Chuo-ku Tourism Association correspondent blog

After the heavy snow, warm days have increased.

I often go to Nihonbashi Library, but I took a picture on the way.

It is a small park at the base of Kayaba Bridge. I think it was a plum blossom, but it bloomed beautiful and pretty flowers.

I also went to Koami Shrine, one of Nihonbashi Seven Lucky Gods.

It's not worshiper like New Year's, but there were quite a few visitors.　

It was famous for Zen-washing Benten, so everyone was washing in hope of good fortune.

I washed myself in hope of good fortune. I hope it will increase.

 The kawazu-zakura (Kawazu Sakura) planted on the northeast side of Chuo-ohashi Bridge on Shinkawa Park / Sumida River Terrace is blooming.

It is said to be a natural hybrid of Kanhizakura and oshima cherry, the flower color is pink or light red, and is more pink than Yoshino cherry tree.

Instead of blooming and falling like Yoshino cherry tree, it begins to bloom in early February and is in full bloom after about a month.

It is also characterized by enjoying the flowering process and keeping the full bloom for a certain period of time.

However, the flowering time seems to be greatly affected by the weather of the year, and it is said that it blooms early in the beginning of the year, but it is said that it is very difficult to make the flowering forecast because it is delayed after mid-February .

In Kawazu-cho, where the name of this cherry tree originated, the Kawazu Sakura Festival is held for about one month from early February every year (February 5 to March 10 this year), but there are some years when the flowering time is delayed. It seems that there is.

In any case, spring is getting closer steadily.

Colored by numerous history, Chuo-ku encounters interesting historical sites and places related to wherever you walk. On this day, I walked around the Kyobashi area.

In recent years, redevelopment has progressed around here, and [Kyobashi Square Garden], which has a studio with [FM Chuo] closely related to sightseeing correspondents, has become a new landscape.

Near the building, the familiar "Kyobashi main pillar" is left. "Kyobashi" was built over the Kyobashi River, which was reclaimed for the construction of the Metropolitan Expressway during the previous Olympics. It has been more than half a century since the river disappeared in 1959 (Showa 34). However, if you look at this main pillar, you can remember the past.

In the past, there was a vegetable unloading area on the northwest side of the Kyobashi River, and it was very busy called [daikon riverbank]. They traded vegetables brought from rural areas near Tokyo here, and it is the prototype of the fruit and vegetable market today. In the past, a lot of suburban vegetables such as Kameido Daikon and Nerima Daikon were transported using water transportation, and it seems that they were called "daikon riverbank" from that impression.

Eventually, after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the functions of the market were passed on to Tsukiji and Kanda.

It seems that this year is the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the radish riverbank. (Because there is a theory that February is the month of birth, now is exactly that time!)

I feel the weight when I hear that it goes back to the age of the 4th shogun of Edo shogunate, Iezuna. To commemorate this, the members of the Kyobashi Daikon Riverside Association have been holding a commemorative event to distribute radish and various vegetables free of charge from two years ago in the middle of every month. February was scheduled for the 14th (Fri), but unfortunately it seems to have been canceled due to heavy snow. The next event will be held from noon on March 14 (Fri), so please visit us once.

A monument is erected on the site of [Daikon Riverside], giving you a sense of history and personality. In addition, local people plant radish in planters after this history and grow it. I look forward to being able to reproduce a small [daikon riverbank] in modern times.

Then, as an aside, a restaurant called [Manchichi], which was located in this [daikon riverbank] appears in the historical novel's monument "Kihei Criminal Book". This store, which is closed in summer, is said to have been famous for its rabbit soup. It is a well-known spot for Onihei fans.

In the Edo period, carnivores were prohibited in principle, but it is known that they were eaten in various ways. "Rabbit" was also a kind of bird, and it was an OK sign. Therefore, rabbits are counted as "one bird, two birds ..." just like birds.

The Kyobashi neighborhood walks while thinking about such things. After that, whether to head to Ginza or Nihonbashi, for me, it is also Edo's "Shimonbashi".

