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The Shores of the Sumida River:
From Fukagawa to Asakusa

The Sumida River (©Sumida Ward)

The Sumida River runs through the eastern part of Tokyo, known as Shitamachi (literally the "lower city"), and flows into Tokyo Bay. It was known in the Edo period (1603-1868) simply as Okawa ("big river"), and the view of this waterway was near to the hearts of Edo residents. This tour takes you up from the mouth of the Sumida River all the way north to Asakusa, the heart of Shitamachi.

Sumida River Estuary
Toward the end of the Edo period the shogunate constructed gun batteries offshore to protect against raids by foreign ships. Today that area has been converted into the Odaiba district, which is home to a number of popular tourist destinations. Nearby is the high-rise residential development known as River City 21. The east bank of the Sumida River once prospered as home to geisha establishments (in present-day Fukagawa) and lumber distribution (in present-day Kiba), and some reminders of this past still exist today.

1. Tomioka Hachimangu Shrine

Tomioka Hachimangu (©Koto Ward Publicity Office)

Hachimangu shrines, found in various places in Japan, venerate the brave deity Hachiman. Tomioka Hachimangu was the largest Hachimangu shrine in Edo, and the townspeople came here to worship. This shrine is famous for having served as the site of sumo tournaments for a century starting in 1684, and the shrine precincts contain monuments celebrating famous yokozuna (the top rank in sumo) and ozeki (the second-highest rank) from the past.

Every year around August 15, the Fukagawa Hachiman Festival is held. Many people come to watch what is known as one of the three major festivals in Tokyo along with the Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine and the Kanda Festival at Kanda Myojin. Visitors should not miss the large and exquisite portable shrines alongside the entranceway to Tomioka Hachimangu.

2. Fukagawa Fudodo Temple and Nakamise

Left: Shops near Fukagawa Fudodo
Right: The entrance to Fukagawa Fudodo (©Naritasan Fukagawa Fudodo)

Stretching out in front of Monzen-Nakacho Station on the Tozai subway line is a long, bustling road. Along the way are the grounds where the temple Eidaiji once stood. The temple Naritasan Shinshoji in Chiba began lending a statue of the deity Fudo Myoo to Eidaiji in 1703, a practice it continued nearly every year. Many people gathered to worship each time the statue was placed on display, and there were calls to make the display permanent. In the Meiji era (1868-1912) a replica of the Fudo Myoo statue was brought from Naritasan Shinshoji, and Fukagawa Fudodo was established on the grounds of Eidaiji to house it. On the first, fifteenth, and twenty-eighth of every month, many people gather as dozens of food stalls are set up along the street leading to the temple. This street is lined on both sides with long-established shops selling such familiar products as tsukudani (food boiled down in soy sauce) and traditional sweets. This is a perfect place to get a taste of Shitamachi.

3. Fukagawa Edo Museum

Top: A kitchen
Above: The boathouse (©Fukagawa Edo Museum)

The Fukugawa Edo Museum is famous for its faithful re-creation of the Fukagawa Sagacho neighborhood (now the area around the Sumidagawa Ohashi bridge) as it looked around the end of the Edo period. A number of items and buildings, such as row houses, a boathouse, a warehouse, a variety of shops, and a watchtower, have been painstakingly constructed the way they would have been at the time. Visitors can glimpse what life was like for ordinary people in the Edo period. The road alongside the museum, Shiryokan-dori, has Edo-period toilets as well as souvenir shops at which the staff wear their hair in topknots. There are a number of temples nearby as well, including Reiganji, which was once very influential. This area was a city of temples, and a walk through this neighborhood can give visitors a feel for the way things used to be.

4. Kiyosumi Garden

Kiyosumi Garden (©Koto Ward Publicity Office)

Across from the intersection of Shiryokan-dori and Kiyosumi-dori lies Kiyosumi Garden, which is said to have belonged to the wealthy Edo-period merchant Kinokuniya Bunzaemon and then later to Iwasaki Yataro, the founder of the Mitsubishi zaibatsu (industrial and financial combine) in the Meiji era. It was used for holding receptions and as a getaway for Mitsubishi employees. In 1924 it was given over to the Tokyo government and opened to the public in 1932.

