We’re in the midst of a record-breaking heat wave in Tokyo. And it’s also the start of the summer Bon holidays. Today is Mountain Day, and most people are off from Saturday through Thursday. There is a lot of travel, despite the recent mega-earthquake warnings. Some beaches and other travel locations are closed “just in case” but really people don’t know what to do about it. Just being aware, and maybe stocking up on emergency supplies – though stores have some limits now to prevent hoarding.

So in the middle of the heat and warnings, Hirokazu and I decided to take a short visit to a place I recently read about – Manseibashi Eki (Maseibashi Station). As described in this Japan Times article, Manseibashi Eki was built in the last year of the Meiji Era (1912) and operated as the last stop of the Chuo Line. Major roads and streetcar lines came together at the station, and led the surrounding area to develop into a busy shopping district. After the Chuo Line’s extension to Tokyo Station the number of passengers using the station began declining, and the station was closed to public use in 1943, during the war.

It was restored as a commercial facility in 2013, and currently hosts art exhibits and a few restaurants. The atmosphere has an interesting “old train station” to it, and there is a viewing platform on the 2nd floor where you can see Chuo line trains run by just 1 meter away.

My own station is on the Sobu Line, which connects to the Chuo Line on the same platform at Ochanomizu, which is one stop past Akihabara, the big electronics neighborhood. To get to Manseibashi, we took the train to Akihabara – just 6 stops from Shinkoiwa, where I live – and walked just a few minutes to Manseibashi.

The “bashi” in Manseibashi means bridge. On the way to the old station we cross the bridge, which runs over the Kanda River.

While crossing the bridge you can see the Kanda River. On the left is the old Manseibashi Eki.

Hirokazu and me by the bridge entrance. The Japanese reads まんせいばし (Manseibashi).

Inside the station there are various art exhibits. You can see it has a real old train station feel.

There are corridors running through the sections.

How would you vote? Yes or No?

A diorama showing what the area looked and felt like a hundred years ago.

Walking around the outside of station.

A moth on the doorway on the way back in. Click the link for the moth joke.

Upstairs you can view the tracks from the platform of old Manseibashi Station, and watch trains pass it by from just over 1 meter away.

A Chuo Line train passing by the long-closed station.

Some old railway track from the station.

It was a short, but interesting visit. Because of the extreme heat we headed home afterwards, and after cooling off and waiting for shadows to get longer outside, I took Pao for a short evening walk. He decided the route and length of time before he wanted to head back to the air-conditioning.