Shibamata: Tora-san's town to the Edo River ferry: a walk in Tokyo

A day in old eastern Tokyo: the Tora-san statue at the station, the dango shops of the temple approach, the unpainted wood carvings of Shibamata Taishakuten, tea in the Yamamoto-tei garden, the Tora-san Museum and the riverbank of the Edo River.

Best time: Daytime; Taishakuten's carving gallery and garden 9:00-16:00, Yamamoto-tei 9:00-17:00 (closed third Tuesday). Ferry operating days not verified 2026.

The route, stop by stop

1
Shibamata Station
Bronze statues of Tora-san, hero of the film series 'Otoko wa Tsurai yo' (1969-1995), and his sister Sakura. 5 min
2
Shibamata Taishakuten Sando
The temple approach and main shopping street: dango, river fish and old shop fronts. 30 min
A 200 m temple approach from Keisei Shibamata station to Taishakuten, untouched by the wartime air raids, with wooden shops selling kusa dango and rice crackers. It is the home…
3
Shibamata Taishakuten
Nichiren temple founded in 1629, famous for unpainted wood carvings by the same school of artists as Nikko's Toshogu; carvings gallery and garden 400 yen. 60 min
A temple founded in 1629 at the end of Shibamata's old approach street, whose 1929 hall survived the war. Its inner sanctuary is covered with extraordinarily detailed wooden…
4
Yamamoto-tei
Former merchant's house mixing Japanese and Western rooms around a garden; take tea and sweets. 100 yen. 30 min
5
Katsushika Shibamata Tora-san Museum
Museum of the film series and its sets; combined ticket with Yamamoto-tei 550 yen. 45 min
6
Yagiri no Watashi
Ferry crossing of the Edo River to Chiba; the temple and its ferryboat are among the 100 Soundscapes of Japan. 20 min
7
Shibamata Station (return)
Walk back along the river bank and through the sando to the station. 0 min

Walking directions

Shibamata: Tora-san's town to the Edo River ferry

The route, stop by stop

More walks in Tokyo