Kasai- The Power of Moving Water - Dive in Tokyo

Today, we explore Kasai, a town along the coast of Tokyo Bay. This area underwent development starting in the 1970s. But there's no shortage of history here. Up until about a hundred years ago, it served as a key logistics hub. There's also a 400-year-old fishing tradition. Kasai also plays a role in the city's disaster prevention efforts. These days, the area has developed a reputation for its international community. Join us as we go in search of traces of the past and learn about the evolution of Kasai. Kasai is located along Tokyo Bay, on the eastern edge of the city. Right on the other side of the border is Tokyo Disneyland. The town is bounded by the Arakawa River to the west and the Kyu-Edogawa River to the east. On a map, it almost looks like an island surrounded by water. Welcome to Kasai Station. If you've been around Tokyo a while, chances are you've passed by the Kasai area. But maybe you've never actually come here. After all, Kasai isn't particularly famous for any major landmarks or hot springs or anything like that. I was trying to remember the last time I came here, and I think it was about 15 years ago when I was considering renting a room. That being said, I am sure that Kasai has some hidden gems to discover. So, let's explore. Follow me. When Benjamin Boas first came to Japan, Kasai was the first town he visited in Tokyo. It was known as a residential area home to so-called Danchi housing complexes and apartment buildings. He says the magnificent river views made an impression on him. I mean, look at this view. We've got a river here, the highway going over there, the sky tree in the background. This is not a common scene you would see in most places in Tokyo. We begin our day by visiting a spot tied to Kasai's past. This monument reads Shogen no Hana. Hana is Japanese for nose. This is an interesting monument. I wonder what kind of nose it's talking about. Morita Seiko is a researcher of cultural properties who's well-versed in the local history. Here's what the area looked like in 1880. At the time, the shape of the coastline resembled a person's face in profile. So this area was referred to as the nose. The photo on the monument shows how up until the 1960s, this spot was a stretch of beach where people could go clam digging. But today, it's hard to imagine that this was once the coast. It turns out that much of Kasai sits on reclaimed land. The grass here is half land and half sea. So it's completely different from what it is now. Yes, it is. Most of the land was devoted to rice fields, and many residents split their time between farming and fishing for a living. About 400 years ago, when Tokugawa Ieyasu came to Edo, he started developing new rice fields. This area is now full of rice fields. The river flowed here, and there was fertile soil. I think it was a soil that was very suitable for paddy fields. Today, the paddy fields are no more, with hardly a trace left. But there is one spot that can provide a window into the past. Wow, look at this place. Those buildings are huge, and that thatched roof, wow, that's just beautiful. The samurai who lived here led the development of local paddy fields in the early 1600s. The resident stands as a testament to his administrative role as head of the village. This room can tell us more about the history of the paddy fields. This is a rice field, and there is a rice storage room called a masu. The rice was stored in this storage room. It's called a masu. The masu temporarily store the crop before shipping. Rice was just one of the many crops that were shipped from Kasai to Edo, that is, old Tokyo. That looks like a greenhouse. Wow, what's a greenhouse doing here? The residential neighborhoods here are dotted with greenhouses. What are they growing? This leafy green is komatsuna, or Japanese mustard spinach. It's been grown in this part of the city for over 400 years. The sea breeze that blew into this bayside area was rich in minerals. Komatsuna became a local specialty vegetable. I see. Komatsuna was traditionally cultivated in winter, a season when food tended to be scarce. It was a valuable ingredient for the townspeople of Edo. So how was rice and other crops transported to the city? One of the old major roots remains today. We've come to the Shinkawa River, which flows through the north side of Kasai. There were many rivers in Edogawa Prefecture, but it was very important to transport rice by boat. This river was especially important for connecting to Edo. So it was also used for trade? Yes. The Shinkawa River is an artificial waterway created some 400 years ago. It was originally dug to transport salt from the salt pans of Gyotoku. It flowed through Kasai and continued straight on to the Edo castle town. Kasai also became a distribution center along the old Edogawa River, which flowed down from the north. This woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige depicts this area in the second half of the 19th century. That's the Shinkawa River flowing from the top to the bottom of the frame. It carried cargo of all kinds, as well as people, down to the city center. The creation of the river helped facilitate trade, and the city of Edo prospered as a result. Though the rivers no longer serve as logistics routes, there is a place along the Kei Edogawa River that remains as a link to the past. I feel like I've somehow been transported back in time. It's hard to even think that I'm still in modern Tokyo anymore. This looks like one or two generations back. And you know, this river was a major river all the way back in the Edo period, so it feels like I'm walking through history right now. Oh, there's someone inside here. Pleasure boats are used for recreational purposes, such as hosting dinner parties. The practice began to flourish around 400 years ago, when local waterways were improved. The local practice of using a cast net for fishing is depicted in this woodblock print from the mid-1800s by Utagawa Hiroshige. He's captured the net opening up in mid-flight. Boatman Kojima Kazuyuki comes from a family that's carried the tradition of cast net fishing for nine generations. These days, it's not easy to make a living from fishing in Tokyo Bay. Kojima and his colleagues run boating businesses while also working to keep cast net fishing alive. We've come