Misaki Bridge

The Misaki Bridge is the first bridge over the Nihonbashi River from the junction of the Kanda River and the Nihombashi River. Like the Shin-Misaki Bridge downstream, it connects Iidabashi 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku with Misaki-cho 3-chome, Chiyoda-ku.
This Misaki Bridge was built when the Nihonbashi River was re-excavated in the Meiji era (1868-1912), but the current Misaki Bridge was rebuilt on March 3, 1954.

The name Misaki Bridge comes from the fact that this area is Misaki, and the name Misaki is said to come from the cape-shaped land that was formed in the swamp. This area was a “Misaki (cape)” protruding into the Hibiya Inlet, so the name “Misaki” is said to have been given to the area.

This area has been repeatedly excavated and buried.
First, the river was dug up in the early Edo period for the construction of the Kanda River, and then it was filled in for the construction of samurai residences.
After that, the river from the present Misaki-bashi bridge to Horidome-bashi bridge was filled in to build samurai residences.
3. In 1903 (Meiji 36), the river was dug up again as part of a municipal revision project, and it has been dug up to the present day.
The river was dug up again in the 36th year of Meiji (1903) for the city district revision project.

After Meiji era, the dugout (canal) of Tokyo was reclaimed, but from this Misaki-bashi bridge to 05_Horidome-bashi bridge, it was dug in the opposite direction, and it seems that it was not reclamation all the way.

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The photo is Misaki Bridge. The Nihonbashi River starts here. This photo was taken from the Koishikawa Bridge on the Kanda River. The Kanda River splits into the Nihonbashi River here.

Koishikawa is downstream from Sengoku in Bunkyo Ward of the Sengawa Josui, which is fed by the Tamagawa Josui, and like the Sengawa Josui, is now a culvert, meaning that it is not visible from the outside.

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Oyabashira of the Misaki Bridge. Oyabashira is a pillar standing on both sides of the bridge, on which the name of the bridge and the date of construction are engraved.

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The record of the repair of Misaki Bridge.
1987.3 Chiyoda Ward

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This is the upstream direction of the Kanda River seen from the Misaki Bridge. Up and down on the left is the Misaki Bridge on the Nihonbashi River, and on the far side on both sides is the Koishikawa Bridge on the Kanda River. If you go up in the photo, you can see Inokashira Pond, the source of the Kanda River. If you go left in the photo, it is Sumida River, and if you go down, it is Sumida River.

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This is the downstream direction of the Kanda River seen from the Misaki Bridge. The Nihonbashi River is on the right, and the river on the left parallel to the Misaki Bridge is the Kanda River.

Shin Misaki Bridge

Shin-Misaki Bridge is 50 meters downstream from the Misaki Bridge, and was named Shin-Misaki Bridge because it is newer than the Misaki Bridge.
The promenade is one of the best spots for cherry blossom viewing in Chiyoda Ward, with 38 Someiyoshino cherry trees and 120-year-old weeping cherry trees lining the promenade.

This new Misaki Bridge was built after the re-excavation of the Nihonbashi River in 1903 as described in the page of Misaki Bridge, and was replaced by a reinforced concrete bridge in the earthquake reconstruction project. It is a relatively new bridge and did not exist in the Edo period.

In the Edo period, this area was reclaimed and used as samurai residences. It is natural to say that it is natural because Edo Castle is near here.

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In the foreground is a railway bridge of JR Chuo line, and the bridge in the back is Shin-Misaki-bashi bridge which is the main bridge. Please don’t make a mistake;
You can imagine the time of taking a picture, but what floats on the surface of the water are scattered cherry blossoms.
I want to protect the nature so that we can enjoy 38 Someiyoshino cherry trees and 120-year-old weeping cherry trees again next year.

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The main pillar of Shin-Misaki Bridge. It looks quite modern and sharp.

Kanda Misaki-cho

Misaki-cho here same character, pronunciation Misaki-cho is also in Kanda.
It is Kanda Misaki-cho. It was called Ogawa-cho (Ogawa town) after it was reclaimed in the Edo period. Kanda Misaki-cho was also called “Misaki” because it was located at the edge of the land jutting out into Hibiya Inlet, and when many towns in Tokyo changed their names in 1872 (Meiji 5), Ogawa-machi also changed its name to Misaki-cho.

In 1947, when Kanda Ward and Kojimachi Ward merged to form Chiyoda Ward, Misaki-cho in the former Kanda Ward was renamed Kanda Misaki-cho and has remained as such to the present day.

Aiaibashi Bridge

Aiibashi Bridge is the newest simple copper plate box girder bridge on the Nihombashi River and the only pedestrian-only bridge on the Nihombashi River. It is the only pedestrian-only bridge on the Nihombashi River, so cars cannot pass through.

Before the war, a wooden bridge, Shin-Iida Bridge, was built here, but it was not rebuilt after it was damaged in an air raid.

The name of the bridge was chosen from among the public, with the initial “i” of “Iidabashi” and the wish that it would be a place where many people gather and come together in harmony.
You were not attached to Shin-Iidabashi, were you? Maybe it was a conspiracy by Monkey fans. No way;

This area was the residence of the Matsudaira family of the Sanuki Takamatsu Domain in the Edo period.

The Matsudaira family of the Sanuki Takamatsu domain and the Mito Tokugawa family of Koishikawa were deeply connected. Ieyasu’s 11th son Yorifusa was the founder of the Mito Tokugawa family, and his second successor was Yorifusa’s third son Mitsukuni, known as Komon-sama.
Yorishige, the eldest brother, became lord of the Takamatsu domain, and was in charge of the western lords and the navy of the Seto Inland Sea.
Mitsukuni became lord of the domain despite being the third son, and adopted Tsunajo, the eldest son of his eldest brother Yorifusa, as his adopted son, making him the third lord of the Mito family.
Mitsukuni’s eldest son, Yoritsune, was adopted into the Tokugawa family of the Takamatsu Domain.
Mitsukuni had inherited the will of Ieyasu, who placed great importance on the succession of the eldest son. After passing the reigns to Tsunajo, Mitsukuni retired to Nishiyama-so.
Mitsukuni’s activities after his retirement are all too well-known from the series “Mito Komon”.

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We are looking at Aiai-bashi bridge from upstream. Aiai-bashi bridge is pink. There is Nihonbashi ahead of this bridge, and further ahead is Sumida river.

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The main pillar of the Aiai Bridge. It is a big, splendid, and sturdy-looking pillar.

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Duck parent and child objet d’art. If it were a monkey, everyone would misunderstand the origin of the bridge’s name.

Shinkawa Bridge

The Shinkawa Bridge is currently a three-span steel girder bridge. It was built in 1927 as part of the reconstruction plan for the Great Kanto Earthquake.

In 1903, the Horidome Bridge to 01_Misaki Bridge was excavated and connected to the Kanda River. Shinkawa Bridge was built over this new river. In the Edo period, after Ieyasu entered Edo Castle, the Hiragawa River was reclaimed as a northern defense for Edo Castle, and the area around the Shinkawa Bridge from Misaki Bridge on the Nihombashi River was called Iidamachi.

The source of the reclaimed Hiragawa River, upstream of the reclaimed Hiragawa River, was a large swamp in the Koishikawa River, which was reclaimed and built as Korakuen, the residence of the Mito Tokugawa family, one of the three Tokugawa families. To the Koishikawa “Korakuen”, a water supply was drawn directly from the Kanda River “Edogawabashi Bridge” to the Koishikawa “Korakuen”. Today, it is a culvert and called “Maki-ishi-dori Street”.

In the Edo period, Iida-machi was surrounded by the Tayasu Gate, the Ushigome Gate, and the Koishikawa Gate. Not only Hatamoto residences but also merchant houses for samurai came to stand side by side. It is said that “Kitchen Town” was inhabited by people related to the kitchen of Edo Castle. At the end of the Edo period, a Tsumesho of the “Shin Mikagumi” was established to guard Edo Castle to control the overthrowing of the shogunate.

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This is the appearance of Shinkawa Bridge. Orange is the base color of Shinkawa Bridge.

After the Meiji Restoration, Hatamoto moved to Sunpu with Yoshinobu Tokugawa. Iida town was turned into a wilderness. The Meiji government cultivated this wilderness and promoted the cultivation of mulberry and tea. However, this cultivation project later came to a halt. In order to secure milk for expatriates, Hokushin Farm was established.

As a part of the “Wealth and National Strength Army”, the “Koumu Railway” was opened and connected the raw silk production area “Hachioji” to Iida-cho in 1903. In the same year, the Hiragawa River, which had been buried, was excavated as part of a project to revise the city districts. The new waterway was called “Shinkawa”. The guide boards introducing the above are lined up from Iidabashi to Kudan on Mejiro Street.

Iidacho was renamed to Iidabashi in 1966. In this year, many town names in Tokyo were renamed. The name of the aforementioned Maki-ishi Street was also changed from Suidobata to Suidou. The streetcar, which had been running on Mejiro Street since 1906, was discontinued in 1968. The Showa era is now far away.

