Kaze-no-Sanpomichi Path

In short

​Kaze-no-Sanpomichi Path​ is an 800-meter-long path stretching along the Tamagawa Aqueduct from Mitaka Station to Mansuke Bridge. Serving as a symbolic street for Mitaka—a park city of water and greenery—it passes the Mitaka City Yamamoto Yuzo Memorial Museum. The path leads toward Inokashira Onshi Park, and visitors can also walk from here to the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka.

• ​Tamagawa Aqueduct​​: An aqueduct whose construction began in 1653 (the second year of the Joo era) and began supplying water the following year. It was designated a National Historic Site in 2003.
• ​Gyokkaseki​​: A specialty stone from Kanagi Town in Aomori Prefecture, the birthplace of Dazai Osamu, placed along the sidewalk without any inscriptions.
• ​A Playful Path​​: The granite sidewalk features benches, monuments, footprint tiles, and directional signs for the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka.

History and Highlights

​Kaze-no-Sanpomichi Path​ is an 800-meter-long path running along the Tamagawa Aqueduct from Mitaka Station to Mansuke Bridge. It is a symbolic street for Mitaka, a park city of greenery and water. Its name was selected from more than 1,000 public submissions.

Flowing alongside the path is the Tamagawa Aqueduct, which was contracted and constructed by the brothers Shoemon and Seiemon under orders from the shogunate in 1653 (Joo 2). Water supply began the following year, in Joo 3 (1654). Extending approximately 43 kilometers from the Hamura Intake to the Yotsuya Okido Gate, it was designated a National Historic Site in 2003.

There are spots associated with the writer Dazai Osamu along this path. In a small open space along the way, there is a relief inscribed with a passage from Kojiki Gakusei ("The Beggar Student"), in which Dazai wrote about the Tamagawa Aqueduct. The exact spot where Dazai entered the waters of the Tamagawa Aqueduct remains unclear today. Nevertheless, in response to fans who wished to know the final location, a Gyokkaseki stone was placed on the sidewalk across from a large zelkova tree where his footwear was reportedly found neatly arranged. This is a specialty stone from Kanagi Town in Aomori Prefecture, Dazai's birthplace. Based on the concept that "rather than letting the stone speak, it should be left to the imagination of the viewer," nothing is engraved on the stone.

Along the path stands a Western-style house built during the Taisho era. Author Yamamoto Yuzo lived here from 1936 to 1946 (Showa 11 to 21), and it is now the Mitaka City Yamamoto Yuzo Memorial Museum.

Highlights to See and Experience

• ​Granite Sidewalk​​: The walkway is paved with granite and features stylish benches, small open spaces, and monuments. It is designed to make strolling enjoyable.
• ​Footprint Tiles and Directional Signs​​: Filled with playful touches, such as footprint tiles and directional signs for the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka. The signage along the aqueduct points in the direction of the museum.
• ​The Aqueduct at Night​​: Featuring matching street lamps and bollards, along with installations that illuminate the trees along the Tamagawa Aqueduct, this path offers beautiful scenery at night.

Walking Tips

Begin walking from the South Exit of Mitaka Station along the aqueduct. Continuing for a short distance, you will find the Mitaka City Yamamoto Yuzo Memorial Museum on the right, about a 12-minute walk from the South Exit of Mitaka Station. The surrounding area is a residential district developed in the early Showa period.

Mansuke Bridge, located at the end of the path, dates back to the Ansei era and is one of the oldest bridges in the city. The bridge's name derives from Mansuke, the hereditary name of the Watanabe family of Shimorenjaku Village, who built it. Beyond the bridge lies Inokashira Onshi Park; a leisurely walk along the Tamagawa Aqueduct from the South Exit of Mitaka Station takes about 15 minutes to reach the Ghibli Museum, Mitaka. The Dazai Osamu Literary Salon, located near Mitaka Station, is about 540 meters west from here.