Jan 22, 2013

隅田川で水上バスに乗りました Water Bus Ride on the Sumida River

広重の時代、隅田川にかかっていた橋は、南から順に永代橋、大橋、両国橋、吾妻橋、そして千住大橋の5つでした。敵に侵略されないよう、できるだけ橋はかけないことにしていたんだそうです。

In Edo era, in Hiroshige's time, there were only five bridges that crossed the Sumida River.  They were (from south to north)  Eitai Bridge, Ohashi Bridge, Ryogoku Bridge, Azuma Bridge, and Senju Ohashi Bridge.   Tokugawa shogunate didn't want to build many bridges because they were afraid of the invasion.

今ではたくさんの橋が架かっていますね。それぞれ形も色も違います。水上バスから橋を見物したいなとずっと思っていましたが、先月ようやくその機会に恵まれました。
浜離宮から浅草まで12の橋の下をくぐってきました。\(^o^)/

Today, there are a lot of bridges over the Sumida River.
Each has different forms and colors.  
It's fun to see them from a water bus on the river.  Last month, I took Sumida River Line from Hamarikyu to Asakusa, and passed under 12 of these bridges.

順番にご案内しましょう。

  Let me show you those bridges. (^^)

レインボーブリッジ (798メートル、1993年竣工)

浜離宮からだったのでこの橋は遠くから見るだけ。以前お台場から乗った時は、まずこの橋をくぐりました。

Rainbow Bridge (798 meters, completed in 1993)

I didn't pass under this bridge,  just saw it from afar.  But if you start from Odaiba, this is the first bridge.

1)勝鬨橋(かちどきばし) (246メートル、1940年竣工)

以前は真ん中から開く跳開橋でした。一日5回、各20分橋が上がっていたそうですが、1970年を最後に閉じたままだそうです。この橋は79景をやった時に渡りました。

1) Kachidoki-bashi Bridge (246 meters, completed in 1940)

It is a bascule bridge.  It used to open five times a day, each for twenty minutes.  But it hasn't opened since 1970.
I crossed this bridge when I did the post, View 79

2)佃大橋(つくだおおはし) (476.3メートル、1964年竣工)

東京オリンピックに合わせて架けられた橋です。それまでは江戸時代から320年以上の間、「佃の渡し」という渡し船で渡っていたそうです。

2)Tsukuda Ohashi Bridge (476.3 meters, completed in 1964)

It was built right before the Tokyo Olympics.  But up until then, from the time of Edo, for more than 320 years, people used Tsukuda Ferry to cross the river.

3)中央大橋 (210.7メートル、1993年竣工)

1989年に隅田川とパリのセーヌ川は「友好河川」となったそうで、それを記念して、この橋はフランス企業がデザインしたんだそうです。当時パリ市長だったシラクから送られた銅像が橋脚のところに立っているんだそうです。が、見逃しました。

3) Chuo Ohashi Bridge (210.7 meters, completed in 1993)

In 1989, the Sumida River and the Seine in Paris became "friendship rivers," and for that reason this bridge was designed by a French company.  A sculpture, a gift from Chirac, the city mayor of Paris at that time, stands at the bridge pier. (But I missed it.)   

この辺りで見ると、佃島が本当に川の真ん中の島なのがよくわかります。

You can see that Tsukudajima (center)  is an island in the middle of the Sumida River. 


4)永代橋 (184.3メートル、1926年竣工)

永代橋は江戸時代からあった橋のひとつ。最初に架けられたのは1698年です。広重の4景に描かれています。

4) EitaiBashi Bridge (184.7 meters, completed in 1926)

EitaiBashi Bridge is from the old Edo (first built in 1698). 
It's in Hiroshige's View 4.

5)隅田川大橋 (385.3メートル、1979年竣工)

二層式の橋で上を走っているのは首都高速9号深川線です。

5) Sumidagawa Ohashi Bridge (385.3 meters, completed in 1979)

It is a two layered structure.  Above runs the highway 9.  

6)清洲橋 (186.3メートル、1928年竣工)

優美なデザインは昔、ドイツのケルンにあった橋から取り入れられたのだとか。

6) KiyosuBashi Bridge (186.3 meters, completed in 1928)

It's an elegant bridge.  It is said the design was based on a bridge in Koln, Germany, which doesn't exist any more. 


