Walking in Kameido

Last month, we planed a special tour to walk around Kameido area, visit two big shrines, and watch beautiful wisteria blossom, but unfortunately we didn’t get any guests on that day. It was quite sorry, but we didn’t give up easily. Our two guides walked along the course on that day and found some interesting points for a next opportunity. In this blog article, we would like to introduce the tour course.

(1)  Kameido Gyoza

Do you know “gyoza” dumpling? This is a unique restaurant which serve only gyoza dumpling. When you visit the restaurant and sit at a table, immediately two dishes of gyoza dumpling are served without (and before placing) an order. This is the unique rule of this restaurant. We don’t need to place an order, because gyoza is the only food menu they serve. Of course they provide some beverages, such as beer, sake, or some soft drinks. After finishing the first gyoza, you can order another dish of gyoza. The price of gyoza is quite reasonable, just 250 yen per dish.

(2)  Katori Shrine

One of the two big shrines in Kameido area. Originally it is a shrine which enshrines a deity of martial arts, but recently it is famous as a shrine for all sports. Famous sport athletes visit this shrine before their games. This time we found an interesting statue there. The statue of “daikon,” a white big radish. There are many kinds of white radishes in Japan. “Kameido daikon” is one of them. Now Kameido is a bustling town and dense populated area, but once it was a quiet suburban area and there were many vegetable fields and was famous for producing delicious Kameido daikon. This statue was built as a memorial to the daikon radish. There are many statues all over Japan, but a statue for a vegetable is quite rare and interesting.

(3)  Kameido Tenjin Shrine

Another and the biggest shrine in this area. This shrine was built to enshrine a famous historical bureaucrat, Michizane Sugawara (845-903). He was quite smart and competent, so he posthumously became a deity of scholarship. This shrine is also famous for beautiful wisteria flowers. We could enjoy the lovely light purple flowers. In February, we enjoy another blossom, plums.

(4)  Rice cracker “senbei” toasting

After visiting the shrines, we dropped by a rice cracker shop. This is an interesting shop. You can have a unique experience here, “rice cracker toasting! Usually, we buy made-up rice crackers at these kind of shops, but here we can try to toast rice crackers by ourselves and eat just after toasting. The shopkeeper told us that this is the only shop where we can try to toast rice crackers!

(by Chinami)

How do you like the walking in Kameido? If you like it, please contact us from here and join our free walking tours!   

Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology -- Meiji-Maru Maritime Museum

Let me introduce Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology and the maritime museum.

About 10min. walk to the south from Monzen Nakacho metro station, you will reach the University.

It’s only university in Japan specialized in maritime science and technology.  Origin of the university dates back to 19th century, started as two different schools specialized in fisheries and mercantile marine. Two schools were integrated into one comprehensive university in 2003.

Meiji-maru Maritime Museum

I would like to recommend you visiting a historical ship called “Meiji-maru” which was built in 1874 in Glasgow of UK as a first iron ship of Japan.  The main function of the ship was to transport materials to maintain lighthouses located throughout Japan.

Since the ship was well equipped and gorgeously furnished with a salon and special guest room, it served as a royal ship as well. The Emperor Meiji and high-ranking government officials boarded this ship for important occasions.
　　　　　　　
After the Meiji-maru served as maintenance ship for lighthouses for 20years, it was handed over to the mercantile marine school which is the predecessor of the present Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology.  After that the ship was moored in campus ground and served as training facility for students for about 50years.

This is only iron ship existing in Japan and registered as an important cultural asset of Japan.

The ship is now open to the public as a maritime museum.
Open on Tuesday and Thursday, 1st & 3rd Saturday of month from 10:00 to 15:00.
A guided tour is available (Guided only in Japanese)

This is a steamship with three masts and gorgeous cabins.  I’m certain that you will enjoy its majestic appearance and feel cruising in the Meiji era.

You also can enjoy magnificent view of high-rise buildings of Toyosu district on board. The contrast of old steamship and high-rise buildings in blue sky will makes you refreshed.

The ship is surrounded by many cherry trees so that you will enjoy nice view of pink blossoms in season by the ship. Cherry blossom festival takes place from March 24th to April 1st in the campus and the ship will be illuminated at night during the festival.

　(by Haruko)

Asari clams are in season now !

This is our local cuisine, Fukagawa-meshi.
Asari clams (short-neck clams) are cooked with green onions and
seasoned with miso, then served over a bowl of rice.

In Edo Period, this Fukagawa area used to be a sand bank so that large quantities
of clams was caught.

Originally, this dish was the fishermen’s cooking. Since it could be cooked and
eaten quickly during their work and it was very tasty, Fukagawa-meshi
became popular around here.

This is the other type of Fukagawa-meshi.

Asari clams are cooked with rice and seasoned with soy sauce.
It is said that it was arranged by the carpenters so that it could be packed in the lunch boxes.

Although you can eat Fukagawa-meshi throughout the year, Asari clams are
especially delicious during spring season.

There are many restaurants around here in Fukagawa which serve
Fukagawa-meshi.

Why don’t you try it after our tour ?

(by Kaori)

Sumida-gawa Terrace walking in Koto City

As you may know, the Sumida-gawa river is one of famous rivers in Tokyo.
Sumida-gawa runs through Tokyo for 27 kilometers, under 26 bridges.
On the both sides of the river, Sumida-gawa Terrace is constructed, and provides
walking and jogging course. The course starts at Azuma-bashi Bridge, and finishes at Kachidoki-bashi Bridge. The length of Sumida-gawa Terrace is currently 28km.

Sumida-gawa river flows west side of Koto city, so let me introduce Sumida-gawa
Terrace walking in Koto city.

