Tsukishima
Tsukishima
Station is
located in the Tsukishima district
of Chuo Ward of Tokyo and is served
by the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho and
Toei Oedo Subway Lines.
Tsukishima
,
which literally means “moon island”,
is a man made island in Tokyo Bay
just across the channel from Tsukiji
Fish Market. The island was reclaimed
in 1892 using soil that was dredged
during the construction of a shipping
channel. It was then used as an
area for iron-working as
per the Fukoku Kyohei National Policy.
Later more land was reclaimed and
the island was enlarged. Tsukishima
was then redeveloped into a residential
area with high-rise complexes. Though
the area is modern, some of its
back streets still retain the charm
and atmosphere of yesteryears. Today
Tsukishima is best known for its
monjayaki.
Nishi-Nakadori
Street
Nishi-
Nakadori Street , located just a
few steps from Tsukishima Station,
is a famous street of Tokyo known
for its large concentration of monjayaki
restaurants. Monjayaki
is a kind of savory pancake
made in various combinations of
meats and vegetables in
a liquefied flour dough and then
baked on an iron plate. There are
about 70 monjayaki restaurants
along Nishi-Nakadori Street , each
trying to outdo the others in creating
unique flavors. A visit to one of
these restaurants is a must for
visitors to Tokyo . Any of the restaurants
may be tried since due to stiff
competition, all of them go out
of the way to serve you with the
most delicious monjayaki.
Tsukishima
Kusa-ichi
Tsukishima
Kusa-ichi is a popular seasonal event
of the Tsukishima area. It is celebrated
every second weekend of July to announce
the arrival of summer. During the
festival, Nishi-Nakadori
Street
and all the area surrounding it are
filled with stalls and stands selling
monjayaki and other snacks,
as well as other festive items and
knick-knacks. Small fires are lit
in the backstreets to welcome ancestors'
spirits. Local residents, besides
people from all over Tokyo , crowd
the streets and enjoy themselves in
what becomes an atmosphere of shitamachi
, or old downtown.
