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Looking toward Shibamata Station with Tora San Statue in the square

 

About

The Tokyo suburb town of Shibamata is known by few foreigners but is super famous with the Japanese. Shibamata is the set location for Japan's most famous movie series called Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo or in English, "It's A Tough Life For A Man". The series ran from 1969 to 1995 with 48 movies being made. The main actor, Kiyoshi Atsumi as Tora San, became a legend in Japan (kind of like Elvis in the US). As you see in the header image of this page a statue of Tora San greets you in the square in front of Shibamata Station, on many days you will see tons of Japanese standing next to the statue and having their picture taken.

The town itself is a quaint Showa Era (1926–1989) town with some really old buildings and some newer buildings built after the war. There is a main shopping street that leads down to the main temple, the Shibamata Taishakuten Temple, which is seen quite a bit the the Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo movies. The shopping street has your typical Japanese Restaurants but more famously has many "Dango Shops". A Dango is smashed rice rolled up into a little ball and then three of these balls are skewered on a little stick. The balls are then covered with sweet bean paste. The main Family in the Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo movies owned a Dango Shop so that's why there are so many of these shops along the main shopping street in Shibamata. You should definitely buy and try some Dango, it's a very different taste than you might experience in your own country. Some people love it, others... not so much (the sweetness and texture is just too strange for some).

Once you pass through the main shopping street you'll come upon the Shibamata Taishakuten Temple. It's a pretty standard local town temple but there is a 500 year old large pine tree which resembles a dragon in front of the temple's Taishakudo Hall. The temple is also famous for its wooden carvings which were made by the same artists who also contributed to the construction of Nikko's Toshogu. Beyond the temple (the next building down the street) is a really nice garden called Yamamoto-tei, former merchant's residence which is now open for general viewing. Warning, there are lots of mosquitoes in the garden in the summer! If you don't protect yourself, you will be bitten.

Another place to visit in Shibamata is the Tora San Museum. Of course it's a hot destination for fans of the Otoko Wa Tsurai Yo movies but it's also interesting because it displays scenes from life in Tokyo during the Showa Era. Finally, if your extremely nostalgic about Tora San, you can climb the bank of the Edogawa River and view another spot that many of the scenes in the movie were shot (along the side-walk that runs along the river). You can even cross the river by boat (as Tora San did) at the Yagiri no Watashi river crossing, the only surviving traditional type boat crossing in Tokyo (although... there is nothing really on the other side so it's just for fun).

 

Access

Closest Train Station: Shibamata

Shibamata 4-8
Katsushika-shi, Tokyo 125-0052 Japan

Shibamata is a bit out-of-the-way but you can usually get there in under an hour from Tokyo. Take the Keisei Main Line from Keisei-Ueno or Nippori Station to Keisei-Takasago Station (15 minutes) and transfer to the Keisei Kanamachi Line for Shibamata (2 minutes).

Google Map

 

Hotels & Lodging

Recommended

View a full list of Hotels and Lodging in or nearby Shibamata.

 

Hours & Fees

Hours: Shopping Street This is an area (suburb of Tokyo) so the area is open 24/7 but most of the shops open around 10:00 a.m. and close around 6:00 p.m.Shibamata Taishakuten Temple Like most all temples, the grounds are

Closed: Never

Cost: Varies depending on attraction. See "Hours" above.

Information presented is based on the time it was created. There may be changes since publication. Please confirm information by contacting the attraction before visiting.