Where the name Kanamachi 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.
Kanamachi contains the Japanese character for gold, but there is no established evidence that the name came from precious metal or treasure. Katsushika City's historical records trace it back to the medieval period. In 1562, Kanamachi appeared in a document concerning territory promised to a retainer of the Hojo clan. The name is therefore centuries older than the railway station, although its original meaning remains unknown.
Walk northeast from Kanamachi Station and the landscape is remarkably flat. Residential streets lead toward the embankment of the Edo River. During the Edo period, this was Kanamachi Village, a community of farmers living among fields and waterways. The old district of Higashi-kanamachi was divided into areas called Omukai, Kami, Naka, and Nishi.
Kanamachi was more than a farming settlement. The Mito road passed through the area, connecting Edo with territories to the northeast. Near the river stood the Kanamachi-Matsudo checkpoint, where travelers were inspected before crossing by boat. Walk from the station past Kasai Shrine toward the river and the old landscape becomes clearer: a village on low ground, a road carrying travelers, and a guarded crossing linking two sides of the river.
→ Walk northeast from Kanamachi Station through Higashi-kanamachi, passing Kasai Shrine on the way to the Edo River. Notice the flat ground and the older religious landmark. Farther upstream near Higashi-kanamachi 8-chome, a monument recalls the former Kanamachi-Matsudo checkpoint.
Sources (in Japanese): 葛飾区史「地名の由来・金町」, 葛飾区史「地名の由来①」
Before apartment buildings filled the streets northeast of Kanamachi Station, the district was famous for vegetable gardens and tea fields. In the late Meiji period, a local farmer named Hase Ryokunosuke developed an improved small turnip that could be harvested in spring. Known as Kanamachi Kokabu, it became popular with prestigious restaurants and eventually spread across Japan. Tea cultivation was also important, with fields remaining in the area until around 1932.
Continue east toward the Edo River. Around 1600, the Tokugawa authorities established the Kanamachi-Matsudo checkpoint near the crossing. Officials inspected travelers, paying particular attention to firearms entering Edo and women leaving the city. People had to show travel permits before boarding boats to cross the river. The checkpoint stood about 300 meters upstream from today's Katsushika Bridge.
In 1926, the Kanamachi Water Purification Plant began supplying treated water from the Edo River. The agricultural village gradually became a district of homes, industry, and water infrastructure. Follow the route from Kasai Shrine toward the checkpoint site and the waterworks. Along one riverbank, you can trace the transformation from farmland and a guarded ferry crossing to a modern facility supplying Tokyo's drinking water.
→ Walk from Kasai Shrine toward the former checkpoint near Higashi-kanamachi 8-chome and follow the Edo River embankment. Across the water lies Matsudo, once reached by ferry. Farther south, the Kanamachi Water Purification Plant shows how the river's role changed from a transport barrier to a source of metropolitan drinking water.
Sources (in Japanese): 葛飾区史「金町の農業・金町小カブと茶の栽培」, 葛飾区史「金町松戸関所」
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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).