Tokyo San-Esu Ltd. is headquartered near JR Okachimachi Station in the southwestern part of Taito ward, Tokyo.
From here, with Chiyoda ward to the southwest and Bunkyo ward to the northwest nearby, we take a weekend morning bike ride in central Tokyo.
Under a clear blue winter sky, we will introduce you to the unique weekend views of the city center and more.

Start from “Tokyo San-Esu Ltd. Head Office” in Taito ward

Tokyo San-Esu Ltd., headquartered in Taito ward, was established in 1927. The company is a general wholesaler of bicycles and a planner and seller of original products.
From the headquarters, which still retains a downtown atmosphere, we will start cycling in the direction of Chiyoda ward.

Shoheibashi Bridge over Kanda River

Shoheibashi Bridge, 1.5 km southwest of the Tokyo San-Esu head office, spans Kanda river in Chiyoda ward, Tokyo.
Looking toward Ochanomizu station from Shoheibashi bridge, you can see the intersection of the JR Chuo line, JR Sobu line, and Tokyo Metro Marunouchi line.

The Chuo line and Sobu line trains are just crossing each other.

Marunouchi/Tokyo Station

A one-kilometer ride south of Shoheibashi bridge will take you to Otemachi and Marunouchi.

One of Japan’s most prestigious office districts, lined with the head offices of major banks and other large corporations, is a quiet and beautiful sight on Sunday mornings, with hardly any workers or cars in sight.

Kokyo Gaien National Garden (Imperial Place Outer Garden / Imperial Palace Plaza)

If you turn west from Tokyo station, you will immediately see Imperial Palace Plaza. Located near Nijubashimae subway station, this is a symbolic plaza Kokyo Gaien National Garden.

The vast plaza has an open atmosphere that one would not expect in the heart of the metropolitan city.

Nippon Budokan

Ride about 2km counterclockwise from Imperial Palace Plaza to Nippon Budokan, located in Kitanomaru Plaza in the outer gardens of Imperial Palace.

Nippon Budokan was built as the site of the Judo competitions for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics.
For me, the image of Budokan is more as a “sacred place for music” where the Beatles’ concert was held in 1966 than as a “Budo (martial arts)” venue.

Passing through “Tayasumon gate,”we headed toward Waseda street.

Ushi-Tenjin Kitano-Jinja Shrine

If you ride in the direction of Suidobashi from in front of Iidabashi station and cross Kanda river to the north, you will find yourself in Bunkyo ward. In front of you is the Tokyo Dome City.

Passing by Koishikawa Korakuen Garden, go up the slope of Kasuga-dori avenue to Ushi-Tenjin Kitano-Jinja Shrine.

It is said that your wish will come true if you pet the cow-shaped rock “Negai-ushi” in the precincts of the shrine.

During the Ume Festival, we were offered “amazake” (sweet sake).

Nezu Shrine

From Ushi-Tenjin Kitano-Jinja Shrine, pass by the University of Tokyo to Nezu Shrine.

Nezu Shrine is said to have been established nearly 1,900 years ago by Yamato Takeru (12th Emperor of Japan) and is one of the “Tokyo Jissha” (ten shrines in Tokyo).

There is also “Otome Inari Shrine” with many torii gates in the precincts of the shrine.

Bunkyo Ward and Taito Ward “Hebi-michi”

Crossing Shinobazu-dori street from Nezu Shrine leads to Yomise-dori Street, commonly known as “Hebi-michi” (Snake Road).

As the name suggests, this winding road is lined with old-fashioned townhouses and has a rich downtown atmosphere. On the left (west side) is Sendagi, Bunkyo ward, and on the right (east side) is Yanaka, Taito ward.

VANER

Go through Yanaka Ginza shopping street toward JR Nippori station. Go south along Yanaka Cemetery to “VANER”.

The bakery shop VANER opened in August 2018 in a renovated old house from the early Showa period called “Uenosakuragi-atari” in Taito ward, Tokyo.
The bakery’s popular baked goods are made from flavorful wheat harvested in Norway and baked with sourdough fermentation.

We chose a cinnamon roll and a cardamom roll for takeout.

Ueno Onshi Park

International Library of Children’s Literature, which specializes in children’s books, is open to all generations.

If you ride through “Ueno Onshi Park,” you will find a “Panda Post”.

Finally, we paid a visit to “Gojoten Shrine”, to which Tokyo San-Esu is indebted, and returned to the head office in Okachimachi to finish the cycling.

Course Introduction

▼ Ushi-Tenjin Kitano Shrine
http://ushitenjin.jp/

More information is also available at:
Taito Ward – Bunkyo Ward Circuit 20km Course
https://tabi-rin.com/archives/course/85966

Summary

Cycling about 20km for about 4hours on a weekend morning.
A quiet morning in Otemachi and Marunouchi in Chiyoda ward, where you can feel the center of the Japanese economy, the wide sky in the plaza in front of Imperial Palace that you would not expect to find in the heart of the city, and “Yanesen (Yanaka, Nezu and Sendagi)” where you can feel the good old atmosphere of Tokyo.
I also learned once again that Yanaka is in Taito ward, while Nezu and Sendagi are in Bunkyo ward.
It is refreshing to see new scenery that you have never seen before, not to mention roads that are new to you, just by being on a different day of the week or at a different time of the day.
The weather is going to get warmer and warmer from now on. This weekend was a good opportunity for me to go looking for more “unknown scenery somewhere nearby” by bicycle.

Cooperation: TOKYO SAN-ESU Ltd.
Text/Photo: Yasushi Hanada