The walk the Koto Culture Foundation leads along the Sumida: from the Basho Memorial Museum past the shrine and garden on the site of the poet's hut, over Mannen Bridge to Kiyosumi Garden with its stepping stones, the Edo townhouse museum, and on through coffee-roaster streets to the Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo.
Best time: Daytime; Kiyosumi Garden 9:00-17:00. Coffee roasters around Kiyosumi-Shirakawa make a good mid-walk stop.
The route, stop by stop
- 1Basho Memorial Museum
Koto City museum on the haiku poet Matsuo Basho, start of the Koto guides' Basho walk. 30 min
- 2Basho Inari Shrine
Small shrine on the Basho course, by the Sumida River. 5 min
- 3Mannen Bridge and Basho-an Historic Site Garden
The Basho-an Historic Site Garden is a small riverside viewing garden by Mannen Bridge, the next stop on the Basho course. 15 min
- 4Kiyosu Bridge
Bridge over the Sumida, seen from the riverside terrace path. 10 min
- 5Rinsen-ji
Temple on the Koto City guides' Basho course, before the Saitoan site and the Edo museum. 10 min
- 6Kiyosumi Garden
Meiji-era stroll garden built by Iwasaki Yataro around a large pond: cross the inlets on the iso-watari stepping stones. Entry 150 yen, 9:00-17:00. 45 min
- 7Fukagawa Edo Museum
Museum of old Edo in the former Fukagawa ward; end point of the guides' Basho course. 45 min
- 8Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT)
Japan's premier modern-art museum (MOT) in Kiba Park, east of the garden. 60 min
More walks in Tokyo
- Yanaka and Nezu: old Tokyo from Nippori to Nezu Shrine
- Asakusa back streets to Kappabashi and Kuramae
- Nihonbashi to Ningyocho: merchant Tokyo
- Kagurazaka: geisha lanes and stone alleys
- Shibuya to Meiji Jingu via Cat Street
- Nakameguro to Ebisu via Daikanyama
- Imperial Palace East Gardens to Yurakucho's under-track bars
- Jimbocho book town to Kanda Myojin
- Shibamata: Tora-san's town to the Edo River ferry
- Mount Takao Trail 1: Takaosanguchi to the summit