The Oji Branch Water, which was split off from the Senkawa Josui Water, was used as industrial water for the Kashima Spinning Mills, the Paper Making Company (later Oji Holdings Co., Ltd.), and the Paper Money Dormitory Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance (later the National Printing Bureau). This time, I found what used to be its distribution point.
Oji Station area
Oji Station
I got off at Oji Station.
I was planning to head east from the central exit, so I tried to take a picture of the east entrance, but there was no station name sign. So I had no choice but to take a picture of the west side.
Bulrush fluff
I was walking along the old Shakujii River, which is like a dry river, on the east side of Oji Station, when I spotted bulrush fluff!
I used to see them all the time, but recently I haven’t seen any. It’s been about 30 years since I’ve seen them.
Mizotabashi intersection
From the Mizotabashi intersection, I walk along the continuation of the Loop Route 5.
The road I am walking on now is Meiji-dori, and Meiji-dori will turn left at this Mizotabashi intersection. But I am going straight at the Loop Route 5 intersection.
Unidentified shape of a cross in a circle
Five cross-shaped shapes in a circle are lined up under the Metropolitan Expressway Central Circular Route. Are they antennas? If they are antennas, what are they measuring? I’m curious.
Oji 3-chome intersection
At this intersection of Oji 3-chome, Loop Route 5 makes a sharp left turn at an angle of almost 45 degrees.
Horibun
I wonder if the reason why I took the long way around instead of using Meiji-dori in a straightforward manner was to pass by this “Horibun”. It used to be a supermarket, but it was closed in November of 2018.
The shiny metallic hemispherical building in the background is “Hokutopia”.
In front of Oji Station
I came back to Oji Station.
Meiji-dori passing under Oji Station.
I climbed up on the pedestrian bridge and took this shot looking west.
The slope created by the Shakujii River cutting through the cliff is now Meiji-dori Avenue, where the Toden Arakawa Line runs.
But in the past, the Shakujii River did not go over the cliff, but became the Yata River and Aizome River, flowing toward Shinobazu Pond.
Passing under the station, I walked up the hill.
Meiji Dori heading southwest.
The Loop Route 5 (Meiji-dori) heads southwest with Asukayama in the background.
I would go this way later, but first I decided to stop by Asukayama.
Mount Asukayama
Water supply station for disaster
There was a disaster water station at Asukayama.
It says that it cannot be used for drinking water. Is it supposed to be used for bathing or toilets?
D51853
So there was a D51 at Asukayama.
It was built in 1943 at the Takatori factory in Kobe, and was scrapped in 1972 after traveling a distance equivalent to 48.5 times around the earth.
When I saw the locomotive, there was one thing I wanted to make sure of. It was the left and right wheels.
Driving wheel on the right side
This is the dynamic wheel on the right.
Driving wheel on the left side
This is the left side of the wheel. I was relieved when I saw this. The reason for this is as follows.
The right side wheel has the main connecting rod attached below the wheel. On the left side, the main connecting rod is attached to the side (front) of the moving wheel. This means that the connection position is 90 degrees off on the left and right side.
What would happen if the main connecting rod of the right wheel was also attached in the horizontal position? Even if the steam pushes or pulls on the main connecting rod, the force will not be transmitted well to the dynamic wheel. Even if the force is transmitted, the probability of the locomotive moving forward and backward will be almost the same, and the direction in which the locomotive moves cannot be controlled.
In fact, on the right side, the main connecting rod is attached to the bottom of the driving wheel, so pushing the main connecting rod (from the front of the locomotive) will make the locomotive move forward, and pulling it will make it move backward.
Also, I noticed for the first time that there is a semicircular counterweight attached to the driving wheel to balance the locomotive when it rotates.
Shibusawa Archives
Well, the main reason why I dropped by Asukayama this time was because I wanted to visit the Shibusawa Archives.
It’s not because I want to be the face of a bill. I’ve wanted to come here for a long time.
Especially since the Archives will be closed for a long period of time from September 1, 2019 to March 27, 2020, and if I miss it this time, I won’t be able to come for a while.
Visiting the exhibition in the archives will not bring you any closer to the greatness of Eiichi. However, when I saw the historical documents in front of me, I felt close to the man who created them and stamped his seal on them decades ago.
The basis of his thinking was the Analects of Confucius, wasn’t it? I also learned for the first time that he had a belief in the unity of morality and economy.
Bankoro
Seien Bunko
The ticket for the archives was a three-way ticket that also allowed us to visit the Bankoro and Seien Bunko. I enjoyed the Western-style interior decorations and sat on the furniture, which made me feel a little bit profitable.
Nishi-gahara Isarizuka
There was one more place in the Oji area that I had to visit.
I didn’t notice it the last time I walked along the Yata River and the Aizen River, and passed it by.
This is it.
Nishigahara Ichirizuka
This is the Nishigahara Ichirizuka. It is rare to see a pair of such mounds remaining, and together with the Shimura Ichirizuka, it has been designated as a national historic site in Tokyo. The mounds were supposed to be removed when the Tokyo Tramway was built, but Eiichi Shibusawa and his friends campaigned to preserve them.
At this point, I finally returned to Meiji-dori and started walking.
After a while, I came to a park.
Meiji-dori Nishi-Sugamo Automobile Emission Measurement Station
In a corner of the park, I found a shed-like building with a chimney-shaped device sticking out of it!
It’s the “Meiji-dori Nishi-Sugamo Automobile Emission Measurement Station.” It measures the concentration of nitrogen oxides in the air.
Actually, this chimney-shaped device looks familiar to me. There was one in the Takahashi Korekiyo Memorial Park on Aoyama-dori. There was no signboard explaining what it was measuring, so I didn’t know what it was measuring, but now it’s clear.
The name of this park is Senkawa Josui Park.
Senkawa Jyosui control pond remains
In the old days, there was a Senkawa Jyosui control pond on the park grounds, where sand and garbage were allowed to settle out, and then water was supplied to the Hongo area.
Senkawa Water Distribution Weir Monument
Across Meiji Street, I found a monument to the Sengawa josui distribution weir.
A little upstream of the control pond, this is the point where the water was diverted to the Oji area.
This water was originally intended to be used by the Edo Shogunate to make cannons, but after the fall of the Shogunate, it was used as industrial water for the Kashima Spinning Mills, the Paper Manufacturing Company (the predecessor of Oji Holdings Co., Ltd.), and the Paper Money Dormitory Printing Bureau of the Ministry of Finance (the predecessor of the National Printing Bureau). In short, the water diverted from here was used to print bills.
I thought that these industrial waterworks were using the water power of the Shakujii River, but when I learned that they were using the Senkawa water, I was a little thrilled because I had been wondering about the traces.
PARCO and Bic Camera’s main store
Ikebukuro is approaching. Bic Camera’s main store was along Meiji Street.
Ikebukuro Station
I came back from Ikebukuro station, where I couldn’t understand the structure of the station no matter how many times I came.
Walking data
Course: JR Keihin Tohoku Line Oji Station -> Loop Route 5 (Mizotabashi – Ikebukuro Station East Exit North) -> Ikebukuro Station
Distance: 8.2km
Time: 3h2m (including time to visit Shibusawa Archives)
