Edo period, and even during the Muromachi period (1336−1573). We don't know between the Hibiya village and the Hibiya Family which came first, but in any case, the origin of the name seems to be earlier than the Edo period, but unfortunately there is no material to prove so.

　Most of the materials and works of art posted on this website are deposited at the Adachi City Museum, so please contact them in the case you want to have access to them.

　Hibiya Heizaemon (日比谷平左衛門) (1848−1921), who was called the "Giant of the Japanese Spinning World" (Nihon Bōseki-kai no Kyojin 日本紡績界の巨人) in the Meiji era (1868−1912), is a family member of the Hibiya Family who left Adachi for Edo. Heizaemon was involved in the establishment of Fujibō and Kanebō in the Meiji and Taishō eras (1912−1926), served as the vice chairman of the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce, and was also involved in the establishment and management of Dai-ichi Life Insurance and Kyūshū Hydroelectric. He was also a companion to Eiichi Shibusawa's (渋沢栄一) (1840−1931) business trip to the United States. In this way, he has been introduced in many books as a self-made man.

　Katsu Kaishū (勝海舟) (1823−1899), Nakamura Masanao (中村正直) (1823−1899), Shinsengumi's Kondō Isami (近藤勇) (1834−1868) and Hijikata Toshizo (土方歳三) (1835−1869), Miura Ken'ya (三浦乾也) (1821−1889), who was said to be a genius at the end of the Edo period (1603−1868), and painters Ishii Teiko (石井鼎湖) (1848−1897) and Suzuki Gako (鈴木鵞湖) (1816−1870) were relatives. Hibiya Kenjirō (日比谷健次郎) (1836−1886) also had interactions with foreigners who came to Japan, such as James Curtis Hepburn (1815−1911), an American missionary who created the Hepburn romanization method, and Julia Nelson Crosby (1833−1918), a female missionary who was involved in the establishment of "Kyōritsu Girls' School," the predecessor of Yokohama Kyōritsu Gakuen.

　It is located in Chuōhonchō, Adachi ward. A part of the mansion's stone wall is used for the Mega Don Quijote Kannana Umejima store. ​ * You can learn more about the residence in this video of the YouTuber Horiguchi Masumi visiting the site of the mansion : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj6a9ZX5dFc

　The graveyard of the Hibiya Family is located in the Nichiren sect temple "Kokudo Annon-ji" in Shimane, Adachi ward.

　In addition to the information on this website, Hodaka Ken'ichi's "The Magenta Palace" (Benimurasaki no Yakata 紅紫の館) (published in December 2020) is a work based on Hibiya Kenjirō (日比谷健次郎) (1836−1886). 　We also recommend the commentary book (80 pages in total) of the special exhibition "Brightness of the Famous Families" (Meika no Kagayaki 名家のかがやき) held by the Adachi City Museum. 　Please also watch this video that was aired on the Adachi City public relations program : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hj6a9ZX5dFc