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Bridge name plate of Shinkawa Bridge. It is rusty and somewhat shabby.

Horidome Bridge

Horidome Bridge is an arch bridge made of reinforced concrete. It has a massive appearance that could be mistaken for a stone bridge. The Nishi-Kanda ramp of the Metropolitan Expressway No. 5 is located downstream of the bridge, so it looks a little oppressive overhead.

It’s a horidome, so the moat ended here. But that was in the Edo period.
The Edo shogunate separated the Nihonbashi River from the outer moat side (Kanda River) for defense. So it was called Horidome because it was the edge of the moat.
But now, in the 36th year of Meiji (1903), the city district revision project dug from 01_Misaki Bridge to here, and the Nihonbashi River and the Kanda River are connected.

On the east side of Horidome Bridge, “Denzo Jizo Son” is dedicated to him, and on the west side of the bridge, there is a marker of “Birthplace of Tokyo University of Science” and a marker of “Kitchen Town Site” ahead of it. The west bridge is dedicated to Denzo Jizo.

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It is an appearance of the Horidome bridge. It is made of concrete, but the arch is so massive and beautiful that you may think it is made of stone.

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The main pillar of Horidome Bridge. The massive pillar of the Horidome Bridge.
The broom and the pylon are interesting. 。。。。

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Here, in the Edo period, the Tokugawa Shogunate was making lamps …. It doesn’t mean that.
Ramp is a shortened form of rampway, which is a multi-level intersection road, a diagonal road connecting two roads of different heights.
This is the intersection of the Nishi-Kanda ramp on the Metropolitan Route 5 Ikebukuro line.

Denzo Jizo Son

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Denzo Jizoson near Horidome Bridge. This Jizo was built to pray for the safety of the Horidome Bridge which was damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake in September 1923.
Here, too, brooms and pylons are interesting.

Tokyo University of Science, Birthplace of the Tokyo University of Science

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Birthplace of the Tokyo University of Science
In 1881, the Tokyo Institute of Physics (renamed Tokyo Physics School in 1881), the predecessor of the Tokyo University of Science, was established.
Tokyo Institute of Physics (renamed Tokyo Physics School in 1881), the predecessor of the Tokyo University of Science, was founded at 4-1 Iidacho, Kojimachi Ward, Tokyo, in 1881.
founded at 4-1 Iidacho 4-chome, Kojimachi-ku, here.
It is now located at 1-3 Kagurazaka, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo.
Constructed in March, 2008

Ruins of Kitchen Town

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Site of Kitchen Town
From the beginning of the Edo period to the Genroku period (1688-1704), there was a kitchen mansion of the Edo Castle in the area of the Iida-machi Paper Distribution Center.
The kitchen head and other officials called “kitcheners” lived there.
In the Bu-kan, it is written that he was the head of the kitchen, 400 koku, Taisho-machi, and Kizaemon Suzuki.
Later, the area was transformed into the residences of feudal lords and Hatamoto, but the name Kitchen-machi still remained.

Minamihoridome Bridge

Minamihoridome Bridge has three spans of copper girders and blue-painted iron railings. It is said that “Manaitakashi” was established in 1664 and was a busy riverbank until Minamihoridome Bridge was built in 192 It is said to have been a busy riverbank until the Minamihoridome Bridge was built in 192/8.

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This is the appearance of Minamihoridome Bridge. There is an expressway above this bridge too. The highway is low and dark because of the Nishi-Kanda ramp.
The name “Minamihoridome-bashi” is written on the bridge. Because a ship goes through, is it considered to be easy to identify it?

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The main pillar of Minamihoridome Bridge. They are good characters.

Bakin Takizawa’s inkstone well site (Bakin Takizawa, the remains of an inkstone well)

On the west side of Minamihoridome Bridge, at the Kudan-kita 1-chome intersection of Mejiro Street, there is a signpost that reads “The Site of Takizawa Bakin’s Inkstone Well.
Takizawa Bakin, famous for “Nanso Satomi Hakkenden” and “Tsubaki-Setsu Yumiharizuki”, was born as the fifth son of a Hatamoto (feudal lord), and at the age of 27, he became a son-in-law of a widow of a clog umbrella shop Iseya in Kudan Nakasaka. He lived there for 31 years from 1793 in the middle of the Edo period. The stone girder of the “inkstone well” that Takizawa Bakin is said to have used has been restored.

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Takizawa Bakin’s Inkstone Well Site

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Takizawa Bakin’s Inkstone Well Site Description

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Takizawa Bakin’s Inkstone Well Site Explanatory Pillar

Tsukudo Shrine

Chikudo Shrine is located on the left side on the way up the Nakazaka slope from the Kudan 1-chome intersection. Chikudo Shrine, one of the three shrines in Edo, is also called “Edo Myojin” and its deity is “Taira no Masakado”. In the Edo period (1603-1868), the shrine was said to have been dedicated to a ceiling painting of a dragon by Tsubaki Chinzan and a painting of a lotus by Takizawa Bakin, but unfortunately they were destroyed by fire and are now gone. There are two force stones and a pair of guardian dogs in the precincts of Chikudo Shrine. The name “Naka-zaka” is said to come from its location between Kudan-zaka and Mochinoki-zaka. In the “Edo Kiri-ezu”, Naka-zaka is depicted as larger than Kudan-zaka.

Kudan-zaka

Nakasaka was a busy area with rows of town houses, as seen in the merchant’s house where Takizawa Bakin was groomed. Kudan-zaka seems to have been a narrow slope at the edge of a cliff.

Kudan-zaka is a slope going up from Kudanshita intersection to the south side of Yasukuni Shrine. It is said that the origin of the name “Kudan” is because there were nine official residences for the officials of Fukiage Garden of Edo Castle in a row in the middle of the slope, or that there were nine steps on the steep slope. It was also called “Iida-cho Zaka” or “Iida-zaka” in the old days because it was a slope in Iida Town. The hill is known as a famous place for viewing the moon, and the 26th day of every January and July was called “Niju-roku-ya-mochi”, when people admired the rising moon on the hill.

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Sakato, Iida Town

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Kudanzaka Explanation

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Close-up of Kudanzaka Explanation

ancient altar of sacrifice

The chopped bridge is a copper girder bridge. A girder bridge is a simple structure with long planks or logs hung on both banks. Of course, it goes without saying that chopped bridges are not simply bridges with logs on both banks.

The chopping bridge is located about 200 meters upstream of the Takarada-bashi bridge and leads to Kanda Jimbocho 3-chome on Yasukuni-dori between Kudan-kita 1-chome and Kudan-minami 1-chome. It is said to have been called Ohashi or Uoita-bashi in ancient times.

The origin of the name “chopped bridge” is not clear, but it is said to be related to the fact that there was an Odaisho town nearby in the Edo period, and it is also said that it was because it looked like a cutting board was passed in the beginning. It is the same as “chopping board” and is used as a platform when cutting food in cooking. It is the same pronunciation as “chopping board” and “chopping board”, and is the same tool for the same purpose. Which is the truth?

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This is the appearance of the chopping board bridge. Does it look like a chopping board?

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The main pillar of the choke bridge.

Bansho Shirubesho (Records of Bansho Shirubesho)

A signpost reading “Bansho Chosho” stands beside a police box at the Kudanzaka-shita intersection. It was established in 1856 as a research institute for Western studies. In 1859, it was moved to Ogawa-cho and renamed “Bansho Chosho” and “Kaiseisho,” and in the Meiji era, it was renamed “Daigaku Nanko,” “Kaiseisho,” and “University of Tokyo.

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Ruins of Bansho Chosho

Everlasting Lighthouse

There is “Jotomyo-dai” near the intersection of Kudan-zaka and Tiananmon. It was built in 1871 as a lantern dedicated to Yasukuni Shrine with a Japanese-Western style that was popular from the end of Edo period to the beginning of Meiji period. At first, it was not in Yasukuni Shrine, but it was moved to the present place in 1930. It is said that the light of “Jotomokudai” was seen from the ships coming in and out of Tokyo Bay such as Shinagawa-oki and Boso.

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continuously burning light (e.g. at a Buddhist altar)

Takarada Bridge

Takarada Bridge is located about 350 meters upstream of Kijiji Bridge. It spans Takehira-dori Avenue and runs from Kudan-minami 1-chome to Kudan-minami 3-chome on the west side and Kanda Jimbocho on the east side. It was first built in 1929 as a wooden bridge. The present bridge was built in 1968.

On the west side of the Nihonbashi River, Uchibori Dori runs parallel to the Nihonbashi River, and Kudan Kaikan, Chiyoda Ward Office, Kudan Godocho Building and other buildings are located along Uchibori Dori.

