Tama River: Hokusai Print, Torii-gate, And The Homeless People I Met

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If I head South from my residence, it takes about 2km to reach Tama River. The river mouth is approximately 14km away, close to Haneda Tokyo Airport, while its source lies in Yamanashi Prefecture not too far away from Mt. Fuji. 


Fig. Tama River. The yellow line shows the river. It begins in Yamanashi prefecture and flows into Tokyo Bay near Haneda airport. The flow is relatively straight.

Source: google earth modified by the author

 Fig. Tama River shows where the river is located. The river is relatively straight. I frequently enjoy walking or cycling along the scenic river. In spring, cherry blossom are beautiful around this spot. The interested reader can visit Beautiful Tama River Forum at

https://www.sakurakaido.jp/sakura/view/6 

Katsushika Hokusai (1760 – 1849), the renowned artist, seemed to find inspirations in the distant view of Mt. Fuji along this river. The video below by GazeTeikoku shows some of the views that he liked.

HOKUSAI 36 Views of Mt. Fuji "Tama River in Musashi Province" Actual view & Deformation

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kpwVfpoPbLE&ab_channel=GazeTeikoku 

The river eventually leads to a fascinating sight—a Torii-gate standing just a few meters from the water’s edge at the river mouth.

Fig. The Torii Gate at dawn, Tama River Mouth near Haneda Airport

This is a schematic picture. The interested reader can visit

多摩川散歩 at

http://tamagawa.circlemy.com/event-05.html

The interested reader can also visit Wow! Japan site at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oMveIGNXLsU

This unique setting has an interesting backstory.



While strolling along Tama River, I encountered a group of people sitting on portable chairs on the riverbed, engaging in conversation. Observing the blue tents nearby, I assumed they were homeless people. Curious to learn more about their situation, I approached them and initiated a friendly conversation. They were kind enough to share their experiences with me. The homeless individuals expressed that sitting by the river and watching the Tama River provided them some comfort. 

One of the individuals hailed from Amami Ohshima, one of the Southern most islands of Japan, explaining that the lack of job opportunities motivated him to leave his hometown. Instead of relying on welfare, he has adopted a self-reliant approach. His livelihood involves collecting cans to save money, eventually purchasing a cart to collect industrial waste, which they can sell for better prices to nearby companies. This enables him to save further and even consider living in an inexpensive apartment.

During our conversation, they advised against drinking tap water due to the high chlorine content, opting for mineral water instead. They kindly offered me some pickles made from local plants around the riverbed, a gift from a neighboring housewife who had a good relationship with them. Additionally, they mentioned purchasing discounted bento meals from Konbini.

I found their resourcefulness and health consciousness impressive and left the encounter with a deeper understanding of their daily struggles and resilience. Meeting these individuals provided me with a unique perspective on the diverse experiences of those living along Tama River.

 

 

 


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