Arakawa is located in the northeastern part of Tokyo. The shape of the ward or city is long and narrow, stretching from east to west. The Sumida River forms the northern boundary. The ward takes its name from the river, the Arakawa, though the Arakawa River does not touch the ward or run through it. The ward is surrounded by five other special wards: at the northern part lies Adachi; at the west, Kita; at the southwest, Bunkyo, and at the south of Arakawa is Taito. As of April 1, 2011, the ward has a population of 205,263, with 95,665 households, and a population density of about 20,123.82 persons per km²; the total area being10.20 km².
Touring Arakawa
Touring Arakawa takes one into a closer look of the inside of the ward as well as a deeper understanding of how the people of this city preserve their culture and the love they put on their heritage. Tours can start from Otsuka up to Minowa Bashi. Tourists can visit the Arakawa Amusement Park with Y200 yen as entrance fee. There are roller coasters that will cost Y200 per ride. There is the Todem Museum that displays street car models. The process of making these models entails taking photos of the real street cars to capture the details, about a hundred photos to begin with. Then with cardboards, street car prints are then prepared and for the accessories, everyday materials are utilized to perfect the craftsmanship. Although the streetcar models are old fashioned but the work exerted in the creation is real creativity/
Refreshments centers are available near the Arakawa Amusement Park for guests and tourists to take their snacks and drinks while preparing themselves for another tour. A favorite snack is Monja-yaki on grill, whose ingredients include flour batter, chopped cabbage, dried small shrimps, dried squid strips, tempura crisps, and Worcestershire sauce.
After the refreshment is a visit to another museum, the Doll House. It is a collection of miniature kitchens, tiny kitchen wares, meat displays made of clay. Everything in the models is cute and are replicas of the real objects. The Nurie Museum is an exhibit of the art of coloring. Most of the displays depict pictures of the 1950s when Japan was not that rich yet. The pictures are of Japanese girls of this period wearing clothes they wish to have. The girls then expressed their wishes in the art of coloring. Tourists can see the many different vibrant colors in kimonos or Japanese robes that have wide sleeves, wrapped in front with a sash, and are of floor length.
Other Sights
Near the train station, are some peddlers of vegetables who also grew these produce themselves. These peddlers wake up very early in order to transport their products and display them. The vegetables are already packed in plastic bags like in supermarkets so things are kept clean and with less mess. When asked if these peddlers don’t find their work tough, they answer yes but because they love what they do, they don’t mind the tough parts.
Strolling near the station at Minowa Bashi is simply refreshing that one can gather his or her thoughts while walking. At night, Minowa Bashi is beautiful especially during a festivity of dancing called, Bon Odori Dancing to honor departed ancestors. Visitors do not only get to watch, but they can participate too with borrowed costumes free of charge.
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Photo by 27889738@N07 on Flickr
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