Living in the suburbs of Tokyo, places associated with Tokugawa Ieyasu are everywhere, and I feel relatively familiar with them. However, Ota Dokan, even though he built Edo Castle, was a bit of a distant presence for me. For this reason, I thought that the legend of Yamabuki, famous in waka poetry, “Nanae Yae Hanaha Sakedomo Yamabukino Mino Hitotsu Dani Nakizo Kanashiki (Seven-layered, eight-layered flowers may bloom, but there is not a single fruit of Yamabuki, which is sad.)” , was a story from Nagano. (Hidden behind this song is the meaning, “I have no rain gear.”)
However, it is more convenient for me to go falconry, my hobby, in the vicinity of Tokyo, so it is quite understandable that there is a legendary place within Yamanote Line distance.
Since September last year, I have been walking along the banks of the Kanda River from time to time, and finished my walk at the end of last year. However, I decided to walk around the Takadanobaba diversion channel again because I had walked far away from the Kanda River and I wanted to see the confluence of the Takadanobaba diversion channel and the Kanda River.
The confluence of the Takadanobaba diversion channel and the Kanda River
I started my walk from Takadanobaba. Passing through Saekaedori, I head for Tajima-bashi bridge.
Kanda River as seen from Tajima Bridge
A shot of today’s Kanda River from Tajima Bridge. Water volume is normal.
The building on the left has a familiar chick symbol. This is the head office of Estes. It is a chemical company, but there is no structure that looks like a plant. There seems to be only the headquarters function.
Shin-Mejiro Street
If you go north past the side of Estes, you will find Shin Mejiro Street. The Takadanobaba Diversion Canal runs under this street.
Go inside the Yamanote Line and walk along the Kanda River.
Around the ruins of Chitose Ryokan
At the Todahira Bridge, turn left, and three or four houses down on the left is the old Chitose Ryokan. I think the house on the other side of the Asian restaurant is the remains of the inn. The lyricist of the famous song “Kandagawa” used to live next door to the old Sentoyo Ryokan. I guess this is exactly where this Asian restaurant is located.
Taisho Pharmaceutical’s headquarters along Shin-Mejiro Street
As the diversion channel approaches, I cross Shin Mejiro Street. On the building along the street, I saw another familiar symbol!
It was the headquarters of Taisho Pharmaceutical, the company with the eagle symbol.
Confluence of the Kanda River and Takadanobaba Diversion Canal
From Takato Bridge, I was able to see the confluence of the Kanda River and Takadanobaba Diversion Canal.
Coming from the left is the Kanda River. The center and right are the Takadanobaba diversion channel.
The slope of the Kanda River gets steeper just before the confluence point. I wonder if this is to prevent the water from flowing backwards.
The Takadanobaba diversion channel joins the Myoshoji River near the starting point, and then separates. For more photos of this area, please visit this article.
I think the reason why the water flow is separated in the Takadanobaba diversion channel is because it requires a central wall to ensure the strength of the structure.
I walked around Hinashi-zaka and Fujimizaka.
Having finished my walk along the Kanda River, I decided to take a walk around the area.
First, I visited the former residence of Kikuchi Kan.
Kikuchi Kan. He is famous, isn’t he? But I’ve never read any of his works. I wonder if I will read any of his works in the future.
Hinashi-zaka
Along the way, I walked up Hinashi-zaka, a stair slope.
The name of the street at the end of the climb is Shinobazu-dori! And the name of the ward is Bunkyo-ku!
I was a little taken by surprise, because I had the image that Shinobazu-dori and Bunkyo-ku are located in the right half of the Yamanote Line.
Former Residence of Kikuchi Kan
This is the site of Kikuchi Kan’s former residence. Some people came here by cab. But now that the apartment buildings have been built, there is no trace of him.
Speaking of vestiges (Omokage), I remembered that I was going to visit the Yamabuki no Sato monument near the Omakage Bridge, so I decided to turn back.
Branch of Hinashi-zaka and Fujimizaka
Thanks to this, I was able to pass Fujimizaka on the right side of the photo.
There were a few people taking pictures, and I felt bad to be in the angle of view.
Monument of Yamabuki no Sato
This is the monument of Yamabuki no Sato.
I have passed by this monument three times now, but never noticed it.
The relief looks like a statue of Buddha. I wondered what kind of connection it had with Ota Dokan and Benizara, who offered Yamabuki to him. Or is it Ota Dokan thinking about the meaning of the song?
Chitose Bridge
Next, I decided to head to Zoshigaya, where the famous cartoonist Tezuka Osamu used to stay.
Chitose Bridge
Going north on Meiji-dori, I found the Chitose Bridge.
I wondered how a multilevel intersection could be made when the road passing over the Chitose-bashi bridge connects the ground to the surface, and the road passing underneath is also above ground. But when I looked at the surrounding scenery, I realized that Meiji-dori simply runs through the cut.
I used to have the same strange feeling when I was walking in Aoyama. I couldn’t see it right away, but I was able to solve my long-standing question. This alone made today’s walk worthwhile.
Tezuka Osamu’s former lodging house
Tezuka Osamu’s old lodging house seems to be the building with a drying place on the left side of the telephone pole. I couldn’t see the entrance side of the building because the houses are quite intricate.
Zoshigaya Station
On the way back, I went to Zoshigaya Station. It was the first time I took the Fukutoshin Line.
Oh, by the way, I was planning to go see the monument to Horibe Yasube near the Omokagebashi Bridge. I forgot about it, so I’d like to do it next time.
Walking data
Course: JR Yamanote Line Takadanobaba Station -> Kanda River -> Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line Zoshigaya Station
Distance: 6.9km
Time: 1h49m
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