Tokyo Curiologue

When people think of famous sightseeing districts in Tokyo, Asakusa is usually one of the first places that comes to mind. Visitors from around the world flock there to see the giant red lantern of Kaminarimon and the historic temple, Senso-ji. Amid all this, there is a small but familiar “Tokyo moment” that people sometimes talk about. “I meant to go to Asakusa, but I accidentally ended up in Asakusabashi.” Because the station names sound similar, visitors occasionally get off at the wrong stop. When they step out of the station, instead of a bustling tourist area they find themselves in a calm business district. Looking around, they start wondering: “Where is Kaminarimon?” There is no need to be disappointed. Asakusa is only a few minutes away by train. And there is something else. Asakusabashi itself is actually a surprisingly interesting neighborhood. It may not have many flashy tourist attractions. But the area is filled with the atmosphere of Tokyo’s old downtown, a history t...

Why Do  Travel YouTubers Start at Nihonbashi? “Cycling from Tokyo to Osaka.” “Walking across Japan alone.” “Visiting every prefecture one by one.” YouTube is full of these grand travel projects. And not just in Japan. Nearly every country seems to have its own version of the “epic journey” video — someone crossing the nation from end to end while documenting the long road along the way. In Japan, when these journeys begin in Tokyo, there is one place that appears again and again — almost as often as Tokyo Station itself. An unassuming bridge called Nihonbashi. At first glance, it hardly looks like the starting point of great adventures. But for more than 400 years, that is exactly what it has been. The Bridge That Became Japan’s Starting Line Morning Scene at Nihonbashi, from the series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido , by Utagawa Hiroshige, c. 1833 The name Nihonbashi literally means “Japan Bridge,” and in many ways, it lives up to that grand title. Since the early E...