Tokaido Walk (1): Sept. 25, 2010

Five major roads (Edo Five Routes) were built to connect Edo (Tokyo) and other parts of Japan in the Edo era. They are Tokaido, Nakasendo, Koshu Kaido, Oshu Kaido and Nikko Kaido.

Tokaido, which connects Edo and Kyoto through the Pacific coast area, was the most important and busiest  road in the Tokugawa Shogun era.

It was 495 kilometers from Edo (Nihonbashi) to Kyoto (Sanjo Ohashi). Tokaido had 53 stations (excluding Nihonbashi and Sanjo Ohashi) shich had traveler's inns, horse stables and other travel facilities. The stations were called “Shukuba”.

Most parts of Tokaido road have been redeveloped after the Meiji period and are now used as national highways. National Rout 1, which connects Tokyo and Kobe through Kyoto, runs on old Tokaido in many parts (National Rout 15 runs on old Tokaido in Tokyo).

Today, I took the first part of Tokaido walk.

All Edo Five Routs started Nihonbashi, which means Japan Bridge. It is about 1-2 kilometers east from the Imperial palace (former Edo Castle). The area is not far from the sea and was nearer from the seacoast in the Edo era.

There is a monument which shows "the basing point" of Japan’s roads. Many Edo people started their travels here.

However, it was difficult for me to feel historic mood. Many vehicles passed the bridge. A highway ran over the bridge. It was noisy. The river (canal) under the bridge was dirty.

Shops and offices spread around Nihonbashi.The headquarters of the Bank of Japan is in the area.

National Rout 15 runs on old Tokaido today. I walked westwards about 20 minutes and arrived in Ginza, one of Tokyo’s busiest shopping areas. The road was off vehicle.

I walked through Shinbashi, Shiba, Hamamatsucho, Tamachi and arrived in Shinagawa. It was about 7.5 kilometers and took about an hour and half.

There were many offices and apartments along the road. I also found historical buildings such as temples and shrines and monuments. The traffic was heavy in the road.

Shinagawa is the first station of Tokaido. The old Tokaido road remains in the area. It is a narrow street. Small shops and restaurants are along the street. There are many sign boards and flags which stress that "it is historic Shinagawa station of Tokaido".

They had a festival of Shinagawa shukuba (old station) today.

I walked about two hours and arrived at the ruin of an execution ground in Suzugamori. Rebels, murderers, arsonists and many other criminals were executed here. Some of them are historically famous. They include Marubashi Chuya, a rebel and Yaoya Ohichi, a youg woman arsonist. Their stories are played in the Kabuki plays.

The old Tokaido road meets National Rout 15 again at Suzugamori. It is about 12 kilometers from Nihonbashi.


Map: Nihonbashi
Map: Shinagawa
Map: Suzigamori

Sumo @ Setagaya Hachiman Shrine: Sept. 18, 2010

We usually imagine professional sumo wrestling when asked about sumo. It is broadcast nationwide by NHK (Japan’s public TV station) every two months. The professional wrestlers keep traditional hair style (They have topknots on their heads).


However, sumo is more than that.

Sumo is played widely by amateur players. It has strong ties with Japanese history, culture and society.

I visited Setagaya Hachiman Shrine to see votive sumo plays today.

The shrine holds the event every year to show its respect to the god. The event is held during the shrine’s autumn festival.

Total 20 sumo wrestlers from Tokyo University of Agriculture joined the event. Some of them are top-level amateur sumo players in Japan. A player is from Mongolia. Unlike professional sumo wrestlers, their hair was short.

They showed us their practices before the matches. They played shiko (a series of motions to raise a leg and to step it down – a practice to strengthen the player’s thigh), teppo (a practice to strengthen their pushing power) and matawari (a stretch practice).

They had a tournament competed by several groups and a tournament by individual players. They also had knockout competitions.

Some wrestlers played as many as 20 matches in about an hour and half.