7)新大橋 (170メートル、1977年竣工)

江戸時代からあった橋の一つ。最初に架けられたのは1694年。
53景で描かれた有名な橋ですね。

7) Shin-ohashi Bridge (170 meters, completed in 1977)

One of the bridges from the Edo period (first built in 1694).
It's the bridge depicted in the famous View 53.  

8)両国橋 (164.5メートル、1932年竣工)

江戸時代、千住大橋から実に70年後2番目に作られた橋。1661年のことです。一帯は大繁栄し、その様子は69景99景に描かれています。

8) RyogokuBashi Bridge (164.5 meters, completed in 1932)

Tokugawa really didn't want to build a bridge.  It was the second oldest bridge, built in 1661, 70 years after the first bridge, Senju Ohasi Bridge.
The area prospered very much. It's in View  69, 99.

JR総武線。これは橋には入れませんでした。


I didn't count it for a bridge.  This is JR Sobu Line crossing the river.

9)蔵前橋 (173.2メートル、1927年竣工)

蔵前という名前はこの西岸に将軍家のお米蔵があったからだそうです。そのため、橋もお米のもみの色、黄金色です。

9) KuramaeBashi Bridge (173.2 meters, completed in 1927)

Kuramae means "in front of storehouses."  Tokugawa used to have their rice storehouses on the west riverbank here.  So, the bridge is colored yellow, the color of rice husks.  



10)厩橋(うまやばし) (151.4メートル、1929年竣工)

お米蔵のすぐ北にお米の運搬などに使う馬を飼う厩(うまや)がありました。1874年に最初の橋がかかるまで、ここには厩の渡しという渡し船があったそうです。106景に出てきます。

10) UmayaBashi Bridge (151.4 meters, completed in 1929)

The name Umaya is also from the Edo period. It means horse stables. Just north of the storehouses, they kept the horses for carrying rice.  Before they built the first bridge in 1874, people used Umaya Ferry.
 It's in Hiroshige's View 106.

11)駒形橋 (149.6メートル、1927年竣工)

浅草浅草寺の御堂の一つ駒形堂はこの橋の西側にあります。
駒形堂は56景で描かれています。

11) KomagataBashi Bridge (149.6 meters, completed in 1927)

The name Komagata comes from Komagata-do, one of the buildings of Asakusa Senso-ji temple.   It stands on the west of this bridge.  Komagata-do is in View 56. 



12)吾妻橋 (150メートル、1931年竣工)

江戸時代最後に架けられた橋です。(1774年)
39景に小さく描かれいます。

12) AzumaBashi Bridge (150 meters, completed in 1931)

First built in 1774, AzumaBashi Bridge was the fifth bridge in the Edo period.  It's in View 39.  


さて、吾妻橋をくぐったら終点です。浜離宮から45分、720円でした。

And that was the end of our boat ride.
It was about 45 minutes ride from Hama Rikyu and costed 720 yen.


吾妻橋は浅草寺から近く、しかもスカイツリーの眺めがよいので、最近はいつも人がいっぱい記念撮影をしたりしています。

AzumaBashi Bridge is very close to Asakusa Senso-ji, and these days there are many people on the bridge, as it has a good view of Tokyo Sky Tree. 

とても楽しい船旅でした。船から見る東京はとっても近代的ですが、ちょっと気をつけてみると、結構江戸の名残が感じられるものですね。

I enjoyed the ride very much.  I learned that, though it looks very different, you can still find many things connected to the time of Edo.
And if you are taking a water bus, it will be more fun when you know a little bit about Edo history. (^^)


にほんブログ村 英語ブログ 国際交流へ

24 comments:

Minoru Saito said...

こんばんは。私もこの船は何度も乗りましたが、橋を近くから見てどうも絵にならないと思ってました。
 遠景から撮ることは思いもよりませんでした。
 素晴らしい発想です。
 思えば関東大震災が1923年です。その直後から、予算の乏しい時期に、橋のデザインを一つ一つ変えて作っていった東京市の担当の方々には心から敬意を表したいと思ってます。
 いつもこれらの橋を見ながらやろうと思えば出来るんだという事を強く感じます。

Merry Witch said...