The garden draws water from the Sumida River and is cleverly designed so that the scenery changes with the ebb and flow of the tides. Being seen as a garden that represents the Meiji era, it was the first spot to be designated as a place of scenic beauty by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government in 1979. The garden is famous for its collection of unusual and rare stones that have been gathered from around Japan. Visitors can marvel at the stones as they enjoy walking around the pond and taking in natural beauty and stillness that would not have seemed possible in the middle of Tokyo.

5. Sumo Stables

Top: Sumo wrestlers practicing
Above: A small statue near Ryogoku Kokugikan (lower picture ©Sumida Ward)

A few minutes' walk north from Kiyosumi Garden is a pair of sumo stables on opposite sides of the road. While they may appear to be ordinary buildings at first glance, they are distinguishable by their signs outside the first floor and the long practice mawashi (belts worn by sumo wrestlers) hanging from the balcony. The two stables are called Taiho and Kitanoumi, taking their names from their stablemasters, both of whom were famous yokozuna (the top rank for sumo wrestlers) when they were active wrestlers.

Sumo stables are where wrestlers ordinarily train, as well as where young and aspiring wrestlers live together. When they are not traveling or taking part in a tournament somewhere, many young sumo wrestlers can be seen on this street and in the surrounding neighborhood. Ryogoku Kokugikan, the arena where three of the six annual sumo tournaments are held, is nearby, so there are many other stables on the way.

6. Echoes of Art

Top: The entrance to the Matsuo Basho Museum
Above: Displays in the museum (©Matsuo Basho Museum)

The east bank of the Sumida River is an area crisscrossed with canals, which were used to bring goods into Edo. Chief among these waterways is the Onagi River, which is spanned by the Mannenbashi bridge. This bridge was once made of wood, and its tall form and arched shape were immortalized in ukiyo-e woodblock prints created by such master artists as Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) and Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858). It was one of the most famous landmarks in Edo. People fond of haiku should not miss the Matsuo Basho Museum nearby. Basho (1644-1694) was a great poet in the Edo period, and he lived near the north side of the bridge.

7. Gourmet Town

Top: Sukiyaki (©JNTO)
Above: Chanko

The Shitamachi area around the Sumida River is home to a staggering number of eating and drinking establishments. The areas around Monzen-Nakacho Station and along Kiyosumi-dori in particular have a wide variety of famous places to eat. Here you can find fukagawameshi (a kind of rice dish made with clams), chanko (the food eaten by sumo wrestlers), Japanese soba (buckwheat noodles), shamonabe (a sukiyaki-like dish that uses chicken), and sushi made from fresh fish purchased from the nearby Tsukiji fish market. For people who wish to try the unique, traditional flavors of Japan, this area is highly recommended.

8. Ekoin

The entrance to Ekoin (©Ekoin)

Moving north along Kiyosumi-dori, you will come to a major thoroughfare called Keiyo-doro, which crosses Ryogokubashi. Built in 1659, Ryogokubashi was the first bridge to span the Sumida River south of Asakusa. Ryogoku, which means "both provinces," takes its name from the fact that it linked Musashi Province (now the Tokyo side) with Shimofusa Province (now the Chiba Prefecture side). Located along Keiyo-doro near Ryogokubashi is Ekoin, a temple constructed to pray for the souls of the more than 100,000 people who died in the Meireki Fire of 1657. The temple accepted the souls of all comers without regard to religion or species. In addition to having the graves of such famous people as Edo-period playwright Santo Kyoden, the temple grounds also have the graves of executed convicts, as well as those of pet cats and dogs. One particular criminal is the notorious thief Nezumikozo Jirokichi.

9. Ryogoku Kokugikan

Ryogoku Kokugikan (©Sumida Ward)

Ryogoku Kokugikan is a sumo arena that was originally built in 1909. The current building, which serves as a multifunctional facility, was completed in 1985, and three of the six annual sumo tournaments in Japan are held here. When a tournament is underway, the Ryogoku area comes alive with decorative banners bearing the names of wrestlers, the sound of taiko drums, and the sight of wrestlers walking the streets. The number of foreign-born wrestlers has increased notably in recent years, and the sport of sumo is continuing to become more international. On the first floor of Ryogoku Kokugikan is a sumo museum. Admission is free, and the museum displays a number of unusual sumo-related objects and artifacts, such as sumo banzuke (ranking lists) dating from the Edo period and keshomawashi (wrestlers' ornamental sashes) used by great wrestlers.

