Tokyo is a city built on water
Edo Castle
The former Edo Castle and the current Imperial Palace are located on the eastern end of the Musashino Plateau. This location has symbolized the center of Japan since the Edo period (1600–1868) ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate.
However, numerous deep valleys were carved into the ends of this plateau before Tokugawa Ieyasu appeared. Edo Castle was constructed to reap the advantages of this original terrain. The valley was skillfully utilized to build the inner and outer moats and to protect the castle.
Tokyo is a city built on water
Edo Castle
The former Edo Castle and the current Imperial Palace are located on the eastern end of the Musashino Plateau. This location has symbolized the center of Japan since the Edo period (1600–1868) ruled by the Tokugawa shogunate.
However, numerous deep valleys were carved into the ends of this plateau before Tokugawa Ieyasu appeared. Edo Castle was constructed to reap the advantages of this original terrain. The valley was skillfully utilized to build the inner and outer moats and to protect the castle.
The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and WWII
The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 instigated catastrophic devastation from fires in Tokyo and killed 70,000 people. A large-scale reconstruction project commenced after the earthquake, transforming Tokyo’s streetscape. Subsequently, the air Raids conducted during WWII transfigured most of Tokyo into burnt ruins.
The rivers and canals were filled with debris from the disposal after these disasters. The city planners embraced a more Western construction style for the subsequent extensive rebuilding. The waterways have ceased to discharge a significant function as Tokyo has modernized. Canal transportation and water routes have declined in tandem with the advancement of rail networks.
The 1964 Tokyo Olympic Games saw Tokyo decisively veer away from water transport as the event approached, and highways obscured many of the city’s waterways. To accelerate construction, many highways were erected above rivers and canals. The Nihonbashi River and bridge were notable victims: the highways running over the Nihonbashi bridge destroyed the landscape. The economy of the waterways was even more devastatingly affected.
Moving the highway above the Nihonbashi Bridge underground
The Nihombashi Bridge symbolizes Edo culture and represents the source of the five main roads constructed during the Edo period. It has now been designated an important cultural asset. There are plans to demolish the highway running over the bridge. Instead, it will become a road tunnel under the river. Mitsui Fudosan Co. state that construction on the Nihonbashi project is scheduled to begin around 2025 and should be completed between the end of the 2030s and the 2040s. The project’s developers seek to recreate the water city of the Edo period.
Traveling beneath the concrete and neon on the quieter canals and tributaries, one can still discover evidence of water running like veins under the city’s concrete skin. The waterways denote crucial elements for understanding Tokyo’s identity. Hopefully, revitalizing the city’s waterfront areas will also trigger economic and environmental benefits.
They provide three cruise courses – Kandagawa Cruise (90 min.), Tokyo Bay Cruise (2 courses available) , OEdo Tokyo Cruise (60 min. A, B, C courses) and (45 min. A, B courses). Sun Set Night course is also available. Please refer to Nihonbashi
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