| Unlike the trendy spots introduced so far, Shibamata (site is Japanese only)
is a district that has prospered since the Edo period (1603-1868) thanks to the
temples located there and is inhabited by ordinary working people. Getting off
the local train at Shibamata Station, the visitor enters a street lined on both
sides by small shops selling things like souvenirs and the local delicacy kusa-dango
(rice cakes made with mugwort leaves). A short stroll past these shops brings
you to Taishakuten, a large temple. Walking through Shibamata is like walking
onto the set of an authentic period movie.
Shibamata originally developed as a center of Buddhism, but nowadays many people come for a different kind of worship. They come here to pay tribute to Tora-san, the leading character of Japan's most popular movie series, Otoko wa tsurai yo (It's Tough Being a Man).
Tora-san was born in a rice cake shop on a street in Shibamata. He did not get married and instead became a vagabond, traveling aimlessly all over Japan. Whenever he tired of his travels, he would return to the place he was born, before leaving again suddenly as if blown by the wind. The series follows Tora-san through a succession of failed romances and other adventures. Although he is a constant source of worry for his sister, who is his only family, she is unable to blame him because of his straightforward, honest character.
The first Tora-san film was released in 1969, and the series ran for 26 years, racking up some 48 films before it finally closed because of the death of Kiyoshi Atsumi, the lead actor. Atsumi was awarded a posthumous People's Honor Award in commemoration of the success of the Tora-san films. In front of Shibamata Station today stands a life-size "Tora-san the Vagabond" statue to which fans of Atsumi come to pay their respects.
To the east of Taishakuten lies the Edogawa River, which acts as the boundary between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture. The Yagiri Ferry, a service that has been carrying passengers across the river for over 300 years, still operates today. On the Chiba side of the river lies an expanse of farmland, and all that can be heard as the small boat crosses the water is the creaking of the oar. The ferry offers an opportunity for tourists to float back in time. |