 Due to the developed low pressure, the Kanto Koshin region became record heavy snowfall on February 8. In Tokyo's 23 wards, a heavy snow warning was issued for the first time in 13 years, and in the city center, it recorded 27 cm of snow for the first time in 45 years.

By the way, the snow cover during heavy snow on January 14 last year was 8 cm.

The lowest temperature is also coldest at -0.8 ° C this season, the maximum temperature is only 4 ° C, and the snow quality on this day is powdered snow. The strong wind blew, and it was a side-beating snow.

Because snow is not everyday, it causes a lot of confusion in transportation every time, but it wraps the hustle and bustle city in white veil and brings a sense of silence for a while.

Tsukuda Park is also a fantastic world of ink painting that is different from usual.

The Japan Meteorological Agency called for caution to refrain from going out as much as possible, but the children are still fine.

On the slope in the open space, there were also people enjoying "snow sledding".

There is also a slight snow on the top of the hull of the floating bus "Hotaluna" sailing on the Sumida River.

　From the morning of the 8th, snow continued to fall mainly on the Pacific side, causing record heavy snowfall in the Kanto Koshin region, and the snowfall at 11:00 pm reached 27 cm in the city center of Tokyo.
　It is the first time in 20 years that it has exceeded 20 centimeters.

　　　It was snowing on the Eitai Bridge.

　　There are two snowmen on the balustrade.

　In the Edo period, it seems that there was a custom of enjoying snow viewing, and there were also snow viewing boats on the Sumida River.

　It went down violently until night.

　It was fine the next day, but a lot of snow left on the sidewalk.

　As you can see in Ginza.

　Snow is beautiful and has a taste, but it is also a troublesome thing, such as disturbing transportation and falling while walking.

 I often hear that Japanese white-eye has become quite common in urban areas in recent years.

Certainly, from late autumn to winter, you can often see camellia sasanqua (Yamacha) and Kantsubaki (Kanbaki) and plums and Japanese camellia flowers in early spring.

At this time, Japanese white-eye frequently passes through the trees of Tachikan Tsubaki (Tatekan Tsubaki) near Bairin in the Hamarikyu Garden.

Japanese white-eye belongs to the Japanese white-eye family of sparrows and is smaller than sparrows and is considered a resident bird or drifting bird.

From the head to the top is yellow-green, from the throat to the top of the chest is yellow, with white eye rings around the eyes.

The side from the chest is light brown.

The beak is black, the base is lead color, and the legs are lead color.

In Japan, except for cold winter regions in winter, it is widely inhabited from lowlands to mountainous areas, and is often found in green spaces in urban areas.

He prefers sweet nectar (it is said that honey entangled with a brush-shaped tongue is carried into his mouth), is relatively gentle, and lives in satoyama and urban areas around flowers such as garden trees and street trees. One of the wild birds that have been popular with people for a long time.

Japanese white-eye's characteristic behavior is that when he stops on the branches and rests, several groups gather together to snuggle up and push each other. I hear that it is the etymology of the parable of "things mixed" and "things there are many things".

It is said to be a horticultural species of camellia sasanqua. (However, there seems to be a dissertation.)

There are hairs on young branches, petioles and backs of leaves, but less than camellia sasanqua. The surface of the leaves is dark green and glossy, with saw teeth on the edges. It blooms lately from December to February. It is a pink and red Yae, the tip is shallow and the edge is wavy.

Generally, a shrub, which is about 3m high, is named Tachikantsubaki (Tatekan Tsubaki).

The lower part of the petals of the Japanese camellia have been greatly damaged as a footprint that Japanese white-eye frequently visited. (upper left photo)

In addition to the Japanese camellia, Japanese camellia is planted near the entrance to Ote-mon gate and Japanese camellia is planted around Koshindo Kamoba.

Like many birds, Japanese white-eye eats insects in spring and summer and nuts in autumn and winter, but also likes the dense flowers.

In recent years, many urban areas have been planted in open spaces such as condominiums and office buildings, as well as in hedges and planting of facades. However, if the number of Japanese white-eye increases in the city, it is believed that one factor is the fact that an environment with flower dense sources is being prepared in winter.