Long Living Tortoise's Walk in Tokyo
Plum Blossom Seeing over River and Slopes
Yoshie Iimori
March 19, 2001
Today's course:
Edogawa-park—Chinzanso (Four Seasons Hotel)—St.Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo—Shin-Edogawa-Park
Walking day: Sunday the 4th February 2001
Near Edogawabashi Station of the Yurakucho-line, at the corner of a highway exit, I crossed the bridge over the Kanda River to enter Edogawa-Park. The Kanda River, in this area between Koishikawa-Sekiguchi and Iidabashi, used to be called Edogawa(Edo River). Making paper and dyeing cloth were the main industries to use the clean water here in Edo period. Cherry trees have been famous since then and the local people still gather to have parties on a strip of the park which runs down to the river. This park is usually quiet, only that cherry blossom season, it changes completely into a big party room. No one, however, gathers when plum has blossoms. I like plum trees better, because it has stronger and better smell and few people gathers to see them in the quiet atmosphere. Only a boy and his father were playing when I visited it. Under the plum trees with trees' good smell, the child rode his tricycle.
Walking along a promenade from the park, passing by the back gate of Chinzanso, I turned the corner to a steep slope, Munatsukizaka which was opened in 1697. The slope is so steep that people walking near here should realise this town is hilly. In the midst of the slope, there is a tiny shrine Sui-Jinja. One could fail noticing this because it is very small.
Turning right onto Mejiro-street, I faced the front of Chinzanso. Due to a new building of Four Seasons Hotel added to the original building, the garden got smaller and old people who remember the past sometimes say the garden used to be bigger and more beautiful. A couple of months ago, I heard two old ladies talk on the Yamanote Line that the hotel really changed the garden.
One can either enjoy viewing the garden, having a cup of tea in the luxurious lobby, or one can walk around the garden. There are a dark-coloured wooden three-storied pagoda, an old well and stone sculptures of the seven gods of good fortune. The hotel holds an event to let their guests collect seven stamps at those spots in the new year season so as to encourage customers to come there.
On Sunday afternoon, the hotel seemed filled with people attending wedding parties. I saw a bride in white. Everyone inside the building was happy. Through such shining happiness spread lobby, I went out to the sophisticated garden. Despite the small number of plum trees, it was not so bad to see them, stretching their branches over a pond.
Today's cosiest place was St. Mary's Cathedral, Tokyo designed by the famous architect Kenzo Tange. The cathedral was outstanding, in fact I could notice the high bell tower in distance. The surface was covered with silver plates to make the building magnificent. There were a couple who seemed to be having a meeting to arrange their wedding ceremony and a group of three students who looked like they were studying architecture, inside the cathedral. After they had left, I sat down and spent a quiet time, looking at a big cross of the cathedral. The ceiling was very high and it looked as if every thing in the universe would have been absolutely absorbed in it.
Building viewing is a good excuse to have a walk. When the Japanese go abroad, we carefully look at structures, bridges or castles which are different from our style of buildings. If one has the same attitudes even in one's own neighbourhood one can see it in a new perspective. One easily can find an old house between newly constructed tall buildings or well decorated small apartment with pretty garden. I do not have enough knowledge to judge good design or poor one, yet I just feel whether they fit my sense or not. If I decide I like one, I would go to the place again and again.
I saw a cute billboard of an earthenware shop in Mejiro Street. Everything in the shop seemed new and wall and display boards had no stains. Artists' made sophisticated figure vases, beautiful plates and funny shaped cups were displayed. All were pretty. When I stepped up to the first floor of the small building to enter the shop, an old gentleman who sounded a regular customer talked with the shopkeepers. He told them that he would like to prepare gifts for his own funeral, although he had not got a certain idea what would be good or even when he would die. The gentleman and I left the shop at the same time and I smiled at him when he saw me. He told me that he often came here to see the earthenware. He seemed to enjoy talking with the shopkeepers who were of his grandchildren's generation more than browsing in the shop.
From Mejiro Street, I went down to Yureizaka. Both sides of the narrow slope were lined with high walls and it was dark even in the early afternoon. Walking along it, I made it to my last destination, Shin-Edogawa Park. This used to belong to the Hosokawa family. The small garden has a pond and one can enjoy walking along the paths which surround it. A wild hilly part of the garden, which I thought it was like a maze, is densely wooded, so one cannot see beyond and one may wonder which way one should take. A Japanese style house which was built in Taisho period stands behind a red plum tree with sprays. A middle-aged couple looked gently at the blossoms. The husband took photographs, telling his wife that they were against the light. There were only several old people there so it was very quiet and I determined to read a book in this silent garden when the weather gets milder.
Going toward Waseda Station of the Arakawa-line, I walked from Mejirodai to Takada. They are next to each other, but their characters are quite different. I saw more great houses with big gates in Mejirodai, on the other hand, more small flats and an unique shopping street in Takada. I shall write about Takada another time.
*There are more places to visit. Eisei-Bunko, Basho-an and Kodansha-Noda Memorial museum. If anyone has the time and the interest, please drop by at those places.
|
