MODEL COURSE3

Chuo City, Tokyo Ukiyo-e Walking Tour

Walk around Chuo City and visit the places depicted in ukiyoe. Take photos as a keepsake. Share them on SNS as new photo spots! While appreciating the difference between the present and the past, enjoy the appeal of ukiyoe, popular both inside and outside Japan, and those of Chuo City.

* Published content contains information as of November 2016. Business days, business hours, rates, etc. may be changed due to the circumstances of the place of publication. Please check with each publisher for the latest information.

Walk around Chuo City and visit the places depicted in ukiyoe. Take photos as a keepsake. Share them on SNS as new photo spots! While appreciating the difference between the present and the past, enjoy the appeal of ukiyoe, popular both inside and outside Japan, and those of Chuo City.

“Ukiyoe” is
a genre of art established during the Edo period (1603-1868) in the form of Japan’s traditional woodblock prints and original drawings. Now it generally means multicolored prints mainly depicting the manners and customs of the people of the time.

START: Tokyo Chuo City Tourist Information Center

01: Kyobashi

02: Teppou-zu Inari Jinja Temple

03: Eitai Bridge

04: Shin-ohashi Bridge

05: Nihonbashi Odemmacho

05-a: Edoya

05-b: OZU WASHI Ozu History Museum

05-c: IBASEN Ukiyoe Museum

06: Mitsukoshimae

GOAL 07: Nihonbashi

* The listed times are for reference only.

* Published content contains information as of November 2016. Business days, business hours, rates, etc. may be changed due to the circumstances of the place of publication. Please check with each publisher for the latest information.
* The listed times are for reference only.

“Ukiyoe” is a genre of art established during the Edo period (1603-1868) in the form of Japan’s traditional woodblock prints and original drawings. Now it generally means multicolored prints mainly depicting the manners and customs of the people of the time.

START
Tokyo Chuo City Tourist Information Center

A five-minute walk

01

Kyobashi

Time required: About 10 minutes
Although it has been turned into an expressway, Kyobashi River used to run along this route and on its banks were areas called Takegashi where bamboo craftsmen used to live and Shirauo Gashi where shirauo (white fish) were sold. “Kyobashi Takegashi” is a ukiyoe print depicting the Takegashi seen from the Kyobashi Bridge. The bridge was transformed from a wooden to a stone structure, and its main pillars are still standing.
Utagawa Hiroshige
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Kyobashi Takegashi"

Provided by:The National Diet Library
Address

The outskirts of Kyobashi 3-chome, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Access

A one-minute walk from Kyobashi Station Exit 3 on the Tokyo Metro Ginza Line

A fifteen-minute walk

02

Teppou-zu Inari Jinja Temple

Time required: About 10 minutes
Teppou-zu Inari Jinja is said to have been built in 841. The shrine is dedicated to the guardian deity of Kyobashi area. It used to stand on the junction of Kyobashi River and Sumida River, and was respected by sailors. Such scenes are long gone, but the shrine is still visited by many local citizens.
Utagawa Hiroshige
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Inari Bridge and Minato Temple at Teppozu"

Provided by:The National Diet Library
See more details.

A fifteen-minute walk

03

Eitai Bridge

Time required: About 10 minutes
Eitai Bridge was first built about 100 meters upstream in 1698. It was a large bridge, just as it is now, so as to let people cross and big cargo boats pass under. The ukiyoe depicts a busy day at that time. The bridge built in 1926 was modeled after Ludendorff Railway-Bridge in Germany.
Utagawa Hiroshige Eitai Bridge and New Land at Fukagawa

Provided by:The National Diet Library
Address

The neighborhood of Shinkawa 1, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Access

A fifteen-minute walk from Hatchobori Station on the JR Line, or the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line

A twenty-minute walk

04

Shin-ohashi Bridge

Time required: About 10 minutes
The bridge was named Shin-ohashi, or new Ohashi, because it was built after Ohashi (present Ryogoku Bridge) in 1694. The ukiyoe titled: “Sudden Shower over Shin-ohashi bridge and Atake” is a scene showing people surprised by a sudden shower depicted from the Nihonbashi side of the river. Western artists were inspired by the unique composition and Vincent van Gogh reproduced the print in oil.
Utagawa Hiroshige
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Sudden Shower over Shin-ohashi bridge and Atake"

