A Perfect Day in Tokyo 4/2021

Visiting the Ten Famous Views of Itabashi
Akatsuka Tameike Park and the surrounding area(Itabashi-ku)

Itabashi Art Museum
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Itabashi-ku has selected ten famous views of Itabashi (Itabashi Jukkei) from among its natural landscapes, scenic and historical sites, and events. Three of them are introduced here.

After walking for about 15 minutes from the north exit of Tobu Tojo Line’s Narimasu Station, you will find Akatsuka Hikawa Shrine at the end of an approach lined with old Japanese zelkova trees. Walk through the shrine’s grounds, feeling its dignified and solemn atmosphere. You will soon arrive at the first of Itabashi’s ten viewing spots, Akatsuka Tameike Park. While the park has trail signs, you can also pick up a town walking map at the community center located in front of Narimasu Station.

Adjacent to the park, which is a famous spot for viewing plum blossoms, are a history museum and an art museum, which blend in with the rich natural environment of the park, making this also a perfect place for visitors to enjoy history and culture and art. The Itabashi Art Museum, established as the first municipal museum in the 23 special-ward area, just reopened in June 2019 after undergoing a major renovation. Indulge yourself in a serene space enveloped in gentle light.

Leave the museum and walk down Tokyodaibutsu-dori for about 200 meters to the south. Soon, an impressive giant Buddha appears. This is the Jorenji Temple’s Tokyo Daibutsu (the Great Buddha of Tokyo), another famous view of Itabashi. In addition to the large 13-meter-high Buddha, unique stone statues including Gaman-no-oni (the demon of endurance) are must-see sights of the temple. If you go farther down the road, you will reach the Shogetsuin Temple, a third famous view of Itabashi. In the neatly maintained precinct, find a monument that honors Takashima Shuhan, an artillery expert who established a base here at the end of the Edo period and conducted the first Western-style cannon firing training in Japan.

The ten famous views of Itabashi, which provide fresh, joyful encounters, have become invaluable assets for the local community of Itabashi and loved by many.

The monument
modeled after a cannon and cannonballs commemorates
Takashima Shuhan

[Itabashi Art Museum]
Phone: 03-3979-3251 (Japanese only)
Open from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. (admission until 4:30 p.m.). Closed on Mondays (the following day if Monday falls on a national holiday).
An exhibition on avant-garde artists in Tokyo and Kyoto during the war is being held until May 23rd. General admission fee: 650 yen.
Website (external link)

[Inquiries about Itabashi Jukkei]
Lifestyle and Tourism Section, Itabashi City Office Phone: 03-3579-2251

*This article is also available in other languages. (日本語)

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*The April edition was produced on the basis of information accurate as of March 18.