Kudan Kaikan was built in 1934 by the Japanese Legionnaires’ Association as a military hall in the Teikan style, which was popular in the early Showa period. The building was formerly known as “Gengen Kaikan”, and was used as the headquarters of the Martial Law Headquarters during the 1936 Ni-Ni-Ni-Roku Incident, and after the war was seized by the Allied Forces and used as quarters for Allied troops.1 In 953, the building was nationalized and renamed “Kudan Kaikan”. It is now famous as a multi-purpose facility for weddings, dinners, etc.

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This is the appearance of Takarada Bridge. This is also under the highway.

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Parents of Takarada Bridge. A little lonely…

Takehira Street

It is called Takehira Street because Takehira Dormitory, a dormitory for non-commissioned officers of the former Military Police Headquarters, was located here.

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Guide board of Takehira Street.

Kudan Kaikan

Kudan Kaikan was built in 1934 for the purpose of training and accommodating military reservists and rear-echelon personnel, and was used as the headquarters of the Martial Law Headquarters during the Nijuoroku Incident. In 1953, the building was nationalized and renamed Kudan Kaikan (Hall for Military Personnel) and leased to the Japan Bereaved Families Association under the “Law Concerning the Free Loan of National Property to the Japan Bereaved Families Association”.

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Kudan Kaikan in the Teikan style
The Teikan style is an architectural style that blends Japanese and Western styles, with a modern reinforced concrete structure and a Japanese-style tiled roof, which became popular in Japan in the early Showa period. The Tokyo Imperial Household Museum (now the Tokyo National Museum) is also famous for its Teikan style.

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Kudan Kaikan seen from the Imperial Palace side. The Imperial Crown style building is also known as “the building in military uniform”.

Kijiji Bridge

Kijiji Bridge is a copper arch bridge. The area from Kijiji-bashi Bridge to Nishiki-bashi Bridge is the highest upstream-filled part of Hibiya Inlet.

Kijijibashi Bridge is located about 300 meters upstream of Hitotsubashi Bridge and runs north-south between Kudan Minami 1-chome and Hitotsubashi 1-chome to Hitotsubashi 2-chome.

It is located near the ruins of the Kijijibashi Gate in the Edo period. It is said that the name “Kijiji” was given to the area where Tokugawa Ieyasu surrounded his favorite food, pheasant, to entertain envoys from Korea from 1615 to 1623. In 1623, the houses outside the gate were moved and renamed Kijiji-machi, which is now the southern part of Kanda Ogawa-machi 1-chome.

In 1629, Kijijibashi Gate, one of the inner gates of Edo Castle, was built. In 1873, the gate was removed and replaced with an iron bridge in 1903, but it was damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake. In 1873, the gate was removed and replaced with an iron bridge in 1903, but the bridge was damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923. The present bridge was built in 1925 at the current location.

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This is the exterior of the Pheasant Bridge.

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Kijiji Bridge
This bridge is called Kijiji Bridge. The origin of the name is mentioned in the “Remarks on the Prefectural Government” and in the “Memoirs of the Emperor”.
He built a poultry house at the bank of the stream, and as many pheasants as possible were brought into the house. It seems that this was a “common name” at first, but it became the name of the bridge.
The bridge connects the outer moat to the Hirakawa moat and is close to the Edo Castle’s main citadel, so it is said to have been strictly guarded.
“Scolded by the guard at the Kijiji Bridge”.
It is said to mean that the guard was scolded for his strictness.
The old Pheasant Bridge was built about 100m west of this bridge.
Chiyoda Ward Board of Education

The pheasant is the national bird of Japan. It is a beautiful bird with a total length of about 80 cm for males and about 60 cm for females. It lives in grassy areas such as reed beds and thickets along riverbanks and rarely flies except when frightened. It is said that it cries loudly with “ken-ken”, “kek-kek”, and “kuk-kuk”.
This cry is said to be very noisy, as the saying goes, “If a pheasant does not cry, it will not be struck.

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The parent pillar of the pheasant bridge. Mmmm. It’s in pain, isn’t it?

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The main pillar of Kijiji Bridge. Completed in October, 1924

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Butterflies. Even in the middle of a big city, there is nature and living creatures are alive. It makes me feel hot. It was the beginning of April when I took this picture.

Hitotsubashi

Hitotsubashi is located about 200 meters upstream of Nishiki Bridge. It runs between Hitotsubashi 1-chome and Otemachi 1-chome and between Hitotsubashi 2-chome and Kanda Nishikicho 3-chome.

It is near the ruins of the Hitotsubashi Gate in the Edo period. It is said that the name “Hitotsubashi” originated from the fact that a single large round tree was built at the time of Tokugawa Ieyasu’s entry into Japan. It was also called Izubashi because the residence of Matsudaira Izumori was located nearby.

Hitotsubashi was connected to the inside and outside of the moat as Hitotsubashi Gomon. Transitioned from the gate to the bridge plaza and as an expressway ramp. The stone wall of the Hitotsubashi Gate remains.

The 5th Shogun Tsunayoshi built Gomochiin in Hitotsubashi in 1688. The area around Hitotsubashi was called “Gomochiin-gahara” and became a vast wilderness of fire prevention land after the middle of the Edo period. The area has been called “Gomochiin-gahara” since the middle of the Edo period, when it became a vast wilderness of fire prevention land.

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This is the appearance of Hitotsubashi. Above is the Metropolitan Expressway.

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The main pillar of the Hitotsubashi bridge. The paint invites the wretchedness.

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This is a ship passing under the Hitotsubashi Bridge.

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Hitotsubashi Bridge
This bridge is called “Hitotsubashi” and it is the Mitsuke-bashi bridge over the Uchihori River. When Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo Castle, there was a single large round tree over the bridge, and it was called by that name. In the Kan’ei-zu (1624-1643), it is called Hitotsubashi Bridge.
It was also called Izubashi Bridge because the residence of Matsudaira Izumori was located near the bridge. The fourth son of the 8th Shogun Yoshimune, Muneyun Tokugawa, was one of the three lords of the Tokugawa Shogunate and lived there. It is said that the name of the bridge was taken from the name of the bridge and it was called the Hitotsubashi family.
In 1873, the Hitotsubashi Gate was removed, and the present bridge was built in 1925 (Taisho 14). It is 19.6 meters long, 28 meters wide, and made of concrete.
The area to the north of the bridge and Josui Kaikan used to be the site of the School of Commerce and Management (now Hitotsubashi University).
November 1989
Chiyoda Ward Board of Education

Nishikibashi Bridge

Nishiki Bridge is a reinforced concrete arch bridge built in 1927. Chiyoda-dori Street runs through it, connecting Otemachi and Kanda Nishiki-cho.

Nishiki Bridge is located about 400 meters upstream from Kanda Bridge. It is the road from Otemachi 1-chome to Kanda Nishiki-cho 3-chome. It is one of the reconstruction bridges after the Great Kanto Earthquake, and is a concrete bridge built in 1927. The bridge was named after Nishiki-cho and Nishiki-cho riverbank (old name of the area). (It is said that the name “Nishiki” was changed from Nishiki to Nishiki because there were two samurai residences called Isshiki nearby in the old days.)

Many daimyo’s mansions were built on both banks of Nishiki Bridge. The former site of the daimyo’s residences, which were divided into large lots, is lined with the Meteorological Agency, the Tokyo Fire Department, and other buildings. The exception to this is the site that was divided into smaller lots, which is said to have been turned into riverbank land after the Meiji Restoration.

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This is the appearance of Nishiki Bridge.

On the north side of Nishiki Bridge, Nishiki-cho riverbank is the Kanda Nishiki-cho 3-chome neighborhood. In 2003, a monument was erected at Gakushi Kaikan in Kanda Nishiki-cho 3-chome to commemorate the “Birthplace of Baseball in Japan.

There is a monument of the birthplace of baseball in Japan in the premises of Gakushi-Kaikan, a historical building near the old bookstore street in Jimbocho. Mr. Tetsuji Kawakami, the former Giant’s baseball god who won 9 consecutive championships, was a guest of honor at the unveiling ceremony of the monument. Kawakami is said to have said in his speech, “If baseball had not come to Japan, I would have been just a countryman in Kumamoto. Kumamoto is also the birthplace of the University of Tokyo.

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This is the appearance of Nishiki Bridge.

It is the place where Kaisei School, the predecessor of Tokyo University, was founded. This baseball game was introduced in the following year, 1872. In the following year, 1873, a new school building and a splendid playground were built, and baseball grew to the point where full-scale games could be played. This is said to be the beginning of baseball in Japan.

There is also a record of an international game played in the early summer of 1876 against an American team living in Keihin. The monument is a bronze monument in the shape of a right hand holding a ball, with a map of the world on the ball, and a seam connecting Japan and the United States to “express the internationalization of baseball”.

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The main pillar of Nishiki Bridge. It is a little painful.

Kanda Bridge

Kanda Bridge is located about 240 meters upstream from Kamakura Bridge and runs between Otemachi 1-chome, Kanda Nishikicho 1-chome and Uchikanda 1-chome.

