KOINOBORI(鯉のぼり)

5th of May is Japanese public holiday called "Children's day".

Koinobori steamer appears from the end of April by families with sons. Traditional name of Children's day is "Tango-no-Sekku" which means boys day.

The parents wish the growth of their sons like the carp swim upstream against the current with the toughness, the fearless and the persistent.

It has origin of farmer's custom to drive off the insects  the appearing in May from the craps from with erecting the banner. 

WE ARE KEISEI FUN(京成電鉄ファン)

Keisei Electric Railways is one of the independent railway company.

Keisei has the line between Narita Airport to Tokyo Area, so that it may be the first train you would see in Japan when you arrived at Narita Airport.

Keisei Skyliner 

The fastest train between Narita Airport to Keisei Ueno.
Stops only Nippori where you can transfer to JR Yamanote-line, and it spend just 36min. with max speed 160km/h.

Keisei has several slower service as well, like Access Express, Ltd. Express, Rapid Service and Local between Narita Airport to Tokyo Area.

Skyliner has modern equipment, but on the other hand Keisei has older trains.

Keisei 3500 Series at Takasago Station.

Keisei 3500 Series &  3000 Series at Ueno Station.

Keisie 3500 series is operated since 1972.

Now it run on Keisei Main Line, Chiba Line and Kanamachi-Line.

Keisei 3000 Series at Ueno Station.

Keisie 3000 series is operated since 2003.

Now it run on Keisei Main Line, Chiba Line and Oshiage Line.

For the recent topic, Keisei 3300 Series retired on februry of 2015.

The 3300 series trains entered service in November 1968. A total of 54 vehicles were built between 1968 and 1972.

 Keisei 3300 Series repainted into all-over "fire" orange livery

 Keisei 3300 Series repainted into "Aoden"

 
On 28 of Ferury 2015,Keisei  3300 Series retired. The last run was operated as Limited Express "Narita-san-go"with 8 cars.

It departed to Narita with "Head-Mark" which the word of "Sayonara(Good bye)" written with his tear. Many fun were unwilling to part from the retirement...

Now Keisei has the older trains, but these are replaced to the new model in order.

If you have enough time, it may be fun to go to Airport with local and old train.

KAPPABASHI STREET(かっぱ橋通り)

Kappabashi is the most famous wholesale market of professional cooking equipment located at Tawara-cho near Asakusa. 

The buildings of "Niimi(ニイミ)" are symbols of Kappabashi Street.

These are wholesale markets for professionals but also retailed at many shops. 

You can get Japanese traditional tableware like chopsticks, dish & tray or sample food as a souvenir. 

This photo is taken on Sunday...
Here is a wholesale market, you've already known.
Many shops are closed on Sunday&Holidays so that if you want to see the real Kappabashi you should go on Weekday!


ACCESS:

TOKYO METRO GINZA LINE: TAWARACHO STA.(2min)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

ENGLISH: http://www.kappabashi.or.jp/en/index.html

RAMEN JIRO-SENJU OHASHI BRANCH(ラーメン次郎千住大橋店)

Ramen Jiro Senjuohashi Branch.

Jiro is one of most popular ramen chain shop in Japan.
I think the name of the town"Senju-ohashi" is popularly known as "Matsuo Basho" & this "Ramen Jiro". 

This ramen is different from any other ramen. Some people say "this is NOT ramen, this is "Jiro"! " which means the product named Jiro.

Big size Ramen. You should order small size in the 1st time. Small is the same serving as the usual large one indeed.
You can order the arrangement "Yasai", "Abura" & "Ninniku".

ACCESS:
KEISEI MAIN LINE: SENJU-OHASHI STA. (0MIN.)

OPEN: 

［MON,TUE WED,FRI］

11:00～14:00, 18:00～21:00

［SAT］

11:00～15:00

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

NONE, But there're many web site of the fun.

