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Around Futako-tamagawa Station: before it was Futako-tamagawa

Where the name Futako-tamagawa comes from, what stood here before the station, and what you can still spot on a walk today. Then the events near the station that we have checked on the official pages.

Why Does Futako-tamagawa Combine Names from Opposite Riverbanks?

There is no official neighborhood called Futako-tamagawa. The station stands in Tamagawa, Setagaya City, while Futako is the name of a district across the Tama River in Kawasaki. The railway station combines the names of these two places. According to Kawasaki City's place-name research, Futako itself was named after a pair of burial mounds known as Futakozuka.

Walk west from the station toward the river. Before bridges carried everyday traffic, travelers crossed here by ferry at Futako no Watashi. The crossing formed part of the Oyama Kaido, a route used by pilgrims heading toward Mount Oyama. Inns and teahouses gathered near the landing place. On the Tokyo side, the road crossed low, flat ground beside the river, while the green Kokubunji Escarpment rose farther north.

Tamagawa Station opened in 1907 with the arrival of the Tamagawa Electric Railway. The name Futako-tamagawa was adopted in 1929. The construction of Futako Bridge in 1925 ended the old ferry service. The station name still connects two communities once separated by a river that travelers had to cross by boat.

→ Walk from Futako-tamagawa Station to the Tama River and look across Futako Bridge toward Kawasaki's Futako district. Trace the old Oyama Kaido and imagine the ferry carrying travelers between the banks. To the north, the wooded Kokubunji Escarpment rises above the flat riverside land.

Sources (in Japanese): 川崎市「川崎市の町名・字名調査報告書」, 東急株式会社「東急100年史 資料編」

Before Futako-tamagawa Rise, There Was an Amusement Park

The shopping centers and residential towers east of Futako-tamagawa Station occupy land once associated with a popular riverside amusement park. In 1922, the Tamagawa Electric Railway opened Tamagawa Second Amusement Park near the Tama River. Visitors arrived by train to enjoy the waterfront, while traditional restaurants served people spending a day outside central Tokyo. The flat land between the river and the Kokubunji Escarpment made the area a natural recreation destination.

In 1954, Tokyu Fudosan reopened the attraction as Futako-tamagawaen. It became a popular destination for families. During the 1960s, however, urbanization and declining water quality changed the area's relationship with the river. The opening of Tamagawa Takashimaya Shopping Center west of the station in 1969 shifted the neighborhood toward retail and shopping.

Futako-tamagawaen closed in 1985. Redevelopment of the eastern district, including former amusement park land, eventually produced Futako-tamagawa Rise, fully completed in 2015. Walk from the station through the modern complex toward the river and imagine the railway passengers who once arrived for amusement rides and riverside outings. The wooded escarpment to the north recalls another part of the old resort landscape, where wealthy residents built country villas.

→ Leave the station by the east exit and walk through Futako-tamagawa Rise toward the Tama River. Shops, parks, and housing now occupy the former amusement park district. Compare the flat riverbank with the wooded Kokubunji Escarpment to the north to understand why the area once attracted day-trippers.

Sources (in Japanese): 東急株式会社「東急100年史 二子玉川東地区の再開発」, 世田谷区「都市社会研究2021 二子玉川の地域特性と歴史」

Events near Futako-tamagawa Station

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We list events we could confirm on the official page or official Instagram of the venue or organiser. Details can change, tickets sell out and venues close, so check the official page before you go. Distances are straight-line and travel times are rough estimates. Photos show the venue or its surroundings, not the event itself. Titles and descriptions are our own translations from Japanese. This site contains affiliate links (ads).