Edogawa River

江戸川沿岸の散歩道a walk on edogawa river

Edogawa River flows on the boundary between Tokyo and Chiba. By trains and mobiles having developed, ships had taken the main role of the transportation system in Edo period, and thousands of products had been brought on Edogawa River from Northern Provinces to Edo every day.
There are many kinds of flowers blooming along Edogawa River and wild nature also exists along it, people enjoy seeing them while they walk along it. On holiday, people enjoy playing baseball and football games at athletic fields opened on flood plains along the river, and many people also enjoy fishing, jogging and cycling along it. In summer, almost millions of people enjoy seeing fireworks at some hanabi festivals held along Edogawa river.
Edogawa River is the best course for people living among it to walk. Why don't you visit the river?

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Edogawa River | Ieyasu Tokugawa Had Planed

Edogawa River runs about 60 km on the east borders of Tokyo and Saitama and finally it issues to Tokyo Bay, and it also forms the boundaries on between both prefecture and Chiba. These three prefectures have areas named Katsushika, on the other hand, it is said that Edogawa River runs through Katsushika county.
Once upon a time, stream now Edogawa River running had been named Futoigawa River, and the stream came from Watarasegawa River. And Tonegawa River went to Tokyo Bay, now the main stream of it goes to east, it directly flows to the Pacific Ocean. It means that these two big rivers flew to Tokyo Bay, then Tonegawa River was sometimes calls 'Bando Taro' since it had had floods frequently.
Late Sengoku Period, Ieyasu Tokugawa moved to Edo after the Seige of Odawara, and he ordered changing the direction of the stream of Tonegawa river to east to protect Edo from the floods and to create new lands. About 60 years had spent to complete it. And Watarasegawa River is also changed the direction to the east and joins Tonegawa River. And a part of Tonegawa goes on the former stream of Watarasegawa called Futoigawa River, it is Edogawa River and it brings water to Tokyo Bay. In Edo Period, thousands of products from northern provinces brought on the river to Edo and towns along the river much prosperous. Edo Meisho Zue descreibes many noted spots along Shin Tonegawa River (now Edogawa River), and both Meisho Edo Hyakkei (100 noted spots in Edo) by Hiroshige Utagawa and Tonegawa Togan Ichiran (the landscape of East Side of Tonegawa River) show that many ships and boats are going on Edogawa River. The local guide books published in Edo period, 'Katsushika Shiryaku (the summary of Katsushika Area)' and 'Katsushikashi (a book of Katsushika)' said several hundreds of boats went on the river and the water tasted very good.
Now there are several cultural and historical heritages such as the remains of Konodaijo Castle, the Old Battlefields, the ferry at Yagiri, Gyotoku Joyato (the night-light at Gyotoku) and so on existing along Edogawa River.
Moreover, poeple living near Edogawa River enoy seeing cherry blossoms planted on the bank, irises blooming in the flood plain, and they also enjoy playing several kinds of ball games at the athetic fields in the plains along it.
In summer, some hanabi festivals are held along it.
Anyway, there is no specific information when people started calling this river 'Edogawa'. In 1897, Kyoshi Takahama visited Nakayama Hokekyoji Temple and he wrote it on his essay 'Nakayama Dera', and he called the river 'Tonegawa'. Sachio Ito called it 'Tonegawa' in his masterpiece 'Nogiku no Haka' published in 1906. Now Edogawa-ku in Tokyo was founded in 1932, so it might be early Showa Era that people started calling it Edogawa.
Edogawa River has brought wealth and given happiness to the people living near it.

引用・抜粋および参考
国土交通省ホームページ
市川市ホームページ
江戸川区ホームページ
房総叢書 : 紀元二千六百年記念. 第8卷葛飾紀
房総叢書 : 紀元二千六百年記念. 第6卷　葛飾誌略
新訂　江戸名所図会６　ちくま学芸文庫
熊野神社境内案内板（江戸川５丁目）
定本高浜虚子全集第８巻写生文集１「中山寺」　毎日新聞社
野菊の墓
大辞林
ウィッキペディア

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