Page 144 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Japan

EXPERIENCE Beyond the Center

9 "
model of Tokyo’s first sky-
Rikugi-en Garden 10 Shitamachi. Beside a scale
Ryogoku District
scraper is rubble from the
六義園 両国地区 1923 earthquake. Models of
the boats that once plied
 Komagome Stn, Namboku  Ryogoku Stn, Toei-Oedo the Sumida River give an
line £ Komagome Stn, line £ Ryogoku Stn, JR
Yamanote line § (03) 3941- Sobu line idea of just how important
2222 # 9am–5pm daily the river was to Edo life. In the
A great entertainment and media section is a step-by-
Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, grand commerce center in Edo’s step example of how ukiyo-e
chamberlain of the fifth Shitamachi, Ryogoku is now a woodblock prints (p130)
shogun, built this, one of the quiet place, but it still has its were produced.
finest Edo-era stroll gardens, most famous residents: sumo The Sword Museum is full
from 1695. The fine design wrestlers. Many beya (sumo of fine Japanese swords, some
recreates 88 landscapes in stables) are here, and it is not dating back to the 12th century.
miniature from famous waka unusual to see huge young There is also a display of deco-
(31-syllable poems), so the view men walking the streets in rated hilts and old Japanese
changes every few steps. Sit on yukata (light cotton kimonos) texts, illustrated with beautiful
one of the many seats and and geta (wooden sandals). drawings, explaining the finer
enjoy the views while listening The Ryogoku Sumo Hall points of sword-making.
to songbirds overhead. has been here since 1945; the
current building dates from Sumo Museum
1985. Inside the stadium, the ⌂ 1-3-28 Yokoami, Sumida-
LIFE IN A SUMO Sumo Museum is lined with ku # 10am–4:30pm Mon–Fri
STABLE portraits of all the yokozuna ¢ Public hols ∑ sumo.or.jp
At the age of about 15, (grand champions).
boys are accepted into Beside the stadium is the Edo-Tokyo Museum
a beya. Sumo society is Edo-Tokyo Museum, one of " ⌂ 1-4-1 Yokoami, Sumida-
supremely hierarchical, Tokyo’s most imaginative ku # 9:30am–5:30pm Tue–
with new comers serv- museums. Two zones trace life Sun (to 7:30pm Sat) ∑ edo-
ing senior wrestlers in Edo and then Tokyo, as Edo tokyo-museum.or.jp
as well as cleaning and was renamed in 1868. The
cooking for the entire exhibits have explanations in Sword Museum
beya. Junior practices Japanese and English. The " ⌂ 1-12-9 Yokoami,
may start at 4am. The route around the museum Sumida-ku # 9:30am–5pm
day’s single meal of starts by crossing a traditional Tue–Sun ¢ New Year hols
chanko-nabe, a large arched wooden bridge, a ∑ touken.or.jp/english
stew, comes about replica of Nihon bashi. There
noon, with juniors are life-sized recon structed
getting what the buildings, plus scale-model
seniors leave. After, dio ramas showing everything The distinctive bulk of
more work follows. from the house of a daimyo the Tokyo Big Sight
(feudal lord) to a section of building, in Odaiba
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