「音無親水公園」
Do you know about Japanese parks? Otonashi Water Park is located in Kita Ward, Tokyo, developed on the old channel of the Shakujii River. At 4T-AMKY, Teachers and Students write about Japanese culture, food, history, many spots to visit, and other stuff. Enjoy reading and knowing about deeper Japanese culture!
Otonashi Water Park
Scenic spot
The Shakujii River, which flows through Tokyo, was once called the Otonashi River in the Kita Ward area, and was crowded with cherry blossom viewing and holidaymakers. It was a scenic spot that was depicted in many Ukiyoe paintings of the Edo era.
Eventually, the river became polluted with water for domestic use, and the channel was changed due to renovation work that began in the 1960s.
The river now flows under Asukayama Park and the JR tracks in a culvert from the Otonashi Bridge area. The remaining old stream channel was used to restore the former mountain stream, and the park was opened as Otonashi Water Park in 1988. It has been selected as one of the 100 best urban parks in Japan.
The first thing you see when you come out of the “Water Park Exit” of the JR Oji Station is a very nostalgic and tasteful view. I felt like I was in a hot spring resort somewhere.
The former site of the river has been utilized as it is and developed as a waterfront facility. Walking along the stream between the stone walls and the greenery of trees, you will come to an arched bridge, Funakushibashi, with a water wheel underneath. Stone pavements are placed on both sides of the stream, and there are waterfalls, large rocks, and large trees, giving the impression of walking along a mountain stream.
The stream is about 20 cm deep, and the circulating water flows through a filtration system. So, it is said to be a great playground for children in the summer.
Otonashi Bridge that has three gracefully curved arches made of concrete crosses directly above the park. It was October when I visited. The scene of the gentle autumn sun shining on the bridge was so beautiful that I was mesmerized by it for a while. The greenery of the trees surrounding the area was very pleasant. I was very much healed by the rich natural environment, which I could not believe I was in the middle of the city.
They say that cherry blossoms can be enjoyed in the spring and autumn leaves in the fall. Here is a highly recommended spot that I’d like to visit again and again.
「音無親水公園」
景勝地
東京都内を流れる石神井川は、かつて北区付近では音無川と呼ばれ、花見や行楽客で賑わっていたそうです。江戸時代の浮世絵に多く描かれた景勝地でした。
やがて生活用水が流れ込む汚れた川となり、昭和30年代から始まった改修工事によって流路が変更されました。
現在の川は音無橋の付近から暗渠になって飛鳥山公園とJRの線路の下を流れています。残された旧流路を利用して、かつての渓流を取り戻す目的で整備され、昭和63年に音無親水公園として開園されました。日本の都市公園100選にも選ばれています。
JR王子駅の「親水公園口」から出てきて、まず目に入る景色がなんとも風情があって良いのです。どこか温泉街にでも来たような気分になりました。
川の跡地がそのまま親水施設として整備されていて、石垣と木々の緑に挟まれたせせらぎに沿って歩いていくとアーチ状の橋「舟串橋」があり、その下には水車があります。せせらぎの両サイドには石畳が配され、滝あり、大きな岩あり、大木あり、渓流を歩いているような趣があります。
水深は20cmぐらいで、ろ過装置による循環水が流れているので、夏には子どもたちの格好の遊び場となるそうです。
園の真上には3つの優美な曲線を描くアーチ型鉄筋コンクリートの音無橋が架かっています。私が訪れたのは10月でした。穏やかな秋の陽が橋に差し込む光景があまりに美しく、しばらく見とれてしまいました。周りを囲む木々の緑がとても気持ちよく、都会の真ん中とは思えない自然豊かな空間でとても癒やされました。
春には桜が、秋には紅葉が楽しめるそうです。何度でも訪れてみたくなるお勧めのスポットです。
Ikuyo.K.
