Explore the Onagi-gawa River

Koto-ku is a canal city. Man-made canals are running vertically and horizontally.
Penetrating almost straight in the central part from east to west is the Onagi-gawa River.
It's nearly 5-kilometer-long connecting Kyu-Nakagawa in the east and the Sumida-gawa in the west.
More than 400 years ago, Tokugawa Ieyasu came into Edo (now Tokyo) and focused on salt as strategic provisions produced in Gyotoku (now Ichikawa), then ordered Onagigawa Shiro to excavate the canal, so accordingly it was named Onagi-gawa River.

This man-made canal was an important water transport that contributed highly to the development of not only Edo city but also Fukagawa area until the railway network was opened to traffic. Besides salt, rice as land tax paid from the Tohoku District, various vegetables produced in the suburbs were transported via Onagi-gawa. Further, even visitors to Naritasan (Shinshoji Temple) were included. Then centering on Onagi-gawa canal, other canals such as Tate-kawa, Oyoko-gawa, Yoko-jikken-gawa, Sendai-Horikawa, etc. were developed one after another.

Even in the Meiji era, various materials necessary for developing many industries were transported to Fukagawa area via this canal.
Now Onagigawa is registered on Cultural Property List of Koto City.

Stroll the riverside extending straight from east and west, and you’ll be sure to discover some places of interest of your own. Take, the Onagi-gawa Clover Bridge, for example.
It's famous for the location site of TV dramas. Four-leaf clover in shape, the bridge is one of the sightseeing spots not to be missed. Located in a junction between Onagi-gawa and Yoko-jikken-gawa. Rather accessible.       By KT