Table of Contents
Introduction and location:
Katsushika ward is one of the 23 wards of Tokyo, located in central Tokyo. The neighborhood is known as Katsushika City. It is also familiar to the foreigner as Katsushika Tokyo that has numerous tourist spots.
Population:462,591 (as of January 1, 2019)
Area:34.80 km2
Attractions in Katsushika:
Some of the attraction areas in Katsushika are Kanamachi, Ohanajaya, Kameari, and Shibamata.
Shibamata is situated nearby the Edogawa River. Between Tokyo and Chiba, Shibamata is a natural border prefecture. Shibamata Taishakuten Temple is one of the main attractions in the area.
Besides, the biggest Park in Tokyo Metropolis, Mizumoto Park, is located in the ward.
Tokyo biggest Park:
Katsushika Tokyo has many tourist parks, such as Kochira Katsushika-ku kameari Park, Kamichiba Sunahara Park, and Minamiokudo Park. But these parks are neither big nor beautiful as Mizumoto Park.
Mizumoto Park is the biggest Park in Tokyo Metropolitan and the second-largest in Kasai Rinkai Park in Edogawa Ward. Mizumoto Park is located in Katsushika, but not many foreign tourists visit the park; because international tourists do not know about it.
But Mizumoto Park is a fantastic park, according to my survey. It has all kinds of public facilities, such as a BBQ field, playgrounds for kids, fishing, relaxing in quiet places, gardens, parking, wild birds sanctuary, jogging, and cycling huge roads around the park.
Besides, the park has no entrance fee. It is always free for the public.
There are big trees, and because of the density, the sunshine cannot penetrate to reach the ground.
Besides, there are huge grounds covered with green grass. The green grass grounds are so huge that the camera lens cannot reach the end.
What a lovely park! This fantastic park is available in Tokyo; probably, many people who live in Tokyo do not know.
Probably, people do not know because of the lack of English information. I hope many people will find out the park and have a good time here to forget their busy lives in Tokyo.
A fishing Pond:
Basically, local people come here and enjoy the view. The lake is also vast, and those who like fishing come here for fishing.
In addition, there is a particular fishing pond here where a few hundreds of people do fishing every day. There is a big artificial cascade where fishermen go fishing, listening to the sweet cascade sound.
It is better to make clear that the people who come here fishing are not real fishermen. They are mostly retired persons, and fishing is their hobby.
The fishing pond is exceptional in Mizumoto Park not only for fishing but also for religious sites. There are two significant temples near the pond: Chodenji Buddhist Temple and Higashimizomotokatori Shrine.
Learn more about Mizumoto Park here.
Place of many great actors:
Katsushika Tokyo is a place of many great actors and actresses such as Rumi Hiiragi, Minako Honda, Satomi Kobayashi, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Kiyoshi Atsumi.
All of them were good actors and actresses, but Kiyoshi Atsumi was the most famous among them.
Famous actor Tora-san:
It’s a town of famous Japanese actor Tora-san. He was the main character in the ‘Otoko wa Tsurai Yo,’ which means ‘ Being a man is tough,’ a popular movie series in 1969-1995.
The actor of the ‘Otoko wa Tsurai Yo’ was Kiyoshi Atsumi, as Tora-san. He is a vagabond, kind-hearted heartbroken handsome man.
However, he always fails in love and gets his heartbroken. His sisters Sakura, who has a restaurant in Shibamata, gets hurt with Tora-san.
Most impressive is the name of the movie series people sometimes do not remember; instead, they call it ‘Tora-san Movie.’
However, there are numerous series in Tora-san became the main character. His bronze statues and his sister Sakura greet tourists outside Shibamata rail station.
Besides, there are more exciting things why I am explaining Tora-san. The restaurant where Tora-san did such a great movie series for a long time is one of the most tourist spots in Katsushika Tokyo.
Tora-san Restaurant:
What do you think? Do not you think to test the foods at the Tora-san Restaurant? It is very famous, and people stay in a long queue to have lunch at the restaurant every day.