Minoruさま
こんばんは。
橋の写真うまく撮れなくて。(^_^;)
でも優しいお言葉ありがとうございます。

多くの橋が関東大震災後の復興事業として建設されているのに驚きました。本当にがんばったんですねぇ。

Dru said...

What a fun trip up the river. Living near it means I have seen most of the bridges. I have crossed many of them too. I walked over Kachidoki, Ryogoku, Kuramae, Azumabashi, and probably others too. I know I crossed at least one more, but forgot which one. Probably Kiyosubashi.

I think I have seen many dramas filming on Chuo Ohashi and many of the other bridges on the Sumida. Really popular.

I will have to take that boat cruise someday. I keep saying I will but I worry I won't. Before I leave Tokyo, I will.

Merry Witch said...

Dru,
You have crossed many of them? That's right. You are living in that area. Maybe you should conquer all of them by bike someday? It should be fun, too! (^^)

Dru said...

I ran up and down the Sumida before. It is nice but not great. A bit smelly and too many homeless. I think I only have a few more to conquer. I don't need a bike. I'm sure I'll be out late in Ginza, Marunouchi, or Yaesu someday and have to cross over again. Just need to decide which bridge to cross. ^^

Merry Witch said...

Dru,
Oh, I see. You cross over the bridge, late at night, feeling tipsy.(^_-) 

I've walked over Kachidoki, Tsukuda, Shinohasi, Ryogoku, Azuma so far (during the daytime). I liked it. Nice breeze.

I haven't seen many homeless. Is that because I was there at daytime, I wonder.

And about the smell. It certainly was not a nature walk. (^_^;)  But not so bad when I was there. Or is it my nose??


cosmos said...

娘が東京に住んでいるので、昨年暮れには東京にいました。スカイツリータウンにも行きました。展望台にはチケットがなくて登れませんでしたが。どこのビルから眺めたのかは忘れてしまいましたが^^;東京タワーも見えましたし、隅田川(多分)も見えました。こんなに橋があるんですね。また東京に行くこともあると思うので、今度は隅田川クルージングをしてみたいです。最後の写真はよく目にします。あの特徴のある屋上のオブジェは何でしょう?

Merry Witch said...

cosmosさま
スカイツリーの当日券は長蛇の列ですよね。年末に初めて上がりましたが、その時はインターネット予約で雨が降ろうが、槍が降ろうが上がる!という覚悟でした。

実は明日あのあたりに江戸巡りに行く予定ですが、もし、可能ならもう一度スカイツリーに上がりたいと思っています。無理かな?

あの特徴的なビルはアサヒビールのビルです。左側の高いビルは泡があふれそうなビールジョッキに見えませんか?(^^) 右側のアサヒビールホールの上にあるのは「炎のオブジェ」だそうですが、変な名前で呼ぶ人もいます。^m^

Merry Witch said...

cosmosさま
(>_<) 
アサヒビールホールじゃなくて、スーパードライホールだそうです。訂正します。

Tall Gary said...

This is great. Like Dru I have long thought about taking a Sumida River water-bus cruise. Your post here is the closest I have been so far.

When I was in Tokyo 8 months ago I noticed that Senju Ohashi Bridge predates WWII (the horizontal kanji read right to left as seen here).

There are several woodblock prints of Kawase Hasui that show bridges pretty close to midway between Hiroshige’s time and the present day. For example: Kiyosu Bridge; Eitai Bridge; and Shin Ohashi. The Shin Ohashi print makes me feel the most intensely aching nostalgia for a place and time it is impossible for me to have ever experienced.

Merry Witch said...

Tall Gary,
I'll see Senju Ohashi when I do View 104 "Senju Ohashi Bridge". Really, Hiroshige did a lot of work along the Sumida River.

Those prints by Kawase Hasui are so beautiful!! I liked them a lot.(^^)

That beautiful Shin Ohashi Bridge ( a part of it) can be seen now in Meiji mura you mentioned before.

Tall Gary said...

Thank you for sharing the information about Shin Ohashi remnants being at Meiji Mura. So! It isn’t impossible to visit that site in Kawase Hasui’s print, even now. There is a photo here and a historical view that can be clicked below it.

I knew nothing about Kawase until I picked up almost at random some postcards of his images at the Edo Museum in Ryogoku. They really caught my fancy. Now he is a favorite.