This picture shows Sumida-gawa terrace view from Shin-Ohashi bridge.

Shin-Ohashi bridge is located at the 5 minutes-walking from Morishita station of Toei Subway. It is a very simple shaped bridge.

When you walk on Sumida-gawa terrace towards the downstream, you can see another bridge called Mannen-bashi bridge. The original Mannen-bashi bridge was constructed in the 17th century. Current bridge was re-constructed in 1930.

The original bridge was drawn by Katsushika Hokusai,
one of very famous ukiyo-e artist.

A few minutes walking from Mannen-bashi Bridge takes you to another bridge.

This is Kiyosu-bashi Bridge.

Kiyosu-bashi Bridge is a suspension bridge. It is modeled after a suspension bridge in Cologne, Germany once considered the world’s most beautiful bridge. The Cologne bridge having been destroyed, its “world’s most beautiful” form can be seen only in the Kiyosu-bashi Bridge.

This bridge was designated as Important Cultural Properties by the national
government.

You can also see the beautiful Kiyosu-bashi Bridge and the tall Tokyo Sky tree from
Sumida-gawa Terrace.

It is getting warmer toward the March. Let’s walking Sumida-gawa Terrace while feeling Spring wind.

(by Yumi)

Find Spring Coming in Kameido Tenjin Shrine with Plum Blossoms

February is the coldest season and especially this year we have very cold winter.  
However, the blooming plum blossoms are a sign that it is almost spring.  Kameido Tenjin Shrine in Koto city is famous for its beautiful plum blossoms and a few trees have started blooming.  In its premises there are more than 300 red and white plum trees.  

Blooming seems to be a bit delayed this year.  They are expected to reach their peak in terms of blooming after mid-February. Plum blossom festival has already taken place there until March the 4th.  It will be crowded with people and many stalls will open.  

Feb 7, 2018

This shrine was dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane, a very talented scholar, poet and politician in the 9th century and he became a god of learning.  He is the first person from the non-imperial families who was enshrined as god.  

It was established in 1662, when a wooden statue of Michizane from his favorite plum tree of Dazaifu Tenmangu Shrine in Fukuoka was installed.  He liked plum blossoms and wrote about them in his many waka poems. There is a statue of him when he was at the age of 5 with his poem praising of the blossoms.

“What beautiful red plum blossoms they are. I would like to adorn my face with them.” (trial translation)

Why don’t you visit there to feel spring!

(by Tomoko)

Do you know “Bouldering”?

It’s a sports that attracts a lot of attention as a new event of Tokyo Olympics of 2020.
Bouldering is a kind of wall climbing.
Without any sporting goods, nor rope, you climb the wall.
We have a place where we could enjoy this sports without reservation in Koto ward.

“Fish and Bird (www.fish-bird.co.jp)” is a studio where even beginner can enjoy bouldering with help of the stuff.
After having rented the shoes (300 yen) and chalk(not to slip 200 yen), you can try this sports.
At the first time, we pay 1500 yen as a registration fee.
And for 3 hours, the fee is 1500 yen.

Today, I visited there. The wall looks very steep. I think it’s impossible to climb it. But they say for beginner, lady, and child, there are some ways to do, and they will tell us how to climb it.
So, next time, I will put on a sportswear, and try to bouldering.

（by Michiko）

Happy New Year 2018!

New Year is called “oshougatsu” in Japanese, and it indicates the time period especially from January 1st to 7th. Most Japanese rest during the first three days of the New Year. Most companies, offices, shops, and schools are closed.
It is said that “oshogatsu” was originally a festival to welcome Toshigami, a Shinto god, and to pray for a rich harvest for the year.
Now it is an event to celebrate the year.

Traditionally many Japanese people worship the sunrise on New Year’s Day (called “hatsuhinode”), and pay the first visit (“hatsumoude”) during these three days to a Shinto shrine or temple to pray for health and happiness of their families.

kadomatsu

There are varieties of New Year’s decorations.
For example, a pair of “kadomatsu” are placed in front of the gates or entrances of houses, hotels, shops, etc. It consists of three kinds of auspicious plants, namely, pine tree branches, three bamboo poles with different length, and plum small branches. Particularly pine is regarded as a symbol of longevity.

shimekazari

Entrances of houses　and shops are also decorated with  “shimekazari” made of “shimenawa”, sacred Shinto rope of rice straw decorated with auspicious objects such as bitter oranges, fern leaves, lobsters, etc. They are symbolic of prosperity, longevity, and good fortune. 

By the way, there are traditional dishes for the New Year in Japan.
Have you ever tried “zoni” or “osechi-ryori”?  If not, why not taste them? Zoni is a special soup boiled with rice cakes (“mochi”), vegetables, mushrooms, and other ingredients such as chicken or seafood. The shape of mochi and the kind of ingredients differ from district to district.

osechi-ryori

What about “osechi-ryori”? It is also a special dish prepared and served for the New Year. Varieties of specially prepared foods are   artistically arranged in a set of three- or four-tiered lacquer boxes. Osechi-ryori includes kazunoko (herring roe), kuromame (cooked black beans), ebi (lobsters), kurikinton (chestnuts), kamaboko (steamed fish paste), freeze-dried tofu, cooked vegetables such as carrot, mushroom, bamboo shoots, sweet potatoes, radish, etc.

Thus oshogatsu is one of the best opportunities to learn a traditional event in Japan. Why don’t you visit a shrine and a temple or try those special dishes during New Year’s Days? Maybe next year 2019?  You can refresh yourself!　Best wishes!

(by Kazuo)