Tokyo · Special ward
Sumida
墨田区すみだくSumida-kuSkytree, sumo and the old town across the river
Sumida is the Tokyo special ward on the east bank of the Sumida River, home to the Tokyo Skytree, Japan's tallest structure, and to Ryōgoku, the centre of professional sumo with the Kokugikan arena and its stables; it is also the birthplace of the ukiyo-e master Katsushika Hokusai.
Overview
Sumida lies between the Sumida River and the Arakawa, facing Asakusa across the water. It was formed in 1947 from the old wards of Honjo in the south and Mukōjima in the north, and its name was taken from the river. In the Edo period the low land east of the river was opened up after the great fire of 1657 as an overspill for the crowded city: samurai residences, temples, timber yards and, later, small factories filled the grid of canals.
Ryōgoku, at the southern end, grew around the Ryōgoku bridge, whose name – 'two provinces' – recalls that it linked Musashi and Shimōsa. The temple Ekō-in held fund-raising sumo tournaments from the eighteenth century, and Ryōgoku remains the heart of the sport: the Kokugikan arena hosts three of the six annual grand tournaments, and many sumo stables stand in the surrounding streets. The Edo-Tokyo Museum, the Sumida Hokusai Museum and the Kyū-Yasuda Garden are nearby.
The north of the ward is dominated by the Tokyo Skytree, a 634-metre broadcasting tower completed in 2012 at Oshiage, with the Tokyo Solamachi shopping complex at its foot. Beyond it, Mukōjima keeps a small geisha quarter, riverside cherry trees, old sweet shops and the Edo-period flower garden Mukōjima Hyakkaen. Sumida is still a ward of workshops and small manufacturers, many of them family businesses.
Sights
Landmarks
- 東京スカイツリーTōkyō Sukaitsurī
Broadcasting tower 634 m high with two observation decks, the tallest structure in Japan.
- 両国国技館Ryōgoku Kokugikan
The national sumo arena, venue of the January, May and September grand tournaments, with a small sumo museum.
- すみだ北斎美術館Sumida Hokusai Bijutsukan
Museum of Katsushika Hokusai's work in the district where he was born, in a building by Sejima Kazuyo.
Edo-Tokyo Museum
江戸東京博物館Edo Tōkyō HakubutsukanLarge museum of the city's history with a full-scale replica of part of the Nihonbashi bridge.
Ekō-in
回向院Ekō-inTemple founded in 1657 for the victims of the Meireki fire, where sumo tournaments were held in the Edo period.
Kyū-Yasuda Garden
旧安田庭園Kyū-Yasuda TeienStroll garden around a pond, originally laid out for a daimyo residence beside the Kokugikan.
Mukōjima Hyakkaen
向島百花園Mukōjima HyakkaenFlower garden founded in 1804 by a merchant for the literati of Edo, planted with seasonal flowers and plants from classical poetry.
Tokyo Memorial Hall
東京都慰霊堂Tōkyō-to Irei-dōMemorial in Yokoamichō Park to the victims of the 1923 earthquake and the 1945 air raids.
Districts
Ryōgoku
両国RyōgokuSumo town with the Kokugikan, stables, chanko restaurants and museums.
Oshiage
押上OshiageArea around the Skytree and Tokyo Solamachi, with an aquarium and a planetarium.
Mukōjima
向島MukōjimaRiverside quarter with a geisha tradition, cherry trees along Sumida Park and old confectioners.
Kinshichō
錦糸町KinshichōBusy commercial centre in the south-east of the ward.
Azumabashi
吾妻橋AzumabashiRiverside across from Asakusa, marked by the golden flame on the Asahi Beer Hall.
History
After the Meireki fire of 1657 the shogunate built the Ryōgoku bridge and developed Honjo and Fukagawa east of the river; Ekō-in was founded that year to bury the fire's victims. Kira Yoshinaka's residence in Honjo was the target of the forty-seven ronin's raid of 1703, and Katsushika Hokusai was born in Honjo in 1760 and lived in the district for most of his life. The fireworks over the river at Ryōgoku, first held in 1733, became one of Edo's great summer spectacles.