I checked out Senju Ohashi at Google maps. It might be a bit tricky getting both the bridge and the river in a single view. If you knew someone who lived in the Lion’s Mansion Senjuohashi you would have it made. The road to the right (east) gets close to the river wall but it, too, looks iffy for being able to peer over it with a camera. Further down there is a park that overlooks the river but by then you would have the railroad bridges intervening. If all else failed you could possibly try a shot while riding the Joban Line (the closest to Ohashi, better than Tsukuba Express or Hibiya lines).

By the way, there is a tiny Edo-period, and earlier (1316) shrine 日枝神社 not so far down the same little street. If you are into climbing a little, just beyond the shrine it looks possible to approach the river wall. Holding your camera over your head, if need be, and taking a number of guessing shots, being sure to be careful, could do it.

For some mysterious reason I think I better go brush my teeth now.

Rurousha said...

I've been threatening for ever to walk the entire length of the Sumida and to see all the bridges, from the harbour to the Sumida's confluence with the Arakawa. I think it's about 25 km if you follow the river, so theoretically it can be done in one day.

Hmm. Maybe two separate days would be better? ;)

Rurousha said...

I've walked across all these bridges except Rainbow Bridge, but I've driven across the latter several times. Does that count, too? :)

Merry Witch said...

Tall Gary,
It's so funny that you, living in California, can plan my walk with Google Map.(^o^) It's great!! Thank you!
Today, I went walking to the Sky Tree area, and I've taken Tobu Line, which I think is the same as Hibiya Line. (I'm not sure, it's too complicated for me.) But we passed through the Kita Senju station. So, it's that area. I believe I saw Senju Ohashi. I'll see what I can when I do Senju Ohashi Bridge. But your suggestion will surely help me. Too bad I don't know anyone who lives in that Lion's Mansion.(>_<)

I'll visit that Hie Shrine, too. I just had my dental check-up this Wednesday. So, I don't have to worry!(^_^)v

Merry Witch said...

Rurousha,
You have conquered all those bridges already?? \(◎o◎)/! In six or seven years? Wow, you are a super walker!!
(But I want you to WALK across the Rainbow Bridge, too, please!!^^)

And walking entire length of Sumida, visiting all the bridges one by one, farther north to Kototoibashi, Sakurabashi, Shirahigabashi, and so on? It'll be fun but hard. Do you think you can do it in two days? (・・?

Tall Gary said...

Yes, it is truly amazing what we can do with Google.

My apologies for being persistent. I thought maybe if I could find a good vantage point you could save some unnecessary search time on foot. It looks like the best view (apart from the Lion’s Mansion) closest to Hiroshige’s depiction of Senju Ohashi would be out the window of a Joban train crossing the Sumida River between Minami Senju and Kita Senju.

I was surprised when I read Henry Smith’s explanation of #103 (in his book). The original Ohashi lasted for nearly three centuries until 1885. There is a small photograph here.

Merry Witch said...

Tall Gary,
I always appreciate any suggestion, especially from a person who is very knowledgeable and also can read Google Maps well. (^^)

Senju Ohashi bridge WAS very sturdy, wasn't it?

Rurousha said...

Two days? Oh, easy. The challenge is to do it in one day. :)

OK, I'll go for a rainbow walk in summer. Anything to oblige m'lady. ^^

Merry Witch said...

Rurousha,
Good luck! I'm waiting for your report on that challenge. (^o^)

Dru said...

I forgot to mention, I have walked over Rainbow Bridge. Wrote about it 2 years ago: http://wp.me/p2liAm-Gc

Interesting fact, you aren't allowed to cycle across the bridge, but you can walk your bike across. They lock your rear wheel to a board with rollers and you walk it across.

Merry Witch said...

Dru,
I liked your post about Rainbow Bridge.
Now, I want to cross over the bridge myself! Thank you for telling me about your post.

They lock the rear wheel of your bike to a board with rollers? (@_@) I understand they want to prevent people-bicycle accidents, but do they have to do it like that? I'm surprised.

Dru said...

Yup, a lock. The sidewalk is pretty dangerous as cars are zipping by at 100kph. It was scary to go over it and if a bicycle is pushed over by the wind, you are in trouble.

Merry Witch said...

Dru,
Oh, that dangerous? Sounds fun and exciting!(^_-)-☆