It is located on the site of the Kandabashi Gate in the Edo period. It is described as Shibasakiguchi in the separate book Keicho Edo Zu, but in Kan’ei Zu, it is called Otakiden Bridge. It is because the residence of the head of Doi Otaki was located in the southwest of the bridge, and it changed it to Kandabashi afterwards, and the turret gate was removed (in 1873), and the wooden bridge was rebuilt in 1884. In 1884, the wooden bridge was rebuilt, and later renovated when the road was widened and the train line was opened, but it was destroyed by fire in the Great Kanto Earthquake. The present bridge was built in 1925 and is made of stone and concrete. It is also known as “Daitakuden Bridge”.

The Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line runs under Kandabashi, and the Chiyoda Line was opened in 1964.

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This is the appearance of Kanda Bridge. The highway is very low.

The north side of Kanda Bridge is Uchikanda 1-chome. In the Edo period, Kandabashi Bridge was one of the gates of Edo Castle and a key point as the starting point of Nikko Onarimichi. It is said that Edo Castle had 27 outer gates and 7 inner gates. Because Kanda Bridge was a key point, there were no buildings on the bridge until the Meiji Restoration. The Kandabashi entrance to the Metropolitan Expressway Inner Circular Route was built on this vacant lot.

Nikko Onarimichi is the name of the road from Otemon of Edo Castle to Kandabashi Gate and the Shogun’s visit to Nikko Toshogu Shrine. It is a side road of Nikko Kaido, but it joins Nikko Kaido at Sattejuku. Otemon is the main gate of Edo Castle, located to the east of the ruins of Honmaru, Ninomaru and San-no-Maru of Edo Castle. Construction began in 1606 on the territory of Todo Takatora, and Date Masamune completed the Masugata Gate.

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This is the main pillar of the Kanda bridge. The name of the bridge is shining.

Masugatimon consists of two gates, the first Koraimon and the second Watarigarimon. All of the 36 Mitsuke-mon gates in Edo Prefecture are Masugatimon as castle gates to surround and strand the enemy who attacked through the gates.

From the Ote-mon Gate to the Edo Castle Main Gate, there were the Ote San-no-mon Gate, Naka-no-mon Gate, and Entrance Gate, but now only the stonewalls remain.

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Kanda Bridge
This bridge is called Kanda Bridge. The bridge is depicted in the “Besshon Keicho Edo Zu”, which is said to be dated around 1602, and the name “Shibasakiguchi” is written on it. Later, it was called “Otakiden Bridge” in honor of Toshikatsu Doi, the great cook who had a house of worship nearby. The name was later changed to “Kanda-guchi-bashi” or “Kanda-bashi” as the bridge entered and exited the town of Kanda.
The Kandabashi Gate, one of the inner gates built for the defense of Edo Castle, was located here in the past. On the Otemachi side across the bridge, there was a Masugata stone wall, and the gate was constructed together with the bridge.
Kandabashi Gate was built by Inaba Tango-no-mori Masayuki in 1692. The route through this gate was strictly guarded because it was the Onarimichi route for the Shogun to pay homage to Kan-eiji Temple in Ueno, one of the family temples of the Shogun. Ten guns, five bows, ten long-handled spears, two barrels, and a pair of bows were always kept at the gate, and the guards were either foreign feudal lords of 70,000 koku or more, or branch families of feudal lords of 30,000 koku or more.
The current bridge was built in November 1925 (Taisho 14). It is 17.3m long and 34m wide.

Kamakura Bridge

Kamakura Bridge is a bridge leading from Otemachi 1 and 2-chome to Uchikanda 1 and 2-chome, and is located on Sotobori-dori. It is one of the reconstruction bridges after the Great Kanto Earthquake and was built in 1929.

The origin of the name comes from the fact that when Edo Castle was built, stones were unloaded from Kamakura at this riverbank (near Uchikanda), and this riverbank was called Kamakura riverbank. Also, there are still traces of the air raids that began on the mainland of Japan on the earthen urban area on this Kamakura Bridge. On the parapet, there are about 30 large and small bullet holes from the bombing and machine gun fire by the U.S. Army in November 1944. The bridge is also covered with bullet holes, some large and some small, from the bombing and machine gun fire by the U.S. Army in November 1944.

The Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line runs under the Kamakura Bridge. The line was opened in 1954, and its name is derived from the name of a place near Tokyo Station, Marunouchi.

The site of the Kamakura Bridge river bank and Kamakura-cho are located on the north side of the Kamakura Bridge, and Oyado Inari Shrine is now located in Uchikanda 1-chome.

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This is the appearance of Kamakura Bridge.

Kamakura-kawagishi was a lumber merchant from Kamakura who was in charge of building materials for the construction of Edo Castle when Ieyasu entered Edo. The Edo unloading place where the lumber was brought from the lumber coast of Kamakura was called Kamakura-kawagishi.

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The parent pillar of Kamakura Bridge.

Mishaku Inari Shrine was built in the Tensho Era, when Ieyasu Tokugawa was relocated to the Kanto region, and lodged at the home of a local samurai in Kanda Village, Musashi Province. In the garden of the house, there was a shrine of Ukano-no-mikoto, and later the shogunate donated the land for the shrine as a memorial to the lord’s footprints. After the Lord’s entry into the castle, the number of vassals from Mikawa Province permanently residing in this area increased year by year, and the area eventually came to be known as Mikawa-cho. The temple was renovated in 1933.

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Kanda-Kamakura-cho, Kamakura river bank

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Kamakura-kawagishi, Kanda-Kamakura-cho
In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu entered Edo Castle by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi as the lord of 240,000 koku in the Kanto region. At that time, the castle was a crude fortress built by Ota Dokan, a general of the Muromachi period (1336-1573), and was only improved by the Go-Hojo clan. In 1603, after the Battle of Sekigahara, Ieyasu became barbarian general and established the Edo shogunate.
Since Ieyasu’s entry into the castle, many timbers and stones had been brought to the riverbank near here from Sagami-no-kuni (present Kanagawa Prefecture), and timber merchants from Kamakura were in charge of building materials used for the construction of the castle. For this reason, the unloading place was called Kamakura-gaishi (Kamakura river bank) and the town adjacent to it was named Kamakura-machi. The name “Kamakura-cho” is already mentioned in “Shinten Edo no Zu (Map of Edo)” of Meireki 3 (1657).
It is said that the Koura family, who Ieyasu brought with him from Omi when he built Edo Castle, also had a residence in the town. The Koura family were skilled builders of the Sakujikata, and they devoted themselves to the construction of Edo Castle, Zojoji Temple, Nikko Toshogu Shrine, and other facilities related to the Shogunate.

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In addition, there are temples and shrines in the town that have various anecdotes from the old days. One of them is the Oyado Inari Shrine near Ojima Park. When Ieyasu made an inspection tour of his new territories in the Kanto region, he stayed at the house of a vassal who had come as an advance party. Later, the shrine in the garden of the house came to be worshipped as Oyadoinari, and the shogunate donated the land for the shrine to commemorate Ieyasu’s footsteps. The Urayasu Inari Shrine was also located in this town, and was once a place of deep devotion for the fishermen of this area, which used to be a reed bed of the tidal inlet. The shrine was relocated in 1843 and is now located in the precincts of Kanda Myojin.
It is said that the shrine was enshrined to ward off omotekimon (evil spirits) of the Hitotsubashi Tokugawa family. The main image is said to have been created by Chisho Daishi, a priest of the Heian period (794-1185). The street in front of the Fudo statue was called “Deze Fudo Street” and was very popular at that time, with a fair held on the 27th of every month.

 

Shin-Tokiwa Bridge

Shin-Tokiwabashi Bridge is a concrete triple-arch bridge built in 1920. The current Shin-Tokiwa Bridge is a copper girder bridge built in 1988. The parapets and walkways of the Shin-Tokiwa Bridge are impressive with their sophisticated design. Shin-Tokiwa Bridge passes under the elevated JR line and the Central Tokyo Loop Line, crosses Edo Street, and continues from Chiyoda Ward to Nihonbashi Hongokucho, Nihonbashi Muromachi, and Nihonbashi Honcho in Chuo Ward.

There are three “Tokiwa-bashi” ( 14_Shin-Tokiwa-bashi,15_Tokiwa-bashi,16_Tokiwa-bashi ) and it is confusing.

First of all, the first Joban Bridge was built in Tensho 18 (1590). In Tensho 18, Toyotomi Hideyoshi led the feudal lords in the west to besiege Odawara Castle, defeated Go-Hojo clan and united Japan, and Tokugawa Ieyasu moved his headquarters from Suruga to Edo by order of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. The current 15_Jyoban Bridge is a Western-style stone bridge that was rebuilt in 1877 using stones that were used for the Masugata.

The Tokiwa Bridge, which is downstream from the Joban Bridge, was built in 1926 as part of the reconstruction plan after the Great Kanto Earthquake. It seems that the reason why the bridge was not replaced was to preserve the historical “Tokiwa-bashi Bridge”. Therefore, the new name “Tokiwa-bashi” was changed to “Tokiwa-bashi” by changing the Chinese character.