Provided by:Tokyo Fuji Art Museum
Address

2-chome and 3-chome, Hamacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Access

A ten-minute walk from Suitengumae Station on the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line

A twenty-minute walk

05

Nihonbashi Odemmacho

Time required: About 10 minutes
The town of Odenmacho grew up along the Nikko and Edo Highways, which were two of the main highways during the Edo period. Odenmacho was the largest wholesale cotton cloth district in Edo. The scenery in the area has changed, but back in the Edo period the view extended as far as Mt. Fuji.
Utagawa Hiroshige "Prosperity in Odenmagai in the Eastern Capital"

Provided by:The National Diet Library
Address

The outskirts of Odenmacho, Chuo-ku, Tokyo

Access

A five-minute walk from Kodemmacho Station on the Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line

A two-minute walk

05-a

Edoya

Time required: About 30 minutes
Edoya is a shop that has specialized in brushes since 1718. Now the shop sells a total of 3,000 kinds of products, including not only the dyeing, powder and printing brushes, which it has sold since its early days, but also hair and make-up brushes. Why not explore the world of specialist brushes made in Japan with great craftsmanship?
See more details.

A three-minute walk

05-b

OZU WASHI Ozu History Museum

Time required: About 30 minutes
Founded in 1653, OZU WASHI is a shop that specializes in washi (Japanese paper). The shop still operates in the same location as it appears in the ukiyoe titled: “Prosperity in Odenmagai in the Eastern Capital. ” Visitors will learn how things were at the time at Ozu History Museum, located on the third floor, which exhibits historical documents and materials related to the shop. On the first floor, about 3,000 kinds of unique washi are sold and there is also a studio where you can experience the process of making handmade washi.
See more details.

A two-minute walk

05-c

IBASEN Ukiyoe Museum

Time required: About 30 minutes
Founded in 1590, IBASEN used to sell Uchiwa (traditional Japanese fans) and Sensu (traditional Japanese folding fans) decorated with ukiyoe woodblock prints. IBASEN then became the publisher of many ukiyoe prints. The museum next to the store exhibits the ukiyoe prints IBASEN owns as well as works of modern artists. As chairs are provided, take a rest, enjoy the exhibited works and be sure to put your comments in the notebook for the museum’s visitors. The Sensu and Uchiwa with Japanese designs are popular as souvenirs.
See more details.

A seven-minute walk

06

Mitsukoshimae

Time required: About 5 minutes
Surugacho, the area around the street between the present Nihonbashi Mitsukoshi Main Store and Mitsui Memorial Museum was first developed to have the view of Mt. Fuji of Suruga right in front. Echigoya, a kimono fabrics merchandising company, was founded in 1673 and relocated to both sides of the street 10 years later, renaming the two stores Mitsukoshi and Mitsui respectively. The names remain to date. The ukiyoe depicts the street bustling with people.
Utagawa Hiroshige
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Surugacho"

Provided by:The National Diet Library
See more details.

A five-minute walk

07 GOAL

Nihonbashi

Time required: About 10 minutes
Built in 1603, Nihonbashi Bridge served as the center of Japan at that time, being designated as the starting point of the five major roads (national highways). It was a bridge busy with people. The ukiyoe depicts a view of the Edobashi Bridge seen from Nihonbashi Bridge with a lively scene of many boats selling freshly caught fish. The existing bridge was built in 1911 and designated as an important cultural property.
Utagawa Hiroshige
"One Hundred Famous Views of Edo: Nihonbashi Bridge and Edobashi Bridge"

Provided by:The National Diet Library
See more details.

Route map

* Published content contains information as of November 2016. Business days, business hours, rates, etc. may be changed due to the circumstances of the place of publication. Please check with each publisher for the latest information.
* The listed times are for reference only.

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