Fish Market at Nihon Bridge

Nihon Bridge was the most famous bridge in Edo (present-day Tokyo), Japan’s eastern capital. This arched bridge was built in 1602 by the Tokugawa shogunate to span one of the many tributaries that emptied its water into the Sumida River. The area around this bridge became Edo’s most vital commercial and transportation center. Retail and wholesale establishments, storage buildings, and houses lined the riverbanks. Merchandise and passengers were transported to and from this area by boat. Two major highways connecting Edo and Kyoto —the Tokaido Road along the Pacific coast and the Kiso Road, which traversed rugged mountainous regions —converged near the Nihon Bridge. The bridge built here in 1911 still stands, and the surrounding area continues to be one of Tokyo’s most vibrant business centers.