Length 27 km Cities Tokyo | Country Japan | |
![]() | ||
Bridges Kachidoki Bridge, Eitai Bridge, Shin-Ōhashi |
Tokyo skytree and cherry blossoms along sumida river in japan
The Sumida River (隅田川, Sumida-gawa) is a river that flows through Tokyo, Japan. It branches from the Arakawa River at Iwabuchi and flows into Tokyo Bay. Its tributaries include the Kanda and Shakujii rivers.
Contents
- Tokyo skytree and cherry blossoms along sumida river in japan
- Map of Sumida River Japan
- tokyo sightseeing 5 let s cruise in asakusa sumida river tokyo bay by tokyo cruise water bus
- CultureEdit
- LiteratureEdit
- Sumida bridgesEdit
- References
Map of Sumida River, Japan
What is now known as the "Sumida River" was previously the path of the Ara-kawa. However, towards the end of the Meiji era work was carried out to divert the main flow of the Ara-kawa to prevent flooding.
It passes through the following wards of Tokyo:
tokyo sightseeing 5 let s cruise in asakusa sumida river tokyo bay by tokyo cruise water bus
CultureEdit
The Noh play Sumida-gawa, which the British composer Benjamin Britten saw while visiting Japan in 1956, inspired him to compose Curlew River (1964), a dramatic work based on the story.
The kabuki play, Sumida-gawa — Gonichi no Omokage, is perhaps better known by the title Hokaibo, which is the name of the central character. This stage drama was written by Nakawa Shimesuke, and it was first produced in Osaka in 1784. The play continues to be included in kabuki repertoire in Japan; and it is also performed in the West. It was recreated by the Heisei Nakamura-za in the Lincoln Center Festival in New York in the summer of 2007, with Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII leading the cast.
The Sumida River Fireworks, which are recognized as one of the oldest and most famous firework displays in Japan, are launched from barges across the river, between Ryōgoku and Asakusa during Summer, a festival is also held at the same time.
LiteratureEdit
The poet Matsuo Bashō lived by the Sumida River, alongside the famous banana tree (Japanese: bashō) from which he takes his nom de plume.
The Sumida River appears in a haiku by Issa from 1820:
spring peace--
a mouse licking up
Sumida River
Sumida bridgesEdit
The Sumida runs through Tokyo for 27 kilometers, under 26 bridges spaced at about one bridge per kilometer. Amongst these, the principal ones are: