Let's meet Matsuo Basho in Fukagawa!

A bronze statue of Matsuo Basho stands on the bank where the Sumida River and Onagi River intersect. Basho once lived on the bank near Fukagawa's Mannenbashi Bridge. Why not visit the bronze statue of Basho, located in the same place where he once lived?

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Katsushika Hokusai and Utagawa Hiroshige depicted Mannenbashi Bridge in their ukiyo-e prints!

Mannenbashi Bridge was a wooden drum bridge during the Edo period. It seems that Mannenbashi Bridge was located here in 1680. The place where Matsuo Basho lived is just a two-minute walk from here

Katsushika Hokusai once depicted Mount Fuji as seen from Taiko Bridge in his Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji. Utagawa Hiroshige also depicted Mannen Bridge in his One Hundred Famous Views of Edo.
Incidentally, the current Mannen Bridge was built in 1930. Since 2009, it has been lit up, and is now a landmark of Fukagawa.

Today, Mannenbashi Bridge has been used as a filming location for various TV dramas. One of the most famous is Doctor X. In the setting of the drama, the Kanbara Consultation Center run by Kanbara Akira, played by Kishibe Ittoku, who often plays mahjong with the group, was located very close to Mannenbashi Bridge

Therefore, Mannenbashi Bridge has appeared throughout the series, from the first film onwards. In fact, it was on this bridge that both Jonouchi Sensei, played by Uchida Yuki, and Daimon Sensei, played by Yonekura Ryoko, fell ill. Be sure to check it out on DVD or in reruns

The Onagi River began as an artificial river - a canal - built to transport salt produced in Gyotoku, Chiba Prefecture, to Edo Castle after Tokugawa Ieyasu was ordered by Toyotomi Hideyoshi to move his territory to Kanto.
Later, during the Tokugawa shogunate, it became an important transportation route for logistics, transporting not only salt from Gyotoku, but also rice tax from the Tohoku region and vegetables and fish from the area of ​​Chiba to Edo. Matsuo Basho lived on the banks of the Onagi River, which was bustling with ships transporting goods to Edo.

INFORMATION

name	The banks of the Onagi River
location	Tokiwa 1, Koto Ward, Tokyo
GOOGLE MAP

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Let's go to places associated with Matsuo Basho!

Basho Inari Shrine is located close to Mannen Bridge. After a tsunami hit this area in 1917, a stone frog that Basho is said to have once loved was discovered. This discovery led to the founding of Basho Inari Shrine. It is said that the famous haiku "An old pond, a frog jumps in, the sound of water" was written around here

INFORMATION

name	Basho Inari Shrine
location	1-3-12 Tokiwa, Koto-ku, Tokyo
GOOGLE MAP

The founding date of Masaki Inari Shrine is unknown, but it was a famous shrine in Fukagawa during the Edo period. During the Edo period, a very large "Masaki tree" stood near the current shrine, and it seems to have served as a landmark for ships passing through the Sumida River and Onagi River. Matsuo Basho is said to have lived right next to this large "Masaki tree."

INFORMATION

name	Masaki Inari Shrine
location	1-1-2 Tokiwa, Koto-ku, Tokyo
GOOGLE MAP

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It's finally time to meet Basho!

The Basho-an Historical Site Observation Garden is located along the Sumida River promenade. It was built in April 1995 as a branch of the nearby Koto Ward Basho Memorial Museum, commemorating the fact that it was once Basho's residence. The Basho-an Historical Site Observation Garden is located at the top of the stairs in front

At the top of the stairs, in the Bashoan Historical Site Observation Garden, you will find a bronze statue of Matsuo Basho. Matsuo Basho was a haiku poet born in what is now Iga City, Mie Prefecture. He learned from his teacher in Kyoto and embarked on the path of haiku poetry. He published numerous works in Edo in 1674, and became famous in the world of haiku

In Edo, he lived in Nihonbashi, but after the Great Fire of Meireki, which burned down two-thirds of Edo, he moved to this area in Fukagawa, where he lived until his death in 1694

This bronze statue of Basho sits on a cushion facing the Sumida River until just before 5pm, as shown in the photo. However, at 5pm, it rotates around and faces the Onagi River. It rotates electrically

It is lit up until 10pm at night. You can see it from the Sumida River promenade. Unfortunately, the garden closes at 4:30pm, so you won't be able to see the moment Basho turns around. By the way, admission to this garden is free

INFORMATION

name	Bashoan Historic Site Observation Garden
location	1-1-3 Tokiwa, Koto-ku, Tokyo
telephone number	03-3631-1448
Official URL	https://www.kcf.or.jp/basho/
GOOGLE MAP

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How was it?

If you've come face to face with Basho at the Bashoan Historical Site Observation Garden and want to learn more about him, we recommend the nearby Koto Ward Basho Memorial Museum. The robe worn by Basho and papers with his handwritten writings are on display here. By visiting here, you can gain a deeper understanding of Basho's life and work

INFORMATION

name	Koto Ward Basho Memorial Museum
location	1-6-3 Tokiwa, Koto-ku, Tokyo
telephone number	03-3631-1448
Official URL	https://www.kcf.or.jp/basho/outline/
GOOGLE MAP

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