The sounds made by the players (especially mada by the crash of two players at the beginning of the match) were heavy and strong. The impression was quite different from that I usually recieve from the sumo matches shown in the TV.

A ritual, in which a shinto priest showed his respect to the gods, was held before the tournament.

The sumo ring is made by soil and rice strews. It has connected with agriculture and harvest. Salt is thrown by the wrestlers before the match to clean the ring.

Hundreds of visitors enjoyed the event. I also enjoyed it.

Map: Setagaya Hachiman Shrine

Belgium Beer Weekend @Roppongi Hills: Sept. 11, 2010

I enjoyed Belgium beer at the Belgium Beer Weekend held at Roppongi Hills (Sept. 10-12, 2010).

The event was held in the inner court (arena) of the commercial complex. More than 40 brands of Belgium beer as well as Belgium foods -- famous “frites” fried potatoes, roast chickens and waffles – were sold at container shops which were placed around the arena. People drank the beer with special glasses designed for the event.

There was a stage in the arena. Musicians from Belgium played their music.
The "real" Beer Weekend started in Belgium in 1999 at Brussels’s famous Grand Place. Tokyo’s event is a copy of it. Tokyo is the first place except Brussels to hold such event.

Belgium beer has been more popular in Japan in current years.

Hundreds of people were enjoying Belgium beer, foods and music in the arena. Another hundreds of people were tasting their beer glasses on the grass around the arena.

I had not expected to see such number of people here as the event had not been widely known. There must have been good public relations activities by the organizers. The operations of the event were good.

Personally, I was in Belgium about 20 years ago. I’m glad to see more "Belgium related mattere" in Tokyo.

Map: Roppongi Hills

Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine@ Shimokitazawa: Sept. 5, 2010

There are many autumn festivals in Tokyo.
I visited a festival at Kitazawa Hachiman Shrine near Shimokitazawa, Setagaya ward today.

Hachiman shirines enshrine the Hachiman god, one of Japan’s traditional gods. There are about 8000 Hachiman shrines in Japan. The number is the second largest after Inari shrines among various shrines in Japan.

The festival is held to celebrate the harvest. It is also important as an opportunity of community’s gathering.
There are many stalls of foods, drinks and gifts in the shrine. Various performances including the lion dances, dram plays and songs were played in a open-air stage. The players are local people.

They also took portable shrines (mikoshi) and moved around the area. Some mikoshi were carried by the cheldren.

Visitors including many foreigners looked enjoying the festival.
Shopping streets hold various autumn festivals at this season. They usually have nothing to do with the country’s tradition or religion. They are commercial events. I found a small children’s festival held in Suzuran Street in Kyodo district on the Odakyu Line.

There will be many festivals through November. I am sure that I will visit tens of festivals in coming months.


Map: Kitazawa Hachiman

Small urban organic farm @ Seijo: Sept. 4, 2010

Most lands in Tokyo are covered with houses and buildings, but we find small urban farms around the city.

Most of them are preserved by the farmers to keep tax benefits. Some farmers, however, are trying to develop new businesses and activities.

Small urban farm have become an important topic in environmental protection and the sustainable development throughout the world in recent years.

I visited “Shisidoen” farm about 25 minutes walk from Seijogauen-mae of the Odakyu Line in Setagaya ward. The town is one of the highest-quality residential areas in Tokyo.

The farm is small (about 100 x 100 meters) and surrounded by houses and stores. Public buses run along the farm.

There are roses, blue berry, herbs, tomatoes and many other plants. They cultivate organic plants.　People can enjoy picking the blue berries (admission fee is requires).

They also keep honey bees.

We had massive death of the bees in last several years in Japan (like other countries in the world). Scientists doubt several reasons –- climate change, electromagnetic waves, chemical products, destruction of ecological cycle in the regions.

The farm owner said that he would like to send messages from the small farm.

Map: Shishidoen Farm