HASHIDO INARI SHRINE(橋戸稲荷神社)

History : This shrine was built on the year 1490. In the era of "Edo" the city, Senju used to be post‐town on the Nikko Highway, which means a road to Nikko called "Nikko-Kaido", and on the river to Kawagoe and Chichibu, this citiy grow and societies become big. Then Senju Ohashi Bridge(Senju-Ohashi) was built over the Sumida-River, the people and the carriage horse increased to pass over and over in response to the growing popularity of the worship for the shrine. Relief : This shrine has the "Kote-e(鏝絵)" named "Byakko(白狐)", which means a relief of picture on the plaster wall by the trowel. This relief was created by Izu-no-Chohachi (real name Irie Chohachi) on 1863. 
 Unfortunetlly this is not shown for the public.



ACCESS:
KEISEI MAIN LINE: SENJU-OHASHI STA. (5MIN.)

OPEN: 
EVERYDAY

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

N/A

お化け煙突モニュメント

千住火力発電は足立区千住において、大正15年から昭和38年にかけて稼働した。この火力発電所は巨大な4本の煙突を持っており、付近住民などからは「お化け煙突」の名で呼ばれ、操業当時は映画などの作品にも時折登場するなど地域のシンボルとして親しまれた。たびたび「こち亀」にも両さんの少年時代の話として登場するので、若い方でもご存知の方は多いと思う。

 そもそも「お化け煙突」と呼ばれる理由としては：

1.既述のように建設当初は予備発電所として想定されていたことから、滅多に稼動することがなかったため、煙突から時たま煙を吐く姿が「お化け」のようで、火葬場が連想された。

2.見る方向によって煙突の数が1 - 4本と変化する「不思議な煙突」という意味。
この二つが考えられますが、２の意味が強いのだろう。

煙突が菱形に配置されており、また、中心に2本並列していた煙突と前後にあった煙突が重なり合って、真横から見ると1本、斜めから見ると2本ないしは4本、真正面から見ると3本に見えた。国鉄常磐線や京成本線を走る列車内からもこの煙突は良く見え、移動に伴う本数の変化が眺められたようだ。


こちらにあるモニュメントも、お化け煙突の20分の位１のサイズで、オリジナルと同じ比率で配置されており、2本、3本、4本を見ることはできるが残念ながら1本で見ることはできなかった…。やはりこの細さがネックなのだろう。



ここにあるのは復元ミニチュアモニュメントだけではない。この丸い円筒は、お化け煙突の一部である。お化け煙突解体後、その一部が足立区立元宿小学校（現在は統合により廃校）においてで滑り台として使用されていたが、学校の統廃合により、現在はさらに形を変えて、帝京科学大学千住キャンパスの敷地内にモニュメントとして保存され、現在にいたる。

なかなか面白いモニュメントであると同時に、千住火力発電所の歴史をしることもできる。駅から少し遠いのが難点だが、千住大橋駅や北千住から徒歩で来て、そのまま町屋に抜けるのも悪くない。

アクセス

北千住駅から徒歩約２０分:

北千住駅西口から直進、国道4号（日光街道）を横断し千住竜田町交差点を右折、墨提通りを直進して帝京科学大学前交差点を左折。

KEISEI NAKAGUMI(京成中組)

"Keisei-Nakagumi" is a bus stop of the route Kusa-43/草43) operated by ToeiBus between Asakusa Kaminarimon and Adachi-Kuyakusho.

This stop stands in front of the Keisei Senju-Ohashi Station. We usually think the name of the railway station should be used, but this has original name "Keisei-Nakagumi". Keisei means the company name of the railway, and "Nakagumi" means Central area as the name around here on the era of Edo. For your reference the area of modern-day of Kitasenju is called "Kita-gumi", the one of Minamisenju is called "Minami-gumi" The name of Nakagimi disappered 99% nowadays except for the name of this bus stop.



On the other hand "Senju-Ohashi" bus stop exists, but this name of the stop means "Senhu-Ohashi Bridge". Next stop of Keisei-Nakagumi.
These names often make us confuse...

BEST SENTO OF TAITO CITY(台東区銭湯四天王)

Sento is a type of Japanese communal bath house where customers pay for entrance.


Picture: Traditional Sento (Midori-yu at Senju-Midoricho)

Entrance fee of Sento is 460jpy in case of Tokyo. Depend on the Government of the prefectures.

