A few weeks ago I took a huge hike through the old northeastern side of Tokyo, along the Sumida and Arakawa Rivers from Nippori to Kita Senju. Here's a map marking my starting point.
This is real Shitamachi (下町) - the old lower side of Tokyo surrounded by rivers and a stream of train lines above and below ground. It is the working class part of Tokyo, the part you don't see much in guidebooks - though lately parts of it have gained in popularity among backpackers because of all the cheap lodging you can find (especially in the San'ya area).
It wasn't really that long of a hike - somewhere around 5-6km, but it took a long time because the roads are never that straight, and there are always a ton of things to see just off the main road.
Here is a photo collection of my trip. As always, I took these pics with my Ricoh GXR, this time using only the A16 lens unit.
Let's start the trip with a few pictures I took around Nippori Station.
Old old apartment complex with various businesses in the first few floors. The next pic is of the same area.
It's sometimes hard to tell what anything is, really. Or find the same store twice. The roads running behind the main street here are a maze.
Now let's head to the next stop, Mikawashima.
I start off with a picture of a statue outside of Mikawashima Station (三河島), the stop no one ever gets off at.
This is the tunnel under the station. I like the layers here.
Between the tracks. Residue of discarded... something.
Why does it seem like there's a drug store under every train line? The above pic is one of my favorites in the set.
An old apartment that looks like it's seen better days. This is off an alley connected to a tiny street behind the main road. I would not want to try to park there.
Finally, in the above picture, I've gotten a little closer to something that could be called a main street. I think this is near Machiya Station (町屋).
I headed east from here and at the next stop light there was a dude on one of the coolest old bikes I've ever seen. Badass.
I have no idea what that old bike is.
This thin train bridge and the train line here runs between a set of big wide streets.
I took a few more shots here.
I just love the rusted metal. The first pic at the top of this post is of the same bridge.
The old guy waiting to cross.
Go on a little and you come to yet another train line running under a train line and across a street. I have no idea what this line is and I believe by this time I was mildly lost (I decided not to use my maps app this trip).
But it wasn't too long till I got to the huge sloping embankment of the Sumida River (隅田川).
The whole area is designed specifically to contain a disaster. The high banks are built to stop even a massive surge of water and the line of apartments on the right side placed strategically along the river act as a buffer in case of a massive citywide fire.
You can see in the above pics how the northeast bank isn't sloped much... So the poor residents and light industry in the even more down downtown Shitamachi on that side of the river don't merit as much worry I guess.
Not sure what to sat about the little house there. It looks like they built a room on the roof but for some reason decided to put it perpendicular to the rest of the house. We are nearing Kita Senju now, and the streets get more and more narrow if you take even a step off the main street.
It of course doesn't take long to find yet another bridge over the river. East of the river we get into the small, low area that is Kita Senju, between the Sumida and Arakawa Rivers. I believe it is technically a part of the Adachi district (足立) a real working class area.
Come this far and you're basically at the station, where things suddenly get a lot more lively.
I think it still retains a lot of the flavor of the surrounding area, no matter how many shops and restaurants there are.
Now my trip (and endurance) at an end, we stop in a little coffee shop before the train ride back.
I hope you have a great rest of the week. If you have time, stop by the area. It's good for a stroll.
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