Nippori
Nippori
Station is
a train station located in the Nippori
area of Arakawa Ward of Tokyo. It
is a major interchange station serving
the JR Yamanote, Joban, and Keihin-Tohoku
Lines; the Keisi Electric Railway
Main Line; and the Toei Nippori-Toneri
Liner.
Nippori
Station has 12 platforms – 1 and
2 are elevated Keisi platforms;
3 and 4 are Joban Rapid Service
platforms; 9 and 12 are for Keihin-Tohoku
Line; and 10 and 11 serve Yamanote
Line. Tracks 5-8 have no platforms
as they are for the Takasaki Line
and the Utsunomiya Line, which do
not stop at the station.
Nippori
,
which literally means “place where
the sun sets”, is a quiet and unassuming
area where one can still enjoy the
charms of old Tokyo. The streets,
houses, halls and buildings of the
Edo period still remain in Nippori.
Some halls have been designated
as memorial halls of famous people
from the past, while some buildings
are now museums. There is also a
small temple and a cemetery.
Nippori
Textile Town
Nippori
is also known as the center of fabric
stores. Its famous Nippori Textile
Town is located just a short walk
from Nippori Station. There are
signs from the exit of Station that
lead to Nippori Textile Town. Nippori
Textile Town is actually a mile
long street with over 100 fabric
stores on both sides of it. This
“town”, which opened during the
Taisho era (1912-1926), has both
retail stores and wholesale stores
that sell to retailers. A large
variety of fabrics, ranging from
silks to leather, and specialized
sewing equipments like sewing machines,
threads, ribbons, buttons, etc.
can easily be found here at very
reasonable prices. Whatever the
day or time, Nippori Textile Town
is always crowded with fabric and
sewing enthusiasts.
The
most popular store of the place
is Tomato , a large
6 stories tall store that sells
the widest selection of practically
everything fabric and fabric-related.
Each floor has a different type
of fabric - one has 100 yen per
meter fabrics, one silks, the others
cottons, linens, synthetics, furnishings,
quilt fabrics and so on. There are
various types of sewing trimmings
and accessories as well.
Fujimizaka
Fujimizaka,
which literally means Fuji View
Slope, is the only remaining historical
slope in Tokyo from where Mt. Fuji
can be viewed. From all the other
places the views have been blocked
by high rise buildings.
Fujimizaka
is located a 5 minute walk from
Nippori Station. On a sunny day,
you can get a spectacular view of
Mt. Fuji from the top of the slope.
The best times are in mid-November
and January-end at dusk when the
views are breathtaking.
As construction
in the area is growing, there is the
danger of the view being blocked from
this only remaining slope as well.
In order to prevent this from happening,
a Citizens
Alliance to Save the Fuji-View, or
CASF, has been formed. The intention
of this organization is to protect
this only remaining scenic heritage
of Tokyo by restricting construction
in the area.
