Higashi
Nihombashi
Higashi Nihombashi Station
is located on the Toei Asakusa Subway
Line in the Nihombashi district
of Chuo Ward of Tokyo.
Higashi (‘East’ in Japanese)
Nihombashi is a relatively quieter
area compared to the rest of Nihombashi.
It is mainly residential and has
few attractions. Two places of interest
located near the station are:
Yagenbori Fudoson Temple
Yagenbori Fudoson Temple is a temple
dedicated to Fudoson, a deity of
the Shingon sect of Buddhism. Located
2 minute walk from Higashi Nihombashi
Station, the Temple is better known
for its year-end fair, Toshi-no-ichi.
Held every year between December
27 and 29, the fair is an annual
market selling decorations to put
up in and around the house to welcome
the New Year. For 3 days the area
around the temple becomes a lively
place with stalls of all kinds and
traders calling at customers to
stop by. The fair is so popular
that it attracts people from all
over the city.
Iris Button Museum
Located 5 minutes walk from Higashi
Nihombashi Station is this small
and unique museum dedicated to buttons.
Housed in a tastefully furnished
18th century European style room,
Iris Button Museum displays a vast
variety of buttons from the 13th
century onwards. There are buttons
made of various materials –
from wood and bone, to pearls, ivory,
gold and silver. There are German
Toggle Buttons, Hungarian Turkish
buttons, and the pride of their
collection, an Andalsian Button
from the 16th century. A short informative
video is also available for viewing.