And this new Tokiwa Bridge was first built in 1920 (Taisho 9) and was renovated in 1988 (Showa 63) to the present.

Near Shin-Tokiwabashi Bridge, there is also the ruins of the Tokiwabashi Gate, and the town is surrounded by a mysterious atmosphere where history and modern times intersect.

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This is an exterior view of the Shin-Tokiwabashi Bridge.

Tokiwa Bridge

Tokiwa-bashi Bridge leads from Tokiwa-bashi Park to the Bank of Japan side. It is located on the site of the Edo Period Tokiwa-bashi Gate. It is said that the bridge was first built in 1590, and was also called “Ohashi” or “Asakusa-guchi-bashi” until the time of the third shogun, Iemitsu.

Naraya Ichiemon, a town elder who received a request to change the name, obtained the name “Tokiwa” from a ronin who stayed at the inn, and presented it to him. It is said that the name was taken from the poem, “Color Kaeranu Matsu ni yosoete Higashiji no Tokiwa no Hashi ni kakeru Fujinami” in the Kanayoha Wakashu (Anthology of Japanese Poetry). The present stone bridge was built in 1877 using the same stones used for Masugata. Since the spectacles bridge on the Kanda River has disappeared, it is a valuable stone bridge in the ward along with the “Ishibashi” bridge at the Imperial Palace, but cars cannot pass through it. The nameplate is inscribed “Joban-bashi Bridge”. It is also called “Ohashi”, “Asakusa-guchi-bashi” and “Tokiwa-bashi”. The subway Hanzomon line runs under the bridge.

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Appearance of Joban Bridge

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Appearance of Joban Bridge

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Inlaid in the center of the Joban Bridge is the engraving of “Joban-bashi” (Evergreen Bridge)

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The main pillar of the Joban Bridge. It is quite painful. Painful ・・・・

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Joban Bridge
This bridge was called “Tokiwa-bashi” and was called “Ohashi” or “Asakusa-guchi-bashi” until the time of the third shogun, Iemitsu Iemitsu.
However, the name was not good, and Naraya Ichiemon, a town elder, was ordered to change it.
Ichiemon asked a ronin who was staying at his house to think of a name for the bridge, and gave it the name of Tokiwa. The name “Tokiwa” was derived from a poem by a samurai named Oyu-no-Tenshi in the Kanayoshu, which says, “The wisteria waves hang over the bridge of Tokiwa on the east road, which is a pine tree with no change in color”. The characters for “Tokiwa” and “Tokiwa” are different.
There was a Kitamachi magistrate’s office at the bridge.
After the Great Kanto Earthquake, Tokiwa Bridge was built downstream.
The present stone bridge was rebuilt in 1877 using the stone used for the Masugata, and is the most valuable Western-style stone bridge in Tokyo. The nameplate on the bridge reads “Joban Bridge” and part of the Masugata of the castle gate is still in existence.
March 1991
Chiyoda Ward Board of Education

Tokiwa Bridge

This Tokiwa-bashi is the downstream Tokiwa-bashi. It is the same “Tokiwa-bashi” as the upstream Tokiwa-bashi, but the Chinese characters are different. Tokiwa-bashi and Tokiwa-bashi. It is the difference between “盤” and “磐”. However, both are pronounced “tokiwa-bashi”. It is confusing, isn’t it?

Vehicles can pass through the Tokiwa Bridge downstream of this bridge, but no vehicles can pass through the upstream Tokiwa Bridge.

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A ship is passing through the right arch of the Tokiwa Bridge. This ship departed from the landing place in the lower left of the photo.

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An overview of the Tokiwa Bridge. This Tokiwa Bridge allows vehicles to pass through, but the upstream Tokiwa Bridge does not.

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The main pillar of Tokiwa Bridge. It is damaged, but it is splendid and dignified.

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Bridge name of Joban Bridge Oyabashira

Tokiwa-bashi Gate Ruins

The ruins of Tokiwa-bashi Gate, designated as a national historic site, is one of the Masugata-gate gates of Edo Castle and was built in 1629.
It was also called Asakusa-guchi or Ote-guchi in the old days, and was counted as one of the five gates of Edo along with Tayasumon (Kamishu-guchi), Kandabashimon (Shibasaki-guchi), Hanzomon (Koshuguchi) and Ootosakuradamon (Odawara-guchi). It is also said to have been called Otte-guchi because it is the main gate to the outer wall of Edo Castle.

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Explanatory pillar of the ruins of Tokiwa-bashi Gate. The ruins of Tokiwa-bashi Gate are designated as a national historic site.

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About the ruins of Tokiwa-bashi Gate.
This place is in front of the outer wall of the Ote-mon Gate of Edo Castle and was called Asakusa-mon or Ote-guchi in the early Edo period and was an important place leading to the Oshu-kaido Road.
The gate was built in the shape of a square with stone mounds, and the front side was a kabukimon.
Tokiwa Bridge, also called Asakusa Bridge or Ohashi Bridge, was made of wood, but was replaced by a Western-style stone bridge in 1877.
After the Meiji Restoration, most of the gate was removed, and the remaining part of the square and the Tokiwa Bridge were damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, but they were restored and opened to the public as a park of Tokyo City by the courtesy of the memorial association of Shibusawa Seibuchi in 1933.
Now it is preserved as a historic site by the Cultural Properties Protection Law.

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Tokiwa-bashi Gate
Tokiwa-bashi Gate is the main gate of the outer wall of Edo Castle and leads to Oshu-do (Oshu Road). It was built with large hewn stones in the shape of a “U” to prevent enemies from entering and to make it easier for allies to attack.
The old Tokiwa Bridge, which is said to have been built in 1590, was the largest bridge in Edo until the Ryogoku Bridge was built.
The present stone bridge was rebuilt in 1877 using stones from the ruins of the gate, and is said to be the origin of stone bridges in this style.
It is said that the name Tokiwa Bridge was named after a poem written in the reign of Iemitsu, “The wisterias on the bridge of Tokiwa in Azuma-ro”.

It seems that there are people with not so good manners. We should pay attention to each other.

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Cultural Properties
Let’s cherish them!
Tokiwa Bridge Park and Tokiwa Bridge over the Nihombashi River are designated as a National Historic Site as “Tokiwa Bridge Gate Ruins”. The stone wall along the river is part of the Masugata stone wall seen at the Edo Castle gate.
Cultural properties are precious common property of the people. Please do not climb up the stonewalls or do anything dangerous like hitting the stonewalls.
Let’s preserve cultural assets carefully by your hands and hand them down to future generations.
August 2005
Chiyoda Ward Board of Education

Ichikoku Bridge

Ichiishi-bashi bridge is read as “Ichikoku-bashi”.
The origin of “ichi-ishi” seems to be an Edo-style pun. There used to be two Goto-san in the neighborhood, and they converted Goto into Goto (five tots), and two of them became Ichikoku (one stone). Well, it doesn’t ring a bell these days because we don’t use this unit very often, but it must have been popular in the Edo period.
Goto is about 90 liters and ichigoku is 180 liters.

The reinforced concrete arch bridge, built in 1922, survived the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 without collapsing, and was replaced in 1973. It remained until 1973, when it was replaced by a new bridge. The current Isseki Bridge is a two-span copper girder bridge built in 2001.

However, there is a theory that the name “Issekibashi” comes from the fact that the Shogunate exchanged “Eiraku Sen Mishin”, which was forbidden to be used, for “Isekishi”, a stone of rice.
The Chuo Ward Board of Education supports the pun theory. Which is correct? Or are there more theories?

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This is the appearance of the Isshi Bridge seen from the left side upstream. Above is the highway.

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This is the appearance of the Isseki Bridge seen from the right side upstream.

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The majestic granite main pillar of the Isshi Bridge.

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Chuo City Cultural Property “Oyabashira of Isshibashi Bridge
Location: Yaesu 1-chome, 11-ban
Ichiishi Bridge, built at the junction of the outer moat of the Imperial Palace and the Nihonbashi River, has a long history and is already seen as a wooden bridge in the “Edo Shozu, Bushu Toshima County” of the early Edo period.
The bridge was named after the residences of Shozaburo Goto, a shogunate official in Kinza in Hon-ryogae-cho near Kita-bashizume and Uetonsuke Goto, a shogunate official in Gofukumachi near Minamibashizume, and it is said in “Edo Sunako” that the name “Isseki” was derived from “Goto” (five tons, five tons plus five tons) and “Isseki” (one stone). It was important as a bridge connecting Nihonbashi area and Kanda area.
The last wooden bridge, the Isseki Bridge of 1873, was 14 ken in length and 3 ken in width.
In 1922, the Tokyo Highway Bureau replaced it with a modern steel-frame concrete granite bridge with four imposing pillars.
The bridge did not collapse during the Great Kanto Earthquake, and has been used as an important bridge for transportation ever since.
In 1997, the entire body of the bridge, which dates back to 1922, was removed, but one of the majestic granite pillars remains, reminding us of the bridge’s original appearance.
It was registered as a Chuo City Cultural Property in 2002.
March 2003
Chuo City Board of Education

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The Isshihashi Bridge Lost Child Notification Stone Marker is a notice board for common people erected by riverbank landlords in the Edo period. On the front of the stone pillar, “MAYOHIKO NO SHIRUHE” is inscribed in red, “TATSUNURU KATA” on the left side, and “SHIRASU KATA” on the right side, and a piece of paper is attached with the age, face, clothing, footwear, clothing, and other information.
It is a proof that there were many people.

