multi.trudi :: Total Tokyo Transfer Temple - Real Tokyo 2001
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Walk 01 Walk 02 Walk 03 Walk 04
 
 

Tokyo Walking Course 01: Sumida River
Sumida river area north of Asakusa

 Sumida River north of Asakusa. On the left river bank a giant expressway leaving Tokyo for the north.

On my first day in Tokyo I made a walk eastwards from my hotel in Nihontsutsumi towards the Sumida Gawa. This area is a little bit north of Asakusa and south of Minami-Senju. 

When I encountered the river banks I was very astonished to find them lined with boxes and shelters by homeless people. There were at least over a hundred along a distance of maybe a kilometer.

Though sad the settlements had some genuine aesthetic qualities. Mini-architecture by non-architects.

Video of my walk
Shirahige Bridge apartment building
The Shirahige Bridge crossing the Sumida gawa. A highrise on the other side of the river bank.
River bank right side close up homeless dwellings
View towards the right river bank in the direction of Tokyo bay. Homless' dwellings (the blue boxes) line up the river bank.
dwellings under highway closeup boxes
Along the left side of the river there's a express way built on pillars. The express way gives shelter to the huts of the homeless people. The blue boxes reveal a stunning minimal desgin.
closeup clothes sakura bridge police car
You seldom see someone around (and indeed, many homeless go to work every day), but clothes hanging on line indicate human beeings. Like everything else in Tokyo even the bridges have to be protected. Here's a car by the Sakura Bridge Police.

Video Sumida Part 1 [MPEG | RealVideo]Video Sumida Part 2 [MPEG | RealVideo]

Music and video from the Transfer Temple:

 

Weitere Themen und Angebote: Kleinstobjekte von Muji und Tokyo Hands (Handschuhe, Süßigkeiten etc) Musik vom Tokyoter Label Cha-Bashira Micro-Architecture, Petarchitecture Obdachlosensiedlungen

© multi.trudi 2001