• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Smith's School of English

To provide English speakers the opportunity to own their own business teaching English in Japan.

  • Franchise Entry
    • Buy a Developed Franchise
    • Start Your Own
  • The Franchise
    • Work Visa & Taxes
    • Franchise Training
    • Franchise Support
      • What Franchisees get
      • SSE Products
      • FAQ’s
  • Testimonials
  • About
    • Coaching Confidence
    • Contact
  • Blog
    • English School Articles
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Blog · February 10, 2021

Walking on Water in Tokyo

You are here: Home / Blog / Walking on Water in Tokyo

Aloha! This is Patrick from Smith’s School of English in Koenji, Tokyo. When people imagine Tokyo, they might envision a city dotted with skyscrapers, neon billboards, an elaborate rail system and people, lots of people. Yes, the most populated city in the world is all that and more.

When I arrived and started to settle in one of Tokyo’s many busy cities or “ku”, I observed something odd as I wondered around on foot. Why are there so many raised pathways running down the center of roads or in the middle of a neighborhood? I wondered why it had the feel of a park with trees, flowerbeds, the occasional bench, paved walkways, and random sculpture? As I looked a little closer, I noticed that many of these random sculptures depicted river animals like frogs, beavers, ducks and fish. Why?

A sculpture of frogs reminds you that this pathway in Koenji used to be a river.

I soon learned that more than 100 rivers and canals run underneath this metropolis. The waterways of Edo, as Tokyo was known then, was larger than London by the 1700s. If we were to look at an old map of Edo, we would see that modern-day Tokyo was truly once a sprawling city of rivers, streams, canals and estuaries.

The Meguro river is 7.82 km long and passes through Setagaya, Meguro and Shinagawa wards in Tokyo.

The mega-rivers are the Tamagawa, Sumida, Arakawa, and Edogawa rivers. There are also over 100 small and mid-sized rivers and canals such as the Kanda, Meguro, and Zenpukujigawa rivers. Many of the major rivers are still visible today, but many of the smaller tributaries were moved underground or diverted. This was part of Tokyo’s urban development in the second half of the 20th century.

A street in Omotesando curves according to the bend of the old river underneath.
This home has no door because the back of this house used to face the river.

I guess you could say that once upon a time, Tokyo may have resembled Venice, Italy. Many of the world’s oldest cities emerged around rivers because rivers played a significant role in sustaining life and commerce. Great civilizations and cities have always been built near or around the waterway, and Tokyo is no exception.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • X

Like this:

Like Loading...

Related

Filed Under: Blog

Patrick and Ayako

Reader Interactions

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Primary Sidebar

Search

From the Blog

  • Blog
  • English School Articles
  • Smith's Sustainabilty
  • Sustainability Development Goals
  • Testimonials
スミス英会話メインページ

5 days ago

スミス英会話メインページ
今週のワンポイントレッスンはコチラです★Tell us about a conversation you had today.今日した会話について教えてください。smithweb.co.jp/2025/06/one-point-lesson-7a15/#スミス英会話 #月謝制英会話 #ワンポイントレッスン ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

スミス英会話メインページ

2 weeks ago

スミス英会話メインページ
今週のワンポイントレッスンはコチラです★What do you think is necessary for a person to grow?人が成長するために必要なものは何だと思いますか?smithweb.co.jp/2025/05/one-point-lesson-7a14/#スミス英会話 #月謝制英会話 #ワンポイントレッスン ... See MoreSee Less
View on Facebook
· Share

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Share on Linked In Share by Email

Blog Posts
  • Discussing Milestones
  • A Common Listening Problem English Learners Have
  • Protected: The Japan Iwaskows
  • Christmas holidays in Germany (part 2)
  • German Christmas (part 1)
  • Autumn in Japan vs Autumn in Canada
  • Unique Japan- Smith’s School of English, Sagamihara
  • Edward’s Language Journey
  • Osaka Higashi Line – Convenient Fuse
  • Small Talk in Katsura
Smith’s School of English Franchises
#101,8-21-5, Hanafuku-building, Fukushima-Ku,OsakaTel: 0120-222-248 (Japan)
Tel: 81-6-6455-8050 (Other)
Fax: 06-6455-8052
E-mail: info@sse-franchise.com

Copyright © 2025 · Smith's School of English, all rights reserved. · Privacy · Log in

%d