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Ichiishibashi Lost Child Warning Stone Marker
Location 11, Yaesu 1-chome, Chuo-ku
Designation September 1942 Old Site
Classification changed on May 6, 1983
In the latter half of the Edo Period, there were many lost children in the area between this area and the Nihonbashi Bridge.
The town was supposed to take responsibility for the protection of lost children, so the shrine was erected in 1857 by the local leaders.
On the front of the pillar is engraved the words, “Mayohiko no shirube,” “Shirasuru kata” on the right side, and “Tazunuru kata” on the left side, with a depression in the upper part.
The way to use the board was to put a piece of paper with the characteristics of a lost child or an inquirer on the left side of the hollow, and if a passerby saw the board and knew the person, he or she put a piece of paper with the person’s characteristics on the hollow to let the passerby know who the lost child or inquirer was. It is rare as a notice board for common people.
There were also notice boards in the precincts of Sensoji Temple and Yushima Tenjin Shrine, but the one in Sensoji Temple was destroyed in the war.
Constructed on March 8, 1996
Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education

Nishigashibashi Bridge

The Nishi-Kawagishi Bridge was built in 1891 as a copper truss bridge. The current Nishi-Kawagishi Bridge was built in 1925 using steel construction, and was rebuilt in 1991.

Nishi-Kawagishi Bridge retains the vestiges of the riverbank area that is the west side of Nihonbashi, where many boat docks and storehouses stand, and the other side is called “Urakawagishi”. It is also famous as the setting of Kyoka Izumi’s novel “Nihonbashi”.

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This is an exterior view of the Nishigawashi Bridge.

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The parent pillar of the Nishigawashi Bridge.

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Nishigawashi Bridge
This area has flourished as the commercial and economic center of Japan since the Edo period.
This bridge was named Nishi-Kawagishi Bridge because the area on the right bank of the Nihonbashi Bridge from the Nihonbashi Bridge to the Isshibashi Bridge was called Nishi-Kawagishi-machi. The first bridge (built in 1894) was a bowstring truss, which was the latest type of iron bridge at that time. After being damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake, the bridge was replaced with the current one in 1925.
In 1990, the district repaired the damaged parts of this bridge, which had been built 65 years ago, and reconstructed it with a design that incorporates the traditional wooden framework of a traditional wooden structure.
Architectural details
Type 3-span continuous steel girder bridge
Bridge length 52.0m
Effective width 11.0m (roadway 6.0m, sidewalk 2.5m x 2)
Under the bridge Nihonbashi River
Start of construction: December 1924
Completed August 1925
Constructor Tokyo City
March 1991 Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Nihonbashi Fish Market: Birthplace of Nihonbashi Fish Market

This birthplace of the Nihonbashi fish market is located near 19_Nihonbashi.

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The birthplace of Nihonbashi Fish Market. This is a corner called “Otohime no Hiroba”.
Why?
Fish market means fish, fish means the sea, the sea means the Dragon Palace, and the Dragon Palace means Otohime.
What? The lady in the middle! Otohime~!

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Nihonbashi Fish Market Site
Location 1-8 Nihonbashi Muromachi, Chuo-ku, Tokyo Area
Along the Nihonbashi River between Nihonbashi and Edobashi, there was a fish market where fresh fish and salted dried fish were unloaded for consumption by the shogunate and the city of Edo. The fish market that was held here dates back to the early Edo period, when fishermen from Tsukuda Island sold the leftover fish from the gozen gozaimono (side dishes) that they had prepared for the shogun and other feudal lords. The fish market was centered around the fish market along the Nihonbashi River, and was held in the Honfunamachi, Odawara-machi, and Yasuharimachi areas (the current Muromachi 1-chome and Honmachi 1-chome areas), and was very crowded.
The fish market along the Nihonbashi River was one of the liveliest places in Edo, where many boats filled with fresh fish gathered from the neighboring regions, and the fish market was lined with the vigorous trading of the Edo people.
At the fish market in Nihonbashi, which had been in existence since the Edo period, fish and shellfish transported by the Nihonbashi River were traded on flatboats moored alongside a pier on the riverbank, and a sales floor lined with wooden planks (itabune) was opened in front of the Omote-naya shop to sell the products.
After the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, the fish market was moved to Tsukiji, and developed into the Tokyo Metropolitan Central Wholesale Market.
Today, a monument erected in 1954 by people related to the Nihonbashi Fish Market stands at the site where the fish market once stood. The inscription, as shown on the right, describes the history of the fish market for more than 300 years from its origins to its relocation, and gives a glimpse of its prosperity in the past.
March 2007
Chuo City Board of Education

Edobashi

The present Edo Bridge is a copper double-arch bridge built in 1927. Unfortunately, the date of construction of the Edo Bridge and the origin of its name are unknown, although records may be found in the future.

The Edo Bridge is lined with architectural structures of historical value on both banks of the Nihonbashi River. The Nissho Kan, Mitsubishi Warehouse, Nomura Securities and the residence of Eiichi Shibusawa are said to have once stood here.

The Edo Bridge was rebuilt and its location moved as part of the earthquake reconstruction project. Before the earthquake, the bridge was built at the current location of Mitsubishi Warehouse, but now it is built at the location where the seven warehouses of Mitsubishi Warehouse used to stand in a row.
The area around the Mitsubishi Warehouse was rezoned as part of the earthquake reconstruction project, so even though it was a riverfront area (Kisarazu riverbank), it is still a vast site.

Nihonbashi Post Office is located at the south end of Edobashi Bridge. Nihonbashi Post Office was founded in 1871 and was designated as the birthplace of postal service in 1962. The bronze statue of the father of Japan’s modern postal service, Minoru Maeshima, was installed in 1962 as the birthplace of postal service.
The main pillar of the shipping bridge still exists behind the Nihonbashi Post Office. Edobashi Bridge used to be a cross junction of Nihonbashi River and Maple River, but it was reclaimed between 1960 and 965 for the construction of the Metropolitan Expressway Inner Circular Route. The bridge was reclaimed between 1960 and 965 for the construction of the Metropolitan Expressway Inner Circular Route.

The date of construction of the shipping bridge is also unknown. After it collapsed in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, a new bridge was built in 1927. The bridge was closed in 1962. The Kaiun Bridge was a major bridge in the Kabuto-cho area in the Meiji era (1868-1912), and was so beautiful that it was depicted in nishikie (woodblock prints).

The birthplace of banking is located on the east side of the Kaiun Bridge, where Shimizu Corporation built the First National Bank in 1872. Eiichi Shibusawa opened the First National Bank in 1873. The First National Bank is depicted in nishikie (woodblock prints) as one of Tokyo’s most famous landmarks, as is the Kaiunbashi Bridge.

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This is the exterior of Edobashi.

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The main pillar of Edobashi. It is written “Edo Hashi”, but I want to pronounce it “Edo Bashi”.

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Kaiunbashi Oyabashira. It is said that the Kaiunbashi is called the Shokanbashi or the pirate bridge because there is a residence of the Mukai Shokan of the head of the ship’s crew at the east end of the Kaiunbashi. The name was changed to Kaiunbashi at the Meiji Restoration.
Ofunatekashira (Ofunatekashira) Mukai Shogen is a naval commander Mukai Shokan, but the Ofunatekashira was the navy of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and it was also called Kaizakushu.
Kaiun Bridge is a beautiful name, but Pirate Bridge would have been nice too…

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Kaiun Bridge Main Pillar
Address 1-20 Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku
Nihonbashi Kabuto-cho 3-mae
The Kaiun Bridge was built at the entrance of the Maple River where it joins the Nihonbashi River. In the early Edo period, the bridge was called “Takahashi” and was called “Shokan-bashi” or “Kaizukabashi” because the residence of Shogen Tadakatsu Mukai, a ship’s commander, was located at the east end of the bridge. The reason is that the navy of the Tokugawa Shogunate was called “Kaizoku-shu” (pirates).
In the Meiji Restoration, the bridge was renamed the Kaiunbashi Bridge, and in 1875, it was replaced by an arched stone bridge eight ken (about 15 meters) long and six ken (about 11 meters) wide. The area around the Kaiunbashi Bridge flourished as the financial center of Tokyo during the civilization and enlightenment period, and together with the Western-style Daiichi National Bank, which was located at the end of the bridge, it became a new landmark of Tokyo.
The stone bridge was damaged by the Great Kanto Earthquake, and was replaced by an iron bridge in 1927. At that time, two pillars of the stone bridge were left as a memorial. The iron bridge was removed in 1962 due to the reclamation of the Kaede River, but the pillars are registered as a Chuo City Citizen’s Cultural Property as remains of a modern bridge.
March 1994
Chuo City Board of Education

Armor Bridge

The original wooden bridge was built in 1872 and converted to a steel truss bridge in 1888. The current Armor Bridge is a three-span copper Gerber girder bridge that was rebuilt in 1957 due to the aging of the steel truss bridge.

