TokyoTomo Travel Guide

Every year as 14 December approaches, Chushingura (The Treasury of Loyal Retainers) come up in conversations. This is an all too famous tale for Japanese, a story of 47 Ako Gishi (loyal retainers of lord of Ako), including Kuranosuke Oishi, to avenge for their master, Asano Takumi-no-kami to put down their enemy Kozukenosuke Kira. 305 years has passe since the revenge. Tokyo has completely changed its shape, but there are remnant of those days scattered around bay area. The distance is about 11 km. Let’s make a slow pilgrimage walk from the Remain of Kira’s residence to Sengakuji Temple, following the footsteps of the loyal retainers of Chushingura in two courses in the city of Edo (i.e., former name of Tokyo). We might find something interesting.

First Half of Chushingura Walking
The distance is about 5 km. From the Remain of Kira’s house near Ryogoku Station, I walked southward along Sumidagawa River from Ryogoku Bridge, Ichino Hashi Bridge, Mannen Bridge, Eitai Bridge, and to Tsukuda Bridge. The goal is the Remain of Asano Family’s former residence located at the west promenade of St. Luke’s Hospital. The walk is about 2.5 hours long, including the time looking around and taking a break. The starting point, which is the Remain of Kira’s house is now Honjyo Matsuzaka-cho Park, a small park surrounded by white wall. Here, there is a memorial monument of the generals of Kira clan, and also a well where it is said to be where the decapitated head of Kozukenosuke Kira had been washed.

On 15 December 1702 at dawn, Ako Gishi made a triumphal return from Kira’s house in Honjyo Matsuzakacho (current Ryogoku san-chome). A 11 km walk to Sengakuji Temple. In the snowing weather, the loyal retainers walked through the road in less than three hours with heavy armors. I can just imagine what a hardy hiker those warriors were. Giving a thought to those mighty Ako Gishi, it is entertaining to walk along the remainder of Edo on a holiday.

There are various scenic spots along the course including the monument of the loyal retainers, Basho Museum, and Mannen Bridge where Ukiyoe Painters, Hokusai Katsushika and Hiroshige Ando took a glance at Mr. Fuji. It is course where you can sense the air of downtown Edo in the olden days. Eitai Bridge is where the loyal retainers walked south to cross Sumidagawa River while avoiding the Ryogoku Bridge. In front of the bridge stands “The Stop-off Monument of Ako Gishi.” If it is the first time for you to walk around this area, I suggest you to walk along with a guide map in your hands. A slow walk is full of unexpected surprises; you can find attractive soba shops and restaurants in the downtown area where you usually would pass by in cars or subways. It is about an hour walk from Ryogoku Bridge to Tsukuda Bridge, the mouth of Sumidagawa River.

Seagulls flying over Eitai bridge, high-rise condominium by the riverside… The highlight of Chushingura walk in the mild winter sunlight is the tour around Sumidagawa River. There is a promenade in “Sumidagawa Terrace” by the river bank, a walking route for many people during the weekdays and for holidays. Walking as you glance the boats going up and down the river, the daytime walk is also enjoyable, but the atmosphere in nighttime is also great with the illuminated bridges. This area is also suitable for jogging as you will not be disturbed by cars and traffic lights.

As you cross Eitai Bridge and walk towards Hacchobori, a stone monument of Yasubei Horibe, a popular icon of Ako Gishi, can be found at Kamejima Bridge. You are likely to miss this out without a guidebook, but this is also an important check-point in Chushingura Walking. The goal of the waling route, which is the remains of Asano Family’s Residence is almost there. Let’s try and walk a little bit more.

Source: Travel Vision

Travel Vision Inc. provides information on the travel industry in Japan via "Daily Travel Vision", a Japanese-language e-mail newsletter, and the "Travel Vision" website. There are nearly 110,000 people working in the Japanese travel industry, and Travel Vision is proud to be bringing travel news to more than 30,000 people through Daily Travel Vision.