The Kanda River (
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/9/9b/Kandagawa_River%2C_in_Nakano_Ward.jpg/220px-Kandagawa_River%2C_in_Nakano_Ward.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/25/Ochanomizu_Station_May_2005-2.jpg/220px-Ochanomizu_Station_May_2005-2.jpg)
Tributaries and branches
editThe Zenpukuji, Momozono, and Myōshō-ji rivers are tributaries of the Kanda. The outer moat of the Imperial Palace is also a tributary. The Nihonbashi River is a distributary of the Kanda.
History
editOriginally the lower part of the river ran southwards into an inlet of the sea that ran northwards to present-day Hibiya and Kokyo Gaien plaza. During the rule of the shogun Tokugawa Hidetada, the river was diverted to flow into the Sumida River, with the spoil from the diversion used to reclaim the cove at Hibiya.[1]
In the middle section of the length of the river, there is a 2.1 km section from the area near Toden Arakawa Line Waseda Station to near Iidabashi Station which was formerly called Edo River (
Construction began in the 1980s of a diversion tunnel which could temporarily store excess water which historically has been a big problem causing flooding to thousands of homes during powerful typhoons or torrential downpours. The Kanda River Underground Diversion Channel is actually one huge tunnel built under major roads. The plan is to construct a 4.5-km tunnel, 13 m wide tunnel 40 meters below street level. The first 2 km section was completed in 1997, and it can hold the runoff of 50 mm of rain falling in one hour. The reservoir has drawn water from the river on more than a dozen occasions since it opened, and the Kanda River has not flooded during that time. Plans call for the tunnel to be extended to Tokyo Bay, literally creating a second, underground Kanda River.[2]
Notable bridges and locations
editIn popular culture
editThe folk group Kaguyahime released the song Kandagawa in 1973 and sold more than a million copies. Keiko Sekine (Takahashi) and Masao Kusakari starred in a film based on the song.
Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii composed the music Whisper of the River to express his love for his father after the two took a walk along the Kanda River.[3]
The Kanda River is also featured prominently in the multimedia project Kandagawa Jet Girls. It serves as the venue for all of the anime version's Jet Racing and VR training sequences as well as assorted other activities throughout the series.
References
edit- ^ Yoshimi, Shunya (2024). "The Layers of Occupied Tokyo. From Ancient Archipelago to Postwar Olympic City". In Kobayashi, Masami (ed.). Tokyo Urbanism: From Hinterland to Kaiwai. World Scientific. p. 31.
- ^ The Kanda River Underground Diversion Channel Nipponia, No.23, December 15, 2002, Accessed on March 28, 2008
- ^ "【
辻井 伸行 】挑戦 し続 ける鍵盤 アーティスト!映画 音楽 " - www.zakzak.co.jp
External links
edit35°41′42″N 139°47′17″E / 35.694964°N 139.788°E (confluence with Sumida River)