Denenchofu - An Upscale Garden Suburb

This time on "Dive in Tokyo," we explore Denenchofu.

It has a reputation as an upscale residential community.

The neighborhood was planned and developed in the early 20th century,

incorporating influences from Europe and the US.

This doesn't feel like Tokyo!

We'll see how local residents have been preserving the town's historic charm.

My heart feels at ease here.

And at a riverside park,

we'll discover how the area's roots stretch back to the ancient past.

Join us as we take a rejuvenating stroll through verdant Denenchofu.

"Dive in Tokyo"
Denenchofu - An Upscale Garden Suburb

The Denenchofu area is located to the south of central Tokyo.

It's about a 15-minute train ride from Shibuya.

Today we start at Denenchofu Station.

Hi! It's your reporter for the day, Kailene.

While I've been living in Tokyo for a while,

today, I've come to Denenchofu,

an area that I'm not particularly familiar with.

I think it's sort of a high-end suburb.

I'm looking forward to diving in to see what makes this neighborhood special.

Kailene is an illustrator originally from Minnesota in the US.

She's been living in Tokyo for nine years.

She recently published a guide to Japanese food culture

featuring her watercolor illustrations.

Look at this lovely, I don't know, building, architectural piece, here.

Let's meet our first guide for the day.

Hello!

Welcome.

I'm Kailene. Nice to meet you!

Tsukiji Takahisa is one of the curators of a local history museum.

I love the look of this building.

This is a recreation of the original Denenchofu Station building.

The station was built back in 1923, so exactly a century ago.

- This is what it looked like back then.
- Yes.

The western-style building was a beloved local landmark for generations.

But it was torn down when the station was moved underground.

It was later restored partly due to popular demand.

Let me show you the second floor.

Oh, a special tour!

Yes. There's a view of the neighborhood I'd like you to see.

I can't wait!

- Follow me.
- Lead the way!

Here we are.

What's this? A conference room?

Yes, they use it for meetings now.

Take a look at this view.

Notice anything about the town?

It's a great view...

The orientation of the streets catches my eye.

- One, two, three, four, five streets fanning out.
- Right.

You can see that they all spread out from the station in a radial pattern.

Does this remind you of any other cities abroad?

Yes, isn't this like...

That monument in France...

Yes, the Arc de Triomphe.

Right, that's it!

Back when this area was developed,

street layouts like this were rare in Japan.

But it seems the designers were inspired by Paris's iconic roundabout.

We head out onto the streets to learn more.

And come across something intriguing.

Take a look at this street here. Notice anything?

It's curved.

That's right.

These concentric roads that connect the radial roads are curved.

So this town spreads out like a fan from the station at the center.

Ah! The station is here, and the town's like this.

Let's take to the sky to get a better view.

We can see how the residential areas fan out from the former station building.

The unique development of this neighborhood

was led by industrialist Shibusawa Eiichi and his son Hideo.

They took inspiration from the cities they'd visited

while traveling abroad in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Around that time, an urban planning movement was underway in Britain,

creating verdant suburban settlements known as "garden cities."

The towns radiated out from a central plaza, just as in Denenchofu.

This fan-like layout served an aesthetic purpose.

Thanks to the curved streets, there's always greenery in sight.

Ah, I see!

And you can't see what's up ahead, so it creates a sense of anticipation.

Wow, that's clever!

Notice how hedges line these streets all the way down.

When they were developing this town, they established a rule.

If you wanted a wall for privacy, it had to be aesthetically pleasing.

There were regulations.

Yes. Denenchofu is very much a garden suburb.

But why was this area chosen for this new settlement?

Hundred years ago, the population of central Tokyo was growing rapidly.

It was becoming less than ideal as a residential environment.

Then in 1923 the Great Kanto Earthquake devastated the city center.

Many people moved out to the suburbs for safety.

That's how Denenchofu came to be.

At the time, the Denenchofu area was farmland.

So the planners were able to build their ideal town from the ground up.

Centered on the newly opened railway station,

they developed a residential area on the west side,

and a commercial area on the east,

along with a hospital, schools, and more.

