Out and About

Nihonbashi Club walking tours help Members connect with centuries of history and art.

Since it opened in March 2021, the Nihonbashi Club has emphasized its place in the local community as its raison d’être.

This is evident in the special interest groups that Members have formed at the satellite hub to pursue shared passions—especially those centered on walking the neighborhood.

Open to Members and their families, the free walking tours are one of the most popular activities organized by the Nihonbashi Community Group. Club enthusiasts know that Nihonbashi is perfect for strolling. This traditional merchant town is mostly flat and within easy reach of major sights and transit hubs. It’s also packed with history. During the Edo period (1603–1867), when most Japanese traveled on foot, a signpost by the great arched bridge of Nihonbashi was the starting point for the five Gokaido roads that led out of Edo, the old name for Tokyo.

“Nihonbashi was the center of water commerce, where merchants would come to trade their goods and wares,” notes Glenn Fischer, a business owner and walking enthusiast who holds a special place in his heart for Nihonbashi—he first met his wife at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel. “It became extremely popular and known as a launch point for cultural diversity, including art, prints and Kabuki. Whenever I participate in walking tours or go on walks with my family, I learn something new that taps into the rich history and tradition that exists today.”

Members like Fischer who have a sense of passion for history have plenty of company. Kaori Koide moved to Nihonbashi 14 years ago after living overseas and was one of the first to join the Club’s satellite location. She founded the Nihonbashi Community Group and now leads the Bettara Matsuri Walking Tour each October. It’s a 90-minute stroll around a festival dating back more than 300 years that centers on bettara, a type of pickled daikon radish. Called the Nihonbashi Ebisu-ko Bettara-ichi Matsuri, the annual neighborhood event features hundreds of stalls in the streets surrounding Takarada Ebisu Shrine.

“I have been going to Bettara Matsuri for quite some time, but I never get enough of this classic matsuri mood,” says Koide, a native of Hyogo Prefecture. “We meet up at the Nihonbashi Club and walk over as a group to the Bettara Matsuri site. Participants can enjoy the festival, try festive snacks, buy bettara pickles or simply soak in the festive mood.”

Miyako Sasagawa, a freelance consultant from Tokyo who joined the Club in 2023, developed an art walk with Koide that debuted in October. Sasagawa had explored the area herself, but she says that Koide’s deep local knowledge allowed her to learn how different stakeholders intersected to develop Nihonbashi. Sasagawa is keen to look at the community through the lens of contemporary art.

She led Members around four galleries—including Reijinsha Gallery and its “30 Faces” exhibit, in which young Japanese artists explore hidden emotion through faces—on October 25 and November 7. After the tour, participants discussed their favorite works at the Club’s Muromachi Bar.

“Despite its traditional image, there’s a new generation of younger artists who are exploring Nihonbashi as a base for their artistic endeavors,” says Sasagawa. “I think this reflects the current changes in Japan. Even as the world increases its pace, artists are reconnecting with the country’s history and traditional aesthetics.”

Koide appreciates how the walks allow her to connect with her passion for the culture and history of Nihonbashi. “While the satellite club is relatively young, smaller in size and made up of adults only, we can design the community the way Members like. The Nihonbashi Club may be small, but we have a very interesting neighborhood, and we try to utilize this location and build a local community network.”

To learn more about the walks and Nihonbashi special interest groups, visit Groups in the Members’ area of the Club website.

Words: Tim Hornyak
Image of (l–r) Members Miyako Sasagawa, Kaori Koide and Glenn Fischer: Kayo Yamawaki

January 2025