10. Edo-Tokyo Museum

The large modern-looking building next to Ryogoku Kokugikan is the Edo-Tokyo Museum, which is modeled after an elevated-floor-type warehouse from Japan's ancient past. The permanent exhibition area, located on the fifth and sixth floors, is where interesting exhibits are on display year-round. There is the Edo Zone, which contains a replica of the Nihonbashi bridge and a small kabuki theater, and the Tokyo Zone, which shows the changes that the city underwent in the Meiji, Taisho (1912-1926), and Showa (1926-1989) eras. Visitors can experience 400 years of Edo-Tokyo history in detail by looking at the artifacts and replicas on display. This museum is quite popular with foreign visitors, many of whom say that here they can truly see the face of common people in Japan. The museum contains an audiovisual hall, a Japanese restaurant, a coffee shop, and many other facilities. For people who are interested in Tokyo's past, the museum is worth spending half a day.

11. Kyu-Yasuda Garden

The Kyu-Yasuda Garden was once owned by a daimyo family and was a famous garden in the Edo period. Ownership was passed from the Yasuda zaibatsu to the Tokyo government in 1922. While the garden itself is not particularly large, it drew its water from the Sumida River just as the Kiyosumi Garden did, and visitors may find it interesting to compare the two.

12. Azumabashi Area

Top: The abstract sculpture on the roof of the Asahi beer garden
Above: Cherry blossoms along the Sumida River (©Sumida Ward)

Further north from Kyu-Yasuda Garden is an area with a number of ultra-modern tall buildings. The headquarters of Asahi Breweries resembles a giant beer mug, and a nearby beer hall managed by Asahi has on its roof a giant golden abstract sculpture that has become a new landmark in the Asakusa area. Also nearby is the Sumida Ward Office.

At the feet of these modern buildings is Azumabashi, the bridge that connected the Honjo and Asakusa areas in the Edo period. The bridge, which was built by private citizens, originally charged tolls for common people and horses but allowed samurai to cross without charge. At the foot of the bridge you can board a cruise ship that will take you down the Sumida River, so if you have a bit of time, this is an enjoyable way to spend part of the afternoon and will afford you a great view of the city. North of Azumabashi is an area that has been famous for its cherry blossoms since the Edo period. This area is also famous for the spectacular fireworks display that takes place in the summer.

13. Asakusa Nakamise

The street that crosses the Azumabashi bridge is Kaminarimon-dori. Passing through the famous Kaminarimon gate along the street will bring you to Nakamise, an area filled with small shops selling all kinds of traditional Japanese goods, including candy, toys, and various knick-knacks. This street, which leads to the temple Sensoji, is a great place to look for souvenirs. Many of the shops have been open since the Edo period, and this is one of the most popular spots in Tokyo among foreign visitors. While the area is bustling in the daytime, the shops tend to close quite early. By 8:00 PM the place is deserted, so visitors are advised to go before evening arrives.

14. Sensoji

Sensoji was built in the seventh century, making it Tokyo's oldest temple. It is said that the temple enshrines a small (5.5-centimeter) gold statue of the bodhisattva Kannon that was found in the Sumida River by fishermen in 628. In the Edo period, the ruling Tokugawa clan offered their prayers here, and it was a venerated place where many commoners gathered to worship. To the north of Sensoji lay the old Yoshiwara pleasure quarters and a kabuki theater. This area was quite popular with Edo residents as an entertainment district, and it is said that it served as the wellspring of Edo culture.

The grounds of Sensoji include a five-story pagoda, among other buildings, and numerous stone monuments. Many different events are held over the course of the year, including the Sanja Festival in May, which is attended by more than a million people, and the Hozuki-ichi (Chinese lantern plant fair) in the summer.

The area around Sensoji is home to many famous old shops and restaurants. When evening rolls around, relaxing over dinner and taking in the Shitamachi atmosphere may be a fine way to finish off the day.