Ryogoku Bridge

Sumida river is the most famous river in Tokyo. At the mouth of the river, there is a pier with the Ryogoku of water-bus stop from where you can enjoy cruises. The Ryogoku Bridge is built over the Sumida River between the Shin-Ohashi Bridge and the Kuramae Bridge. You can see the bridge in many Ukiyoe pictures of the artist Hiroshige Utagawa from the end of the Edo period such as ”Ryogoku Bridge and the Great Riverbank (No. 59)” of his compilation work ”One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”. The bridge was built after the ”Great Fire of Meireki” of 1657. At that time, there was only one bridge over the Sumida River and many people died by the fire because of this. Learning from the event, the Bridge was made. The original bridge was located at slightly slightly more downstream than the present one. At both sides of the Bridge, fire evacuation spaces were established and the area near the Bridge became the busiest amusement quarter in Edo where firework displays were organized in summer which appealed to the masses. The sacred place of Sumo wrestling, the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Arena is a 5-minute walk from the Bridge. There are also many other sightseeing spots like Eko-in Temple and Edo-Tokyo Museum in the Ryogoku area where the Bridge is located. It is a 6-minute walk from ”Ryogoku” Station of the JR Sobu Line.