Industrialisation brought factories and workers' housing. The 1923 Great Kantō Earthquake and its fires killed tens of thousands in the district, many at the former army clothing depot where the Tokyo Memorial Hall now stands, and the air raid of March 1945 again destroyed most of the ward. The present Kokugikan opened in 1985, the Edo-Tokyo Museum in 1993 and the Tokyo Skytree in 2012.
1657
After the Meireki fire, Ekō-in is founded and the land east of the river is developed.
1703
The forty-seven ronin attack Kira Yoshinaka's residence in Honjo.
1733
First fireworks over the Sumida River at Ryōgoku.
1760
Katsushika Hokusai is born in Honjo.
1909
The first Kokugikan sumo hall opens at Ryōgoku.
1923
The Great Kantō Earthquake and fires devastate Honjo.
1947
Sumida Ward is formed from Honjo and Mukōjima wards.
1985
The present Ryōgoku Kokugikan opens.
2012
The Tokyo Skytree opens at Oshiage.
2016
The Sumida Hokusai Museum opens near Ryōgoku.
Culture
Sumida is shitamachi, Tokyo's old commoner town, with a strong sense of craft: the ward promotes its small manufacturers and workshops, from Edo kiriko cut glass to textile dyeing. Sumo life is visible in Ryōgoku, where wrestlers in yukata and topknots walk between stables, and early-morning practice can sometimes be watched. Hokusai, who took many of his views from the district, is the ward's cultural patron.
Festivals
Sumida River Fireworks
隅田川花火大会Sumidagawa Hanabi TaikaiOn the last Saturday of July, one of Tokyo's largest fireworks displays, heir to the Ryōgoku fireworks first held in 1733.
- 大相撲本場所Ōzumō Honbasho
Fifteen-day tournaments at the Kokugikan in January, May and September.
Ushijima Shrine festival
牛嶋神社大祭Ushijima Jinja TaisaiMid-September festival of Mukōjima's guardian shrine, whose grand procession with an ox-drawn carriage is held every five years.
Food
- ちゃんこ鍋chanko-nabe
The protein-rich hotpot of sumo wrestlers, served in Ryōgoku restaurants often run by former rikishi.
- 桜もちsakura-mochi
Rice cake wrapped in a salted cherry leaf, sold at Chōmei-ji in Mukōjima since the early eighteenth century.
- 言問団子kototoi dango
Sweet dumplings in three colours from a shop by the Kototoi bridge, named after a poem of the Tales of Ise.
- もんじゃ焼きmonjayaki
Griddle dishes eaten in the old-town eateries of the ward.
Getting around
- JR Chūō-Sōbu Line trains serve Ryōgoku and Kinshichō; Kinshichō also has rapid trains towards Chiba and Narita Airport.
- The Toei Asakusa Line and Keisei trains stop at Oshiage (Skytree), with through services to Haneda and Narita airports; the Tōbu Skytree Line runs from Asakusa.
- The Toei Ōedo Line serves Ryōgoku; the Hanzōmon Line reaches Oshiage and Kinshichō.
- Water buses on the Sumida River and walking across the Azumabashi bridge link the ward with Asakusa.
Day trips
Sensō-ji and the old town across the river.
Tokyo's oldest temple, a walk from the Skytree over the Azumabashi bridge.
Fukagawa and Kiyosumi Garden, just south of Ryōgoku.
By Tōbu limited express via the Skytree Line.
Other cities in the prefecture
Frequently asked questions
Is the Tokyo Skytree in Asakusa?
No. It stands in Sumida Ward, across the Sumida River from Asakusa, about twenty minutes' walk or one train stop away.
When can sumo be seen at the Kokugikan?
During the grand tournaments in January, May and September, each lasting fifteen days; the other three tournaments are held in Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.
Can visitors watch sumo practice in Ryōgoku?
Some stables allow quiet observation of morning practice, usually arranged in advance or through tours; visitors must keep silent and follow the stable's rules.
Why is Hokusai connected with Sumida?
Katsushika Hokusai was born in Honjo, now part of Sumida, in 1760 and spent most of his life in the district; the Sumida Hokusai Museum is devoted to him.
Related
Sources
- 1.墨田区公式ウェブサイト (opens in a new tab) — 墨田区 (Sumida City)
- 2.令和2年国勢調査 (opens in a new tab) — 総務省統計局 (Statistics Bureau of Japan)
- 3.Japan National Tourism Organization (opens in a new tab) — JNTO