The name of Armor Bridge was derived from Armor-no Watashi and was built at the landing place of Armor-no Watashi, and is called Armor Bridge. Armor-no Watashi is depicted in Utagawa Hiroshige’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.

On the west side of the Armor Bridge is Nihonbashi Kabutocho, named after the helmet of Taira no Masakado, which was dedicated to him.

Kabuto-cho is a town of stocks and securities, and securities companies are concentrated here. Yamaichi Securities, which no longer exists, was also located in Kabuto-cho.
The origin of Kabuto-cho as a town of stocks and securities is that Eiichi Shibusawa founded the Tokyo Stock Exchange in 1878 and listed his own shares as the first listed stock in Japan.

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This is the appearance of the armor bridge. It seems that the steel frame sticking out at intervals on the outside of the bridge is the image of a craggy armor.

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Armor bridge decoration. Perhaps it’s a parent pillar! Probably, it was made with the armor in mind.
I wonder if any stock certificates have fallen into the bushes. ・・・・(^^;

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Armor Bridge
The Armor Bridge was first built in 1872 by a wealthy merchant who paid for it with his own money. Around the time the bridge was built, rice and oil exchanges, banks and stock exchanges were opened, and the area became very prosperous.
Later, in 1887, the bridge was replaced by a steel platform truss bridge.
In his “Childhood,” the great writer Tanizaki Junichiro wrote about those days as follows.
When I press my face against the parapet of the armored bridge and gaze at the flow of water, this bridge seems to be moving. ・・・・
I have always gazed at the fairytale-like buildings of the Shibusawa Residence with a sense of wonder and never tired of looking at them. ・・・・・・・
On the other side of the river, in Koamicho, there are rows and rows of white-walled storehouses. The area has the air of a lithographed Western landscape painting, almost un-Japanese.
The present bridge was completed in July 1957 and is called a Gerber girder bridge.
The steel frames protruding from the outside of the bridge at intervals give it a rugged, armored appearance.

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Yoroi no Watashi (Ferry in Armor)
Location
8 and 9 Koamicho, Nihonbashi, Chuo-ku
Nihonbashi Kayabacho 1-chome, Nihonbashi Kabutocho 1-chome
Yoroi no Watashi was a ferry across the Nihombashi River, which is recorded in kiri-echi maps and geographical maps since the Genroku era (1688-1704) of the Edo period (1603-1868).
According to the legend, Minamoto no Yoriyoshi, who was on his way to Oshu (the capital of Japan) in the Heian period (794-1185), encountered a stormy wind and adverse currents here and was able to cross the river safely after throwing his armor into the sea and praying to the Dragon God. It is also said that this is where Taira no Masakado kept his helmet and armor.
In addition, there are also well-known haiku and kyoka (comic poems) about the ferry.
I’ll buy it at the fair and go home
I, in my armor, seen upside down (Wachotei Kunimori)
March, 2004
Chuo City Board of Education

Kayababashi Bridge

Kayababashi Bridge was not built in the Edo period, but was constructed in December 1929 as a reconstruction project after the earthquake.

The origin of the name is because this area is called Kayabacho, but the origin of the name of Kayabacho itself is said that the accumulation place of thatch, which was an important building material at that time, was moved from outside Kandabashi to this place for fire prevention in the Kanei era.
It is said that it became the origin of the name of Kayabacho that Ieyasu moved the thatch merchant of the Kandabashi gate to Numasawachi when he entered Edo, but it is almost the same.

Thatch is a general term for grasses such as Miscanthus sinensis and Chigaya of the Poaceae family, and sedge of the Kayazurigusa family, which are used as materials for roofs. Thatched roofs have become rare in the countryside these days.

It is said that Kayabacho in the Edo period was prosperous as a merchant town, and in addition to sake wholesalers, lumber dealers, umbrella dealers, and setomono dealers, manju-ya and ship dealers were prosperous. The business was good because of the shipping service from Osaka.

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This is the appearance of Kayaba Bridge. This bridge was replaced in September 1992.

The river is covered by the Metropolitan Expressway No. 6 Mukojima Line. This expressway runs for about 9.5 km from the nearby Edobashi Junction (JCT) to Horikiri Junction in Katsushika Ward, Tokyo.
The No. 6 Mukojima Line connects to the Central Tokyo Loop Line at Edobashi Junction and to the Central Loop Line at Horikiri Junction.

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The parapet of Kayababashi bridge in Kayababashi is designed with a ferry boat. 21_Armor Bridge ‘s Armor Ferry is very close to the bridge.

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The main pillar of Kayababashi bridge. It looks massive.
There is a famous stationery company “Pentel” at the end of this pillar. The white building at the left back of the main pillar is the Pentel company.

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There is a monument to the residence of Matsuo Basho’s great disciple “Kikaku”.

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His representative works are
NISHIKI TORITORI TENEBI MASARIKERI Hina no Kao (The Face of Hina, Taken from Nishiki and Sculpted by Nebi)
Echigoya ni kinusaku no oto ya makoromo
The Cranes Walk in the Spring of the Day

Minato Bridge

The Minato Bridge was built between Reigishima and Hakozaki in 1679, and the name of the bridge derives from the Edo Minatoguchi. Minato means an inlet or port, and this is indeed the Edo Minatoguchi.

The current Minato Bridge is a smart reinforced concrete triple-arch bridge that was rebuilt in 1928. To the west of the Minato Bridge, crossing the Reigan Bridge from Kayabacho, is the Shinkawa River, which in the Edo period was known as Echizenbori.

The Nihonbashi River branches off from the Reigan Bridge and its tributary is called the Kamejima River. The Kamejima River is a first-class river with a total length of 1.1 km from the Nihonbashi Water Gate to the Kamejima River Water Gate. There are five bridges over the Kamejima River.

The monument of Reigishima and the information board of the origin of Reigishima stand in Echizenbori Children’s Park located in the center of Shinkawa River. It is said that this island was called “Nakanoshima” or “Konnyakujima”, and it was said that there was no lightning and no Nanten berries.

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This is the appearance of the Minato Bridge. It is a smart bridge. I had a hard time finding a place to take a picture of the whole bridge. I could barely find a gap and managed to take a picture.

The atmosphere of the bridge and the name of the parent pillar give a very smart impression of the Minato Bridge. Minato means port, and it was recorded on the explanation board that “it was named Minato Bridge from the place where it was located at the entrance and exit of Edo Minato”.
Moreover, it is said that this Minato Bridge was built to connect Reigando Island and the reclaimed land of Hakozaki on the opposite shore in the old days.
And there is a theory that Yeongamdo was called Konnyaku Island from the fact that the ground was loose like konnyaku.

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This bridge was built in 1679 to connect Reigando Island (commonly called Konnyaku Island in the present-day Shinkawa area) The bridge was built in 1679 to connect Reigando Island (now in the Shinkawa area, commonly called Konnyaku Island) with the reclaimed land in the Hakozaki area (a sandbar in the Sumida River) on the other side of the river.
This area has flourished as an important point of waterway transportation since the Edo period (1603-1867), and especially sake barrels were transported by barrel barges between Edo and Kansai (Kamigata).
According to “Edo Meisho Zue”, this bridge symbolizes the prosperity of the mouth of the Nihonbashi River, which formed the port town of those days, and the rows of warehouses on the riverbank across the bridge remind us of the bustle of those days.
The bridge was named Minato Bridge because it was located at the entrance to the Edo Minato district.
The present bridge was reconstructed during the reconstruction period after the Great Kanto Earthquake, and was given a new look in the maintenance project in the first year of Heisei (1989).
Bridge Specifications
Type = Three-span concrete arch bridge
Bridge length = 49.68 m, effective width = 18.0 m (roadway 11.0 m, sidewalk 3.5 m x 2)
Construction started: May 1927, Completed: June 1928, Total cost: 208,000 yen
Constructor = City of Tokyo
March 1990, Chuo Ward

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This area was a swampy reed bed when the castle town of Edo was developed some three hundred and seventy or eighty years ago.
In 1624, Priest Yuho Reigan built Reiganji Temple and took the first step toward land development.
In 1635, Matsudaira Tadamasa, the feudal lord of Echizen Fukui, received the Hama Yashiki, a residence covering an area of more than 27,000 tsubo (approximately 1,860 square meters), in the southern part of the temple grounds.
Funairibori moats were dug on the north, west and south sides of the mansion, which later gave rise to the name Echizenbori.
In the Great Fire of Edo in 1657, Reiganji Temple was burnt down and moved to Fukagawa Shirakawa-cho, and the site was used as official land.
During the Meiji Taisho Era (1868-1912), the following ten towns and cities were relocated to the area: Tomishima-cho, Hama-cho, Yokkaichi-cho, Shiomachi, Okawabata-cho, Kawaro-cho, Nagasaki-cho, Reigishima-cho, Gin-machi, Higashiminato-cho, Shinfunamatsu-cho, Echizenbori, Minami-shinbori.
There were many taxpayers and tide observation stations, and it was the center of downtown commerce as the arrival and departure point for shipping and warehousing in the bay. The entire area was scorched by the Great Earthquake in the Taisho era (1912-1926), and in July 1931, the town was rezoned and renamed Shinkawa 1 and 2-chome, Reigishima 1 and 2-chome, Echizenobori 1, 2 and 3-chome, and Shinkawa 1 and 2-chome.
In 1971, the name of the town was changed to Shinkawa 1, 2-chome, Reigishima 1, 2-chome, Echizenbori 1, 2, 3-chome, and further to Shinkawa 1, 2-chome by implementation of the residential indication system. We erected this monument to commemorate the disappearance of the nostalgic ruins that symbolize the history of the area since the Edo Period.
March 1977 Reigando Preservation Society

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The parent pillar of the Minato Bridge.

