A Walk to Remember in Nagareyama

Posted on 10/11/2022 Last updated on 10/11/2022

Nagareyama is a suburban area beside the Edogawa River with a lot of good history. If you like walking, sightseeing and listening to good stories, add Nagareyama in your list.

I went to Nagareyama through a group tour organized by Matsudo International Exchange Association (MIEA). The meeting area was in Matsudo station and from there we took the train going to Mabashi Station. Once you’re out of Mabashi Station transferring to Ryutetsu-Nagareyama Line, you will enter an invisible portal to the past. There will be no IC Card Reader and the platform ceiling is wooden. To buy a ticket, you need to bring cash and since it wasn’t a very busy train line, waiting time is longer than the usual lines you’re used to. The train ride from Mabashi station to Nagareyama was also a blast. I felt like I paid 200 yen for a roller coaster ride except that it didn’t go to a spiral. It wasn’t scary, it was actually fun.

From Nagareyama station, we were met by the tour guides who would accompany us through the whole walk around Nagareyama Honcho area. Nagareyama offers tours in English, Chinese, Spanish and French.

Ryutetsu Mural Project

The first place that we walked through is a street along a 100m mural by British artist, locals and children. The mural is an ode to Nagareyama depicting what Nagareyama is like through the eyes of a foreigner.

Kura no café and gallery Towa

It was built 100 years ago and is now renovated to be a café and gallery to preserve the building’s structure. Mirin themed food and drinks are their recommended menu that everyone must try. Sadly, I wasn’t able to try it myself, but because Mirin is a pride of Nagareyama, my expectations are high.

Sengen Shrine

Sengen Shrine has a Fujizuka behind it where it is said that if you climb to the top, you will get the same blessing as if you climb Mt. Fuji itself without actually climbing it. It is a great place especially for those who can’t physically climb Mt. Fuji but wanted to be blessed.

Enma Shrine

Enma is the God of Hell and the one who judges you in the afterlife. In here, you can pray to Enma to spare you from hell especially if you have committed a lot of sins. Across Enma’s shrine is the grave of Ichinojo Kaneko and his lover, Michitose. Ichinojo Kaneko is a virtuous thief that is quite similar to Robin Hood, but is a famous character in Kabuki plays.

Kondo Isami Jinya ato (Remains of Kondo Isami’s Encampment)

When we approached this area just a very short walk from Enma Shrine, we were told to gather around. It was story telling time. It was also our rest time from walking. The tour guide told us the story about how Kondo Isami and his subordinates came to Nagareyama, how he was caught and eventually died while being true to his principles. Beside this area, is a small store where you can buy souvenirs and drinks.

Nagareyama Honcho Open-air museum

Here lies a factory with more than 200 years of history. On the outside, there are large photos in panels showing the history of White Mirin to celebrate its 200^th year. Originally, Mirin was a darker color, but this is where the white mirin was born and has been one of the reasons why Nagareyama prospered.

Issa-Soju Memorial Hall

This is opened to commemorate the friendship between Issa Kobayashi and Sanzaemon Akimoto who bonded over Haiku. This was our last resting stop before going to the last stop. Despite the afternoon heat that day, this area remained cool. The Memorial Hall is surrounded by trees and gravel. This is also where another story was told about the friendship between Kobayashi and Akimoto.

Akagi Shrine. Photo provided by Rei Hiramatsu.

Akagi Shrine

This shrine is known for its Shimenawa that weighs around 500kg. The Shimenawa is placed at the entrance of the shrine to serve as a division between the sacred grounds of the shrine and the common grounds that we all live in. Shimenawa has become their pride not because it weighs 500kg but because of the process it goes through before it gets hung.

The hill side of the Akagi Shrine is also said to be soil and lava that drifted from Gunma when Mt. Akagi erupted. On the top of the hill is a shrine where you can ring the bell and pray. Downstairs on the right side, there is a tree that symbolizes the post office where you can write on the back of the leaves.

Conclusion

The tour ended with us walking on our way to the station. It was a hot but fun walk that I didn’t even notice that we’ve been walking for 3 hours under the afternoon sun. There are a lot of stories to hear from the guides themselves. Go when you have a lot of time as there are a lot of places, food and such to see and try that you can’t possibly explore in a short time. If you’re interested in a place with sites with rich history, don’t forget to visit Nagareyama!

Photo Credits:

Top Photo: よっとこさん on PhotoAC

All additional images taken and provided by Rei Hiramatsu, used with permission.