This time, I walked along the Kanda River from Takaido and found “Shimotakaido Ozora Park”. The ginkgo trees were turning yellow and it was beautiful.
There was a well at Takaido (High Well)!
Platform at Takaido Station
This is my fourth walk along the Kanda River. This time I’m walking downstream from Takaido.
Row of cherry trees along the Kanda River
As soon as you get out of the station, there is a row of cherry blossom trees along the Kanda River, which must be very beautiful in April.
Hand-operated pumps show technological progress
In the midst of these cherry trees, I found a well. It is a hand-pump type. With just one push, the water came out smoothly. Perhaps because of the narrow opening, the water kept flowing even when I let go of the pump. It’s convenient for washing your hands.
Huh? This pump does not have an open top. I wonder if the narrower opening prevents air from getting inside the pump, so it doesn’t need priming water. It seems that the technology of hand-pushed pumps is steadily advancing.
That being said, is it because this is a “Takaido (high well)” that the well is installed here?
Incidentally, the origin of the name of Takaido was written on a nearby explanatory board.
There are two theories: one is that there was a “Horikane Well” and the other is that there was a Fudo Hall on a small hill and it was called Takaido.
Horikane’s Well, also called Maimaizu Well, is a well that is dug into the ground in the shape of a mortar and another well is dug into the bottom of it. The word “mai mai” refers to a snail. “Zu (‘s)” is a possessive in English, so it must mean “snail’s well. I’m sure.
Jumping pole
Following the path along the Kanda River, I found a jumping pole made by Nito Sangyo! There is an explanation on the side of the pictogram near the center of the pole that says, “The disks are 2m to 10cm apart. However, I don’t know which one is 2m because the disks are tilted. The disks must have been tilted because so many people were touching them. I didn’t want to tilt it further by jumping on it, so I decided not to jump on it.
Suginami Ward has been a residential area since the Jomon period.
While the aftermath of the jumping pole discovery was still fresh, I discovered Tsukayama Park in Suginami Ward. About 20 houses from the middle of the Jomon period have been discovered here. So Suginami Ward has been a popular residential area since the Jomon period.
A reconstructed residence from the middle Jomon period
The photo shows a restored dwelling. If you enter through the square entrance on the left, you can see how the Jomon people lived. Out of consideration for the privacy of the Jomon people, I did not take any pictures. I think this entrance is just for display purposes, and the actual shape of the house was a cone.
Jomon style earthenware water fountain
The water fountains and trash cans in the park have an innovative design using Jomon earthenware. Even the cracks in the surface have a certain flavor.
Kamakura Bridge
After passing through Tsukayama Park, you will find Kamakura Bridge. The name of the bridge comes from the Kamakura Kaido Road that runs over the bridge. Kamakura Kaido is everywhere. In the old days in Honshu, people must have felt that all roads lead to Kamakura.
Viewing the first autumn leaves at Shimotakaido Ozora Park after the park opened
Shimotakaido Ozora Park
After walking about 1.3km from Kamakura Kaido, I found “Shimotakaido Ozora Park”!
Around the area where I took the photo, benches were lined up at moderate intervals. The benches were not facing the plaza, so it seemed like they were set up for couples to enjoy their time together, rather than for people who brought their children to take a break and watch over them.
I felt that the park was well maintained, so I checked it out and found out that it just opened on April 8th of this year. This means that this is the first time to see the beautiful yellow leaves of the ginkgo trees since the park opened. It was a nice view.
Myrica tree
The tree that caught my eye the most on this walk was myrica. I recognized it because there were name tags on the trees here and there. I was interested in the tree because the fruit is edible, but I didn’t know about the actual tree. Ordinary peach trees are branched off from the base, and the atmosphere of the tree is completely different. The fruit seems to grow in June and July.
Thinking about the relationship with Tamagawa josui around Meidaimae Station
Even before I started walking, I had decided to end today’s walk at Meidaimae Station.
The Kanda River is a natural river, so it is a valley.Meidaimae is a ridge because it is where Tamagawa josui water supply runs through. Therefore, I knew that the end of the walk would be an uphill walk. In fact, it was quite an uphill walk.
The Inokashira Line passing through a cutting near Meidaimae
This situation is the same for the Inokashira Line. Since the Inokashira Line has been running almost along the Kanda River, it has to climb a slope to reach Meidaimae Station. So it uses this cut-through to come up.
In front of Meiji University School Gate
This is in front of the school gate of Meiji University. This sidewalk where I am taking this picture seems to be Tamagawa Josui Park. By the way, when I crossed over the Inokashira Line, I saw a steel pipe about one meter in diameter running along the south side of the sidewalk. Probably, the water flow of the culverted Tamagawa josui runs through that pipe.
Walking data
Course: Keio Inokashira Line Takaido Station -> Shimotakaido Ozora Park -> Keio Keio Line Meidaimae Station
Distance: 5.2km
Time: 1h14m
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