People go to a Sento because they live in a small housing facility without a private bath or to enjoy bathing in a spacious room and to relax in saunas or jet baths that often accompany new or renovated sentos.

We introduce the best 4 sentos at the Asakusa & Ueno Area.

(1)JAKOTSU-YU(蛇骨湯) ASAKUSA AREA

Located at Asakusa, so that it's very famous for foreigners, of course for locals. (It's introduced on the "Lonely planet".)

 

Cost: 460jpy
Entrance fee: On Ticketing machine with the multilingual signs in Japanese, English, Chinese and Korean
Soap & Shampoo: Complementary 
Special Facility: Space of the semi open-air bath(Roten-buro/露天風呂) *for men only.

(2)KOTOBUKI-YU(寿湯) UENO AREA

Cost: 460jpy

Entrance fee: On Ticketing machine

Soap & Shampoo: Complementary 

Special Facility: Space of the semi open-air bath(Roten-buro/露天風呂)& bath additives which change from day to day.

(3)HINODE-YU(日の出湯) UENO AREA

Cost: 460jpy

Entrance fee: On Ticketing machine

Soap & Shampoo: None.

Special Facility: Cypress bath & Space of the semi open-air bath(Roten-buro/露天風呂).

(4)TSUBAME-YU(燕湯) UENO AREA

Cost: 460jpy

Entrance fee: Bandai

Soap & Shampoo: Complementary

Special Facility: None.

On the other hand the cost of Supersento is more expensive. the range of cost will be 700-3000jpy.

Cost: 2,365JPY *Check the Official website

Entrance fee: On Check in Counter

Soap & Shampoo: Complementary 

Special Facility: Space of the semi open-air bath(Roten-buro/露天風呂)

Welcomes: Everybody but Without Tatoo

 Another type of Japanese public bath is "onsen, which uses hot water from a natural hot spring. In general the word onsen means that the bathing facility has at least one bath filled with natural hot spring water. Sento is actually different meaning from Onsen, but some "Sento" and "supersento" have natural hot spring.


USEFUL LINKS
BROCHURE OF THE PUBLIC BATH FOR THE FOREIGNERS (SITE On Tokyo Sento Association)
(English / Chinese / Mandarine / Korean)
ABOUT JAPANESE COMUUNAL BATH HOUSE (SITE ON Tokyo Sento Association)
(English)

SENJU-SHUKU(千住宿)

The journey of Matsuo Basho started from Senju-Shuku for his work,"The narrow road to the deep north"Oku-no-Hosomichi".


Nikko-kaido is one of 5 highways of Edo era, this is the way for Nikko from Nihonbashi, and Senju-Shuku used to be the first post‐town on the road.

Picture: The stone monument of the Nikko-Kaido Highway



Picture: Senju-Ohashi Bridge



Picture: Kyu-Nikko-kaido(Old highway of) at Senju.

As the traffic has been increasingly heavy, the highway had to change the route. Nowadays original "Nikko Kaido" is called Kyu-Nikko-kaido(Old highway of Nikko Kaido)

If you want to know the history of Senju, you should go to "Senju-shuku History petit terrace".

This small gallery utilizes the Japanese traditional warehouse(Kura) built on 1830 

ACCESS:
KEISEI MAIN LINE: SENJU-OHASHI STA. (3MIN.)

OPEN:
10:00-16:00

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

http://adachikanko.net/midokoro/archives/17

YANAGIHARA-CHIGUSA-EN GARDEN(柳原千草園)

Yanagihara-Chigusa en is a small but beautiful botanic garden where you can enjoy seasonal plants. The area is separated as "The Spring Plaza", "The Summer Garden" & "Autumn & Winter Mountain".

 You can enjoy Cherry Blossom in spring, Hydrangea in Summer and red,&yellow leaves in Autumn & Winter.

ACCESS:
TOBU SKYTREE LINE:USHIDA STA.(10min)

KEISEI MAIN LINE: KEISEI SEKIYA STA.(10min)

OFFICIAL WEBSITE:

http://www.city.adachi.tokyo.jp/koen/shisetsu/koen/017.html