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The decoration of the Minato Bridge. It is a ship of the barrel ship.

Toyomi Bridge

Toyomi Bridge is the downstreammost bridge of the Nihonbashi River and spans the mouth of the Sumida River. The Nihonbashi River joins the Sumida River here. The spring water from Inokashira Pond in Inokashira Park, Mitaka, Tokyo, flows into the Kanda River, Nihonbashi River, Sumida River, Tokyo Bay and the Pacific Ocean.
Hmmm. I am deeply moved;

Toyomi Bridge was built in 1698 and was also called Otome Bridge. In 1903, the bridge was rebuilt and converted to an iron bridge as a lower roadway type Pratt truss bridge, but it was destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake. In 1927, the bridge was replaced by a copper Feulendiehl Bridge (a ladder-like structure) as part of the earthquake reconstruction project, and Toyomi Bridge is designated as a Tangible Cultural Property of Chuo City.

Toyomi Bridge is on the west side of the Shinkawa River and Nihonbashi Hakozaki-cho on the east side. It is said that Nakamura Hashinosuke and Mita Hiroko lived in Kayabacho Tower on the Shinkawa River when they were newlyweds.

In the vicinity of this Toyomi Bridge, there is also the site where the Bank of Japan was founded and the IBM building, giving a sense of history and modern prosperity.

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This is the Toyomi Bridge seen from the 23_Minato Bridge upstream. Beyond the Toyomi-bashi Bridge is the Sumida River and on the right is the direction of Tokyo Bay.

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Chuo City Cultural Properties
Toyomi Bridge
Location Shinkawa 1-chome, Chuo-ku / Nihonbashi Hakozaki-cho (Nihonbashi River)
The present Toyomi Bridge was constructed in May 1926 and completed in September 1927.
It is the first bridge at the mouth of the Nihonbashi River where it flows into the Sumida River. The bridge has a long history; Toyomi Bridge (also known as Otome Bridge) was built in the middle of the Edo period.
This area was called Shinbori Kawagishi, where sake brought from various countries to Edo by barge was unloaded, and white-walled sake breweries were lined up along the river.
In the Meiji period (1868-1912), Toyomi Bridge was replaced by an iron bridge, which was destroyed by the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.
The Bureau of Reconstruction commissioned Yutaka Tanaka of the Public Works Department to design a new one, and the actual blueprint was done by the young Takeo Fukuda.
The first bridge at the mouth of the Sumida River tributary was designed differently one by one to make it easier to distinguish.
This was in consideration of the boatmen returning from the Sumida River.
Takeo Fukuda adopted the bridge design proposed by the German Feulendaal and
The bridge has the appearance of a ladder overturned on its side, giving the bridge a heavy appearance.
This style of bridge is only found in a few places in Japan and is a valuable modern civil engineering heritage, and is registered as a tangible cultural property of the ward.
Chuo City Board of Education

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Toyomi Bridge
This bridge over the mouth of the Nihonbashi River was built for the first time in 1698 (Genroku 11), and has been replaced many times since then.
The present bridge was built by the Bureau of Reconstruction in 1927 as part of the earthquake reconstruction project, and its formal name is Feulendale Bridge.
The bridge was named after Ferendale, the inventor of the bridge.
This bridge is the only one of its kind in Japan, and it is a bridge of high rarity and value.
The view of the Eitaibashi Bridge and the lights of the Saga Town area from between the steel frames of the Toyomi Bridge is slightly more picturesque tonight than it is in broad daylight, thanks to the light of the famous moon.
The full tide at dusk glistens in the moonlight, and the sound of the water hitting the stone walls under the bridge and the piers of the transport boats tied up there is also pleasing. (From Nagai Kafu’s “Danjotei Nippori”)
Bridge Specifications
Type Ferendale Bridge
Bridge length 46.13m
Effective width 8.00m
Start of construction May 1926
Completed September, 1927
Constructor Bureau of Reconstruction
March 1991 Chuo Ward, Tokyo

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Toyomi Bridge seen from the Sumida River downstream.

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Toyomi Bridge’s main pillar. The bridge of the abundant sea. It is a good name.

Specification table of 24 bridges over the Nihombashi River

There are 24 bridges on the Nihonbashi River, which branches off from the Koishikawa Bridge on the Kanda River and joins the Sumida River. The table below shows the year when the bridges were built and the year when the current bridges were built. Please refer to the page of each bridge with this background knowledge. Please consider that the bridges with no year of construction are quite old.

bridge name reading Year of construction
(The year when the first bridge was built)
Present year
(Year when the current bridge was created)
01_Misaki Bridge chopsticks used to move food from a serving dish to one’s own dish The 36th year of Meiji (1903) 1954
02_New Misaki Bridge (being unable to control) one’s worldly desires and passions The 36th year of Meiji (1903) 2002 (Heisei 14)
03_Aiai Bridge two people riding in a palanquin together (esp. a man and a woman) 2001 (Heisei 13)
04_Shinkawa Bridge thick round chopsticks used on festive occasions The 36th year of Meiji (1903) 1927 (Showa 02)
05. Horidome Bridge roadside stone distance indicators placed at intervals of one cho (approx. 109 meters) The 36th year of Meiji (1903) 1926 (Taisho 15)
06_Minamihoridome Bridge Southwest Gateway (gateway to the southwest of Tokyo) The 36th year of Meiji (1903) 1928 (Showa 03)
07_Bridge of the chopping board chopsticks used to move food from a serving dish to one’s own dish 1983 (Showa 58)
08_Houda Bridge ringing one’s chopsticks against a dish (in order to request seconds, etc.) (a breach of etiquette) 1968 (Showa 43)
09. Pheasant Bridge chopsticks used to move food from a serving dish to one’s own dish 1925 (Taisho 14)
10_Hitotsubashi Chinese “Bond” constellation (one of the 28 mansions) 1925 (Taisho 14)
11_Nishiki Bridge double-tongued chopsticks (a breach of etiquette) 1927 (Showa 02)
12_Kanda Bridge things prohibited by chopstick etiquette 1980 (Showa 55)
13. Kamakura Bridge covered bridge passageway connecting the backstage (mirror room) to the noh stage 1929 (Showa 04)
14. Shin-Tokiwabashi Bridge Camellia japonica ‘New Tokiwa Bridge’ (cultivar of common camellia) 1920 (Taisho 09) 1988
15. Joban Bridge style of Japanese confectionery store (orig. one of high standing, supplying the imperial court, etc.) Tensho 18 (159th year) The 10th year of Meiji (1877)
16_Tokiwa Bridge style of Japanese confectionery store (orig. one of high standing, supplying the imperial court, etc.) First year of the Showa Era (1926) First year of the Showa Era (1926)
17_Ishiseki Bridge unparalleled beauty Kan’ei era (1624-1643) 2001 (Heisei 13)
18. Nishigawashi Bridge pushing one’s opponent out with one’s chopsticks The 24th year of Meiji (1891) 1925 (Taisho 14)
19_Nihonbashi Nihonbashi (section of Tokyo) Keicho 08 (1603) 1911 (Meiji 44)
20_Edobashi Edo bridge Kan’ei 08 (1631) 1927 (Showa 02)
21. Armor Bridge skipping stones (on a body of water) 1872 (Meiji 05) 1957
22_Kayababashi a quarrelsome horse 1929 (Showa 04) 1992 (Heisei 04)
23. Minato Bridge style of joruri narrative used for kabuki dances Enpo 07 (1679) 1928 (Showa 03)
24_Houkai Bridge using one’s chopsticks to jump from side dish to side dish without pausing to eat rice in between (a breach of etiquette) 11th year of the Genroku era (1698) 1927 (Showa 02)

 

 

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