The Corporate Sage: Asakusa Tour: Mukojima

Last September 30, professor Ted led a tour to Mukojima, the other side of Asakusa. We were just few, with only 2 students and the rest were colleagues of the professor, but that made the tour easier to keep up. We met at Kaminarimon gate, then proceeded to cross the sumida river and to the old neighborhoods that predates itself to the Edo period.

Before we crossed the river, the professor pointed us a bar that was named Kamiya Bar. It was built in 1921. Though very old, it survived the great Kanto Earthquake and the war and air raids, so it was historic in a sense. Then, the professor pointed to the Matsuya Department store. I learned that the store was opened around the 1930s, so it was one of the oldest stores in japan. Now it houses the station to Tokyo Skytree. We then proceeded to crossing the bridge. While crossing, we got a nice view of the Asahi Company Building. It was interesting because there was a monument that looks like a sake cup with a flame on the top. And the taller building looked like a beer mug with foam on top. The architecture was really impressive. As we crossed the bridge, we stopped at the statue of Katsu Kaishu. The professor described him as one of the most important persons in history. It was because he was one of the people who peacefully transcended the nation from the Tokugawa Shogunate to the Meiji Resotration. He was also a great writer and the founder of the Japanese Navy. We then passed by Sumida park, which was supposed to be one of the best places during spring, when the cherry blossoms would bloom. Then we went to Ushijima Shrine, where its famous for the cow statue with the red cloth. The professor explained that the cow was sacred that people there touch the parts of the cow where they have ailments in it, hoping to get cured. There was also a sundial beside the statue.

We then explored the places in Kenban Dori. Kenban dori has a lot of interesting places in it. First, it was the place of the geisha headquarters. When I heard about the geisha, I was really interested and excited about it, since one of my aims in coming to Japan is to experience its tradition and culture, and what better way to experience it than to see a geisha? But then I was a bit disappointed since there were no geishas around because it was a sunday. But then I promised to myself that I would maybe save enough money and have dinner with one. Or I could just go to Kyoto and see one. Moving on, Kenban Dori was also the place where Sata Ineko, a very important person who contributed to women's empowerment and proletarian literature in Japan, stayed. It was also the place where Memuguri Jinja is located. According to Waley's “Tokyo Now and Then,” it was the shrine of 2 out of the 7 deities of good luck. Also, legend has it that during an intense drought where people were desperately praying for rain, Takarai Kikaku, a famous poet, passed by and helped by composing a poem about the situation. On the next day, rain poured down. Thus, his poem can be seen in a large stone beside the shrine with the poem inscribed in it. We then took a break and ate at Kototoi Dango, a dango shop that was around 1890s and very famous for the very delicious dangos. Its symbol was a bird. After the snacks, we passed by Sumida Baseball field, famous for where Oh Sadaharu practiced.

After that, we met with Mr. Fuji, a known tour guide and expert in Mukojima district. I was lucky that my fellow 'tourists' knew how to speak Japanese, so I didn't have a hard time in understanding Mr. Fuji's sayings. We toured around the residences around Mukojima. After seeing them especially Bokutei street, I was really surprised by the look of the neighborhood, and this was the most interesting part of the tour for me. Narrow alleys, wooden and crammed houses, it was back to the pre war period. It was great to see these kinds of places because the professor said that every year a bit of the old houses are destroyed and renovated to a more concrete house. So I guess I felt lucky to have seen it. The neighborhood was the same as an ordinary neighborhood in my country, only that that is the kind of neighborhood in my country today. So it just goes to show how Japan has quickly progressed and developed through the years. We passed by brothel buildings still standing, and buildings with the “Off Limits” sign. There were signs like those to prevent the americans from going to the brothel. There were also shops and apartments or bedspaces that had architectural styles from the pre war period. The whole place was like traveling in time to the old days of Tokyo. It was splendid.

After we bade our farewell and expressed our gratitude to Mr. Fuji, we then went to the Mukojima park. It was very beautiful, with all the different kinds of flowers and plants. It was supposed to be a garden for scholars before, even now maybe.

Though the whole tour was really tiring, it was definitely worth it. It was great looking back at the history of Tokyo from another perspective.

More Pictures! Enjoy! :))