From Yebisu Garden Place to Daikanyama and the Meguro River in Nakameguro

At Yebisu Garden Place, learn about the origin of the town's name, Ebisu, and visit the Tokyo Photographic Art Museum located on the premises before walking to Daikanyama. After exploring Hillside Terrace along Kyu-Yamate-dori Street and the backstreet shops, walk toward Nakameguro to reach the Meguro River and follow the cherry-tree-lined riverbank toward the Meguro-shinbashi Bridge area.

History and Local Charm

Until the mid-Meiji period, the area from Ebisu to Shibuya was a peaceful rural district. At that time, the place name "Ebisu" did not exist yet. In 1889, a brewery for Yebisu Beer was completed in what is now Mita, Meguro Ward. A freight terminal built to transport the beer was named "Yebisu Station" after the brand, which became the origin of the town name Ebisu.

In 1927, the Tokyo-Yokohama Railway (now the Tokyu Toyoko Line) opened in Daikanyama. From that era, Daikanyama was an estate district, remaining a quiet residential area for a long time after World War II. The turning point for the neighborhood was the completion of Hillside Terrace in 1969. People in fields such as fashion, design, and architecture began gathering here, and Daikanyama became widely known as a stylish neighborhood for grown-ups.

The Meguro River was once a meandering waterway. Riverworks that began in 1923 were completed in 1937 after a brief pause, straightening the river course to nearly what it is today. The cherry trees along both banks are said to have originated when local residents planted them during the early Showa period river improvement works, and the current trees are said to be the third generation.

A neighborhood born from a former brewery, a relaxed district that grew out of an estate quarter, and a cherry tree avenue planted by local residents. Along this course, you can walk while sensing how each piece of land took shape.

Highlights

• ​Yebisu Garden Place​​: A large-scale complex opened on October 8, 1994, on the former site of the Yebisu Beer brewery. The brewery relocated in 1988, closing about 100 years of beer-making history. Highlights include the mechanical automaton clock at the Entrance Pavilion, the brick and cobblestone streetscape, and the "SKY LOUNGE" observation floors on the 38th and 39th floors of the 167-meter-tall Yebisu Garden Place Tower.
• ​Tokyo Photographic Art Museum​​: A museum dedicated to photography and moving images located in the West Area of Yebisu Garden Place. It held its comprehensive opening in January 1995 as Japan's first comprehensive museum devoted to photography and moving images. On its exterior wall, Robert Capa's photograph US troops landing on Omaha Beach on D-Day is displayed on a grand scale. There are three exhibition galleries on the 3rd floor, 2nd floor, and basement 1st floor.
• ​Daikanyama​​: A calm, refined neighborhood centered around Daikanyama Station on the Tokyu Toyoko Line. Along Kyu-Yamate-dori Street stand Hillside Terrace, built over a span of about 30 years and designed by architect Maki Fumihiko, and the Royal Danish Embassy, also designed by Maki Fumihiko in consideration of visual continuity with the landscape. In front of Hillside Terrace Building E stands Sarugakuzuka, an ancient burial mound designated as a ward cultural property.
• ​Meguro River Cherry Tree Avenue​​: One of Tokyo's leading cherry blossom viewing spots, featuring approximately 800 Somei-Yoshino cherry trees planted along both banks over an expanse of about 3.8 km from Ikejiri-Ohashi to Kamenokobashi Bridge in Shinagawa Ward. A major appeal is how the blossoming branches stretch out from both sides to form a canopy over the water. When the blossoms fall, the surface of the river turning pink is also picturesque. Even outside the cherry blossom season, the area is rich in greenery, and sweetfish (ayu) and kingfishers can sometimes be seen.

Recommended Route and Time Required

The estimated time required is about 4 hours. From the East Exit of JR Ebisu Station, follow the "Yebisu Skywalk" moving walkway for about a 5-minute walk to reach Yebisu Garden Place. First, take a look at the automaton clock at the Entrance Pavilion, then proceed to Center Square near the middle of the grounds. The Tokyo Photographic Art Museum is located in the West Area of the same complex, with its main entrance on the museum's east side. View Capa's photo on the exterior wall before entering the building to check and tour the floors hosting the exhibitions you wish to see.

Daikanyama is approximately 1.2 kilometers straight to the northwest, about a 10-minute walk from Ebisu Station. Along Kyu-Yamate-dori Street, admire Hillside Terrace and the Royal Danish Embassy, view Sarugakuzuka, and stroll while browsing distinctive shops along the back alleys. North of Daikanyama Station lies Log Road Daikanyama, where wooden buildings stand on the former site of the Tokyu Toyoko Line tracks.

From Daikanyama, you can also walk to Nakameguro. The banks of the Meguro River are about a 2-minute walk from Nakameguro Station. From here, walk along the river toward Meguro Station, following the cherry tree-lined banks to near the Meguro-shinbashi Bridge. Walking up Gonnosukezaka Slope from Meguro-shinbashi Bridge takes about 10 minutes to reach JR Meguro Station.

The cherry blossoms are typically in peak bloom from late March to early April. While many visitors arrive during this period, Meguro Ward notes that mornings offer a relatively relaxed time to view the blossoms. As the riverside is a quiet residential area, please keep voices down and do not litter.

Summary of the Experience

Trace the origin of a town's name at the site of an old brewery, and confront a legendary image in the history of photography at a museum of photography and moving images. Walk through the leafy avenues and backstreet shops of Daikanyama, born from an estate district, and end at the Meguro River, lined with cherry trees planted by local residents. It is a route that can be enjoyed in different seasons, with cherry blossoms in spring and lush riverside greenery at other times of year.