However, the waiting time may be long but having lunch at a historic restaurant is an excellent memory in life. The visitors of the Shibamata in Katsushika do not want to miss it.
Besides, the restaurant’s environment is enjoyable; those who eat, all are pleased because the foods are tasty. Look at the picture below, you can guess how much the customers are satisfied with the foods.
I ate ‘Tora-san Ramen,’ which was terrific. I still miss that Ramen.
So never miss eating at the Tora-san Restaurant where he did his more than 25 years long ‘Otoko wa Tsurai Yo’ Japanese national movie.
Shrines:
Shrines in Katsushika are too many to mention here. I will write a few lines here about the most famous and favorite Temple, Shibamata Taishakuten Temple.
Shibamata Taishakuten Temple:
Shibamata Taishakuten Temple is a Buddhist Temple, established in 1629, during the Kan-ei Period. It is also known as Kyoei-zan Daikyoji Temple.
The temple is easy to find out because it is located at the Shibamata Sando Shopping Street end.
Besides the main temple, there is a prayer hall where devotees pray or perform religious ceremonies, with beautiful wooden carvings. After looking at the craftsmanship, anyone can understand the incredible Japanese old traditional style wooden carvings!
Above all, there are ten panels on the walls based on Buddhist Lotus Sutra, each with different stories. The good thing is every story visitors can read because they are written in both Japanese and English.
Not only that but also there is a small garden which is called Suikenien. Some cute turtles and carps swim happily there.
Also, there is a 500 years old pine tree in a dragon shape in front of the Shibamata Taishakuten temple.
Besides, there’re two museums Tora-san and Yamamoto-tei, in separate buildings but located beside one another.
One Museum is dedicated to the director Yamada Yoji, and another museum is devoted to the Tora-san movie Otoko wa Tsuarai Yo.
Kasai Shrine:
Kasai Shrine is the most significant shrine in Katsushika Tokyo. According to history, the shrine was built at the end of the Heian Period, in 1185. Heian Period is from 794 to 1185 AD.
And the main reason why the temple was built was to protect the area, and the name of the Kasai Shrine was Katori-gu because the god was the Katori Jingo, called Futsunushi no Kami, exalted in Kasai Shrine.
The shrine is famous for mostly four deities or kami, such as Futsunushi no Kami, Yamato Takeru no Mikoto, Tokugawa Ieyasu no Mikoto, and Matsuribayashi.
Futsunushi no Kami is actually a symbol of the sword that can defeat evil. That means the legend came to dominate the devil as a sword.
But people worship Futsunushi no Kami nowadays to achieve their goals in the study and good fortune.
Yamato Takeru no Mikoto is a spirit of a bird.
Tokugawa Ieyasu no Mikoto is a symbol of business success.
Matsuribayashi is a symbol of musical and instrumental success.
Tori no Ichi is the main festival holds in November. It is a symbol of a bird, one of the four deities, YamamotoTakeru no Mikoto.
People come to Tori no Ichi festival for good luck talisman that has a shape of a pitchfork.
Museums:
Katsushika has several museums. But Katsushika City Museum is the most famous among the museums.
Besides, as I mentioned, there are two small museums, one for Tora-san and another one is for director Yamada.
Festivals:
Mizumoto Park Iris Festival is the most famous festival in Katsushika, held in Mizumoto Park from June first week to last week in June.
Besides, Iris Festival is held in Horikiri Shobuen Iris Garden in last May-Mid June.
The festival lasts for 20 days. Mizomoto Park is home to more than 80 types of flowers that are used in the festival.
During the festival, several kinds of performances take place, including live music.
Food and restaurants:
Besides, you may like to taste Japanese style food. There are many famous restaurants in the Katsushika Tokyo area.
However, never forget to make a booking online because Katsushika is a business and tourist spot; without making a booking, you may not be able to get seats in the restaurants.
You can find different types of restaurants here.
Book reasonable Hotels in Tokyo: