Hello!!
The other day, marked the first installment of the iU Blog, where I introduced the Sumida Hokusai Museum!
Here is the article about the Hokusai Museum
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This time, I’d like to place an extra to that original article to introduce the route I took to get to the Sumida Hokusai Museum!
Ryogoku Station
When we arrived at Ryogoku Station, we were greeted by a life-sized picture of a Yokozuna and many handprints of Rikishi!
I hope someday you can feel the power of this in person!
There are also Ukiyoe paintings of Sumo wrestlers on the stairs and a map of Ryogoku from the Taisho era (1912-1926), so it would be interesting to take a look around the station for a while when you get there!
-Ryogoku – Edo NOREN
After experiencing the culture of Sumo at Ryogoku Station, we headed to the Edo NOREN in the Ryogoku Station building.
There was a full-size Sumo ring here!
It’s not often you get a chance to see a ring up close, so I encourage everyone to come here and experience the real thing up close.
At Edo Noren, there is a restaurant serving Chanko-Nabe and other dishes, as well as a sweet shop nearby.
There are also benches around the ring, so why not take a break here first when you arrive at Ryogoku Station?
-両国-江戸NOREN：ジェイアール東日本都市開発 (jrtk.jp)
Ryogoku Kokugikan
This is the Ryogoku Kokugikan, the sacred site of Sumo.
There were no big events that day, so there weren’t many people, but when there is a big sumo tournament, people seem to flood into the Ryogoku Station.
I’ve never been to a Sumo tournament, so I’d like to go next time if I have the chance!
By the way, do you know the address of the Ryogoku Kokugikan?
The address of the Ryogoku Kokugikan is picture here.
I thought it was Yokozuna 1, but on closer inspection, it’s Yokoami……
Former Yasuda Garden
From Ryogoku Station, walk past the Ryogoku Kokugikan and continue on your way to the former Yasuda Garden.
The garden was built in the Edo period (1603-1868) as a tidal garden, and the water was drawn from the Sumida river.
The tides used to rise and fall as the water was drawn from the Sumida river, which is now recreated by a pump.
This former Yasuda Garden is a garden that uses a characteristic Japanese style, and even though it’s in Tokyo, you can feel the richness of nature all around you!
Yokoami town Park
In this park filled with the scent of gingko trees, there are many monuments that express wishes for peace.
“Yume-Kuyou, Hana-Kyuyou” inside the Tokyo Metropolitan Memorial Hall
The “Yume-Kuyou, Hana-Kuyo” is a memorial service for those who died in past wars and earthquakes because they could not fulfill their dreams by making their dreams come true.
In this park, I was able to feel again the beauty of “peace”.
While dreaming of a peaceful world, I would like to also remember to be grateful to our predecessors who built the Japan as we know it today, and make efforts to make this world a better place. And to preserve and pass on this history to future generations so that they will never forget it.
都立横網町公園 (tokyoireikyoukai.or.jp)
Extra: Discoveries along the way
While walking around Ryogoku, I made a few interesting discoveries, which I’ll introduce here!
Ashita no Joe x Sumida
~2020 Boxing at the Kokugikan in Sumida
This collaboration seems to have come about because Mr. Tetsuya Chiba, the author of Ashita no Joe, spent his entire life in Sumida, from when he was in the third grade until he graduated from high school.
A bench with a note about Hokusai
As I mentioned in my previous blog, Hokusai was born and raised in Sumida.
It is interesting to see such a bench on the side of the road introducing Hokusai and the pictures he drew.
Ryogoku Sakasa Kasa (RYOGOKU Skywater Hervesting System)
Ryogoku Sakasa Kasa, also known as water from the sky Harvester, and was built based on the concept of an “upside-down umbrella” spreading from the earth to the sky.
The water collected here is used for watering the flowerbeds in the vicinity and for sprinkling water.
B.B. BASE
A black container next to Ryogoku Station.
It is one of the largest bicycle rental stores in Tokyo.
In cooperation with JR East, they are proposing a new type of cycling trip where you can take your bike on the train.
Basically, the course seems to be in the Boso area, so if you are interested, please check out their website by clicking on the link below.
B.B.BASEバイシクルステーション 両国でハイクオリティなレンタサイクル、サイクルコミュニティスペース始動！ (bbbase-bicycle-station.com)
As you can see, there are many attractive things to do in Sumida, even within the Ryogoku area.
I was able to touch on just a few of these attractions this time.
However, there are still many things that I have not yet been able to experience.
I will continue to do my best to let as many people as possible know about the charms of Sumida through the iU Blog!
I hope that you will come to experience the charm of Sumida for yourself.
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