down the Kei Edogawa River and stopped where it flows into the bay. As freshwater and saltwater mix, it creates an area of what's called brackish water. Oh, I see. The trick is to use centrifugal force rather than brute strength. He must throw the 5-meter diameter cast net so it lands in the water fully open. This traditional method has been handed down unchanged for hundreds of years. Oh! Koi, a variety of carp, is a freshwater fish. This is a Japanese sea bass. And gizzard shad, both saltwater fish. Cast net fishing requires perfect teamwork between the boatman, who throws the net, and the steerer, who steers the boat to where the fish are. Now he goes out with his son, Kazuhiro, who serves as his steerer. He's also currently training him to throw the net. Kasai's farming and fishing industries helped feed the people of old Tokyo. The area has also long been contributing to disaster prevention efforts. The city has a long history of having to deal with flooding, storm surges, and other problems. A great flood caused by typhoons in 1910 was especially destructive, inundating some 500,000 homes in eastern Tokyo and other areas. So what kind of role has Kasai played in mitigating flood damage? The Arakawa River originally flowed not through Kasai, but into the heart of Tokyo. And heavy rains would frequently cause flooding in the city center. So the national government embarked on a project to build a district flood control system and a discharge channel that diverted part of the river toward the present-day Kasai area. It was completed in 1930. Many gates were set up along the channel, mostly serving to regulate the flow of water to prevent flooding. But one gate installed in this area is reserved for emergencies. Arakawa Lock, built in 2005 near where the Arakawa River meets the Shinkawa River. The Arakawa Lock is a network of waterways that can be used to transport supplies or rescue people. The lock gate is usually closed, but in an emergency it can be opened so that vessels can travel to and from the city center, keeping the flow of people and goods going. The waterways that once served as transportation routes are now being used to prevent disasters. In addition to flooding, the Kasai area was also vulnerable to storm surges. To safeguard against abnormal sea level rise in Tokyo Bay, construction began on a seawall in 1934. This spot was once located along the coastline. The original seawall was six meters high. Later, it was made one meter taller to protect against powerful typhoons. When it was completed in 1967, the giant barrier stretched over four kilometers. I see. I think the development of Tokyo Bay was possible I see. Meanwhile, Kasai was also evolving as a town. In 1969, the Tozai subway line was brought to the area with the opening of the Nishi-Kasai and Kasai stations. Then in 1972, land reclamation efforts began in order to accommodate industrial activities. They created about 350 hectares of new land, the equivalent of roughly 500 international standard soccer fields. Compare this 1928 photo to today. The coastline has transformed, and Kasai has grown considerably as a result. As the land expanded, rice and vegetable fields gradually disappeared. As accessibility improved, people started moving in. Housing complexes went up, and today the town has some 250,000 residents. These days, Kasai is also known for having many international residents. Notably, the Indian population has grown to over 7,000. They include many IT engineers and their families, and their number continues to grow. About 20 years ago, I went on a backpacking trip all over the Himalayas, and I spent about a month in India. I really enjoyed my time there. Indian people are so friendly and nice to talk to. Well, this is an interesting looking shop. This grocery store specializes in Indian ingredients. Oh, wow, they have packaged samosas here. And mini samosas over here. Now, the smell in the store, too, it's... Wow, it's actually kind of nostalgic. I don't think I've smelled this since 20 years ago when I was in India. Wow. Do you think that there's any particular reason why they come to the Kasai area? Because there's like Indian schools also here. Grocery store also here. I see. To pay like in India. So easy to live. So it feels like a little piece of India that's here. Yes, yes, yes. Very convenient. One man has been helping make this town feel like home for Indian immigrants. Jagmohan Chandrani, who came to Japan in 1978. There were only a few roads around here, and this was primarily an agricultural area. I see. So why did you come to... We are actually in the import trade, import-export trade. So we required a warehouse. We had started to import tea from India. Chandrani works in the Indian tea trade. Kasai had a trading port that made it convenient for receiving and distributing goods. When he first arrived, there was still land available in the area, perfect for building a warehouse. As the number of Indian immigrants increased, Chandrani helped set up restaurants, a school, and more, creating a supportive environment for his compatriots. In the 2000s, Japanese companies started to hire many IT engineers from India, and the local community grew even further. Chandrani says there's a reason why Indian immigrants fell in love with this area. Moving water is something which humans feel very comfortable with. And it's the same in India. We still have our Ganges. The Ganges. Yes. So they'll just take their children, let them run around, and the adults will be walking, talking to each other, and enjoying the breeze. So it sounds like a river is an important part of the community. Yes. Kasai was once a place of few inhabitants. But today, it's a town nestled between rivers and the sea, resilient against disasters. Brimming with charm, it's become a welcoming home for international residents. Before I came to the Kasai area today, I didn't really have that much of an impression. But thanks to all the wonderful people who I've talked to, I've learned that the Kasai area is really like the rivers that surround it. Strong, powerful, and ever-changing. Together, we've seen how forces like changing industry in Tokyo, and flood prevention efforts, as well as ongoing internationalization, have changed the fate of this area. I'm really excited to see what the future will bring for the Kasai area.