Stroll Through Tsukiji, Kachidoki And Tsukishima Along The Sumida River!

There are many ways of getting about in Tokyo, so you can easily travel to whatever destination you would like without having to walk. However, in times when your chosen place is nearby, wouldn’t it be refreshing to take a little walk instead? There is a chance you’ll get to explore the surroundings you wouldn’t be able to if it were from a train or a bus window!

In this article, we will be introducing a pleasant walking route to get you from Tsukiji to Tsukishima, via Kachidoki Station. It will take around forty minutes should you choose a stroll without any stopovers, but even if you do enjoy sneaking into the local shops while on the road, it shouldn’t take up more than two to three hours!

Start Your Walk from Tsukijishijo Station!

The starting point of this walking route is Tsukijishijo Station of Toei Oedo Subway Line. When you get to the station, just head toward the exit for the Tsukijishijo (Tsukiji Fish Market), marked with the sign A1.

Let’s Wander About the Tsukiji Fish Market First!

After you leave the A1 exit, take a right turn and just head straight, and the path will lead you to the Tsukiji Jogai, the outer area of the Tsukiji Market. You can also take a break for a delicious seafood lunch, as the restaurants in the Tsukiji area serve seafood meals such as sushi and kaisendon (a sashimi rice bowl) made with freshly caught fish.

Treating yourself to a tasty yakigaki (oysters cooked in the shell), tamagoyaki (a Japanese omelette), and other famous delicacies from Tsukiji Market while strolling the area sure is a delightful way to spend your time.

Images of the Tsukiji Market

Please note that some shops close in the evening, so the best time for visiting the market might be between 9:00 in the morning and 14:00 in the afternoon.

The Tsukiji Jogai Market
Address: Tokyo, Chuo, Tsukiji 5-2-1
Closed: Sunday, national holidays

Witness the Breathtaking View from the Kachidoki Bridge

After you leave the Tsukiji Market’s arcade, you’ll bump straight into the Harumi-dori (Harumi passage). Just follow the path through the Harumi-dori, take a turn to the right, and there it’ll be – this strangely shaped, retro looking bridge over the Sumida River. It is the Kachidoki Bridge, one of Japan’s Important Cultural Properties, or as it is known in Japanese, juyo bunkazai.

The Kachidoki Bridge is a drawbridge constructed and built in 1940, and represents the pinnacle of the technology of that time, having had Japan’s best architects working on it together. However, even though the bridge was known to be the first drawbridge structure in the East when it was finished, the year 1970 marked its final task, owing to the declining number of ships over the Sumida River, as well as the increase in other transportation means. It remains closed to this day.

For the ones who wish to visualize the drawbridge letting ships pass through it, there are motifs engraved in its protective fence. Be sure to check them out while taking your time crossing the bridge.

The best way to appreciate the walk is to start from the right side of the bridge. That way you can relish the scenery of the tourist ships coming and going over the Sumida River, enjoy the view of Tsukiji Market, and even catch a glimpse of Tokyo Tower in the distance.

The Kachidoki Bridge
Address: Tokyo, Chuo, Tsukiji 6

Tour Through the Kachidoki Area, the Place of the Olympic Village

Once you cross the bridge, the Kachidoki Area will welcome you with its row of skyscrapers. This is the place where the Olympic Village for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo is designed to be, currently in the heyday of its constructing.

If you, however, turn back to the Kachidoki Bridge direction after crossing the road at the first intersection, just walk a little further alongside the Sumida River and you’ll be able to admire Tokyo Skytree through the gap in the nearby buildings.

Also, should you begin to crave some refreshments, you can buy drinks at one of many convenience stores and supermarkets at Kachidoki Area, and take a break while appreciating the scenery of the Sumida River.

Delight in Tasty Monjayaki in Tsukishima

For the next part of our journey, go back to the previously mentioned intersection, and this time, take a turn to the left. Just follow the road and climb the bridge over the small river that comes ahead – you’ll spot the yakatabune (privately owned home style boats), and suimon, sluices for controlling the flow of water.

As you keep going further on, you will eventually reach Tsukishima Monja Street. Monjayaki is a well-known delicacy of Tsukishima, a pancake-shaped dish of a slightly runnier texture, made from flour and water with the addition of Worcester sauce, chopped cabbage and various other ingredients. There are a lot of restaurants in this shopping district where you can treat yourself to a nice monjayaki.

Images of monjayaki

Although monjayaki nowadays is considered to be perfectly able to satisfy both your stomach and taste buds, in the past it was thought to be more of a snack, or as it is said in Japanese, oyatsu. As it is quite possible that you’ll start getting hungry as time passes, it might be just appropriate to find yourself a nice snack replacement – take a break and get yourself some monjayaki. Of course, it sure would make for a perfect lunch or dinner as well.

Tsukishima Monja Street
Address: Tokyo, Chuo, Tsukishima

Wrap Up Your Stroll at Tsukishima Station

As soon as you leave Monja Street, the goal of this journey, Tsukishima Station, will appear in front of you. You can take Tokyo Metro Subway Yurakucho Line and Toei Oedo Subway Line from Tsukishima Station, and go straight to Shinjuku, Ikebukuro or Ginza, without having to change stations.

Discover Downtown Tokyo on Foot

Tsukijishijo Station, Kachidoki Station and Tsukishima Station are neighboring stations of Toei Oedo Subway Line. Sure it won’t take you more than a few minutes if you travel by train, but if you decide to explore the area on foot instead, you might experience even more beautiful views of Sumida River, or get a sneak peek at the everyday life of the people living there.

So, how about wearing your most comfortable shoes on a sunny day, and setting sail to explore downtown Tokyo? The scenery you encounter while traveling on foot is bound to linger in your memory for the longest time.