Ikebukuro and the north - The Rough Guide to Tokyo - page 128

TOKYO'S LAST TRAMLINE
Early twentieth-century Tokyo boasted a number of tramlines, or chin chin densha (“ding ding
trains”, from the sound of the trams' bells), of which only the 12km-long Toden-Arakawa
Line ( ౎ిߥ઒ઢ ) remains, running north from Waseda to Minowa-bashi. The most interesting
section lies along a short stretch from Kōshinzuka Station , a 15min walk northwest of
Sugamo Station, from where the line heads southwest towards Higashi-Ikebukuro, rocking
and rolling along narrow streets and through Tokyo backyards.
Most of the original tramlines were private enterprises and have gradually been replaced
with subways. The Arakawa Line, built purely to take people to the spring blossoms in
Asukayama Park, will probably survive for its nostalgia value if nothing else, and recent
replacements of all the cars have some sporting a retro look.
PASMO, Suica and SF Metro cards can be used on the system, as can Toei day-tickets.
Ordinary tickets cost ¥160, however far you travel. You pay as you enter and note that station
signs and announcements are in Japanese and English.

Mejirodai
໨ന୆
Riding the Toden-Arakawa line to Waseda station will bring you to the edge of the
hilly Mejirodai area. The top attraction here is a stroll along the Kanda River ( ਆా઒ ),
where the pathways explode in cherry blossom pink at the end of March and early
April. To reach the sights mentioned here from Waseda station, exit the platform,
cross the nearby bridge, then turn right.

12

Chinzan-sō
௴ࢁ૳ • 2-10-8 Sekiguchi, Bunkyō-ku • Daily 9am-8pm • Free • W www.chinzanso.com • Waseda station (Toden-Arakawa line)
The area's prime sight is the Chinzan-sō , a beautiful, expansive nineteenth-century
garden set around a small pond. Though sandwiched between a wedding hall complex
and the Hotel Chinzansō , it's surprisingly easy to ignore those two ugly buildings, and
concentrate on the greener delights of the garden.

St Mary's Cathedral
౦ژΧςυϥϧ੟ϚϦΞେ੟ಊ , Tōkyō Katedoraru Sei Maria Daiseidō • 3-16-15 Sekiguchi, Bunkyō-ku • W tokyo.catholic.jp •
Waseda station (Toden-Arakawa line)
St Mary's Cathedral has been the centre of Tokyo's Catholic community for well over
a century, with congregations a mix of foreigners and Japanese. The original Gothic
structure was built in 1899 but burned down in the World War II air raids. The present
building, designed by Tange Kenzō (see p.121), was completed in 1964: steel-clad and
shaped like a giant cross, it's rather iconic. Be sure to take a peek at the dramatic
interior, dominated by a massive pipe organ.

Komagome
ۨࠐ
There are a couple of wonderful natural spots in the Komagome area, easily accessible
from Ikebukuro station, just three stops to the west. The top sight here is Rikugi-en ,
a sculpted garden redolent of old Edo; just to the north, you'll find more of the same
at the gorgeous Kyū Furukawa Gardens .

Rikugi-en
࿡ٛԂ • 6 Honkomagome, Bunkyo-ku • Daily 9am-5pm • ¥300 • Entrance on Hongō-dōri, 5min south of Komagome station
Komagome's most appealing sight is Rikugi-en , Tokyo's best surviving example of a classical
Edo-period stroll garden. In 1695 the fifth shogun granted one of his high-ranking feudal
lords, Yanagisawa Yoshiyasu, a tract of farmland to the north of Edo. Yanagisawa was both