Nihonbashi

Nihonbashi Bridge spans the Nihonbashi River in the north of Tokyo’s Chuo-ku district. A year after its construction in 1603, the bridge was defined as the base point (kilometer zero) for Japan’s national roads. Nihonbashi is also the starting point of the country’s ‘Five Ways’ (the Tokaido, Nakasendo, Nikko Kaido, Oshu Kaido, and Koshu Kaido roads).

Hiroshige Utagawa’s ukiyo-e painting, ‘Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido Road --Nihonbashi--Morning Scene’, is a representative work illustrating the Nihonbashi Bridge, and showing various classes of people mixing together. Through paintings such as this, it is understood that Nihonbashi developed into an area where many different people, artifacts and cultures blended together.

The district became the center of trade, with Uogashi (riverside fish markets) built on both banks of the Nihonbashi River, and also other markets selling supplies, such as rice and lumber. This led to commerce and industry evolving in the surrounding areas. Various wholesalers and rows of large-scale stores, managed by wealthy merchants, collected in the area. Kinza and Ginza (Gold and silver guilds) also established bases in the district.

Originally built as an arched wooden bridge, the Nihonbashi Bridge burned down several times throughout the Edo era and was rebuilt each time. The current stone arch, 49m in length and 27m wide, was built in 1911 and influenced by Renaissance designs. Even now, ‘kilometer zero’ can be found at the foot of the bridge. Ever since its original construction, Nihonbashi has been considered the center of Japan.