It's said the zoning was inspired by Western cultures,

where there's a preference for keeping work and private life separate.

Among the attractions on the east side was an amusement park,

which became a popular destination for visitors from far and wide.

The town was planned as a single entity.

It was one of the first integrated residential developments in Japan.

The amazing thing is how traces of that 100-year-old townscape remain.

The residents have made many efforts to protect that heritage.

I imagine back then it felt like the town of the future.

But today it's a place that embodies the elegance of the past.

Very intriguing.

I agree.

Next, we head to a park in the residential area.

This green space was created along with the rest of Denenchofu a century ago.

There waiting for us is a man who can tell us more about the town's past.

- Hello.
- Hi! Pleased to meet you.

- May I?
- Please, be my guest.

Nakamura Kozo is a member of the town council.

How long have you been living here?

I'd say about 75 years.

Seventy-five years!

What do you love about Denenchofu?

More than anything... my heart feels at ease here.

I visit the city where it's crowded, and when I come home, I feel relief.

Not to mention the seasonality.

Such as?

In the spring the fresh green leaves of the ginkgo trees are beautiful.

Then in the fall they turn yellow.

It's a great atmosphere.

The members of the town council

put a lot of effort into maintaining the local greenery.

They've been tending to these flower beds by the station

since the town was first built.

And whenever construction or renovation work is planned on a house,

they work with developers and owners to make sure

that the dimensions and outer appearance

don't detract from the beauty of the area.

We want to increase the amount of green.

Our town council has a specific vision.

That's wonderful.

The work you're doing is important to protecting a town's appeal.

Any community would be lucky to have members like you.

Thank you.

The community here is committed to looking after its historic townscape.

Next, we visit a woman who runs a shop in the residential area.

We have this really cute, sort of old-fashioned house here.

We go inside.

Welcome!

- Hello!
- Please, come in!

How cute! Wow. It feels like I've been transported overseas!

We sell vintage Nordic tableware, textiles, and more.

Mori Yuriko is the owner of this shop.

She's also a journalist and essayist

who's published several books about Nordic lifestyle and culture.

The vintage pieces sold here are all items she bought

while visiting the region.

Do you have a favorite item?

I'm fond of these spice jars.

- Where are they from?
- These are from Denmark.

I love the warmth you get from the combination of ceramic and wood.

The classic color palette goes nicely with Japanese tableware.

I bet!

I noticed this is a residential house.

Yes, it's 89... almost 90 years old.

We've made renovations, like the window frames and the stairs.

This house was originally built soon after development on Denenchofu began.

It's changed very little over the years,

other than the occasional reinforcement and repair work.

Sometimes I'll be out pulling weeds and working in the garden

when one of my elderly neighbors will stop in front of the house.

"Denenchofu used to have many houses like this," they'll say...

with a tinge of nostalgia.

You've made this house so charming.

And with this shop, many more people will come to see it.

Yes!

Next, we head to another house nearby

that's been adapted into a cultural space.

We've got an art gallery here.

This mansion was built 20 years ago.

This place is massive and it's so beautiful.

What?

Whoa.

This was not what I was expecting.

It's really cool, though.

- Welcome!
- Hello.

This is incredible!

I've never seen anything like this. It's moving!

We're greeted by a series of abstract sculptural pieces.

The owner and former resident of this mansion

decided to turn the space into a gallery in 2012.

On this day, they're showing an exhibition by an artist from Hiroshima.

The exhibition starts in the room just through here.

It's a Japanese-style room with tatami mats!

This is really cool.

Suddenly, you have these little pops of

like very light pink and very light blue,

which makes it feel more modern, I guess.

And more like the pop genre, but at same time, it's so dimensional.

Literally, the artist has used the whole space in here.

This is like an interactive experience.

This tea-ceremony room has been transformed into an installation,

with a sculpture arranged along the borders of the tatami mats.

The exhibition takes full advantage of the traditional charm

and ample garden space offered by this Denenchofu mansion.

Hello there!

Hi! I'm Matsumoto, the artist.

What an amazing exhibition. Your art evokes so many emotions.

This is how I created the sculptures on display.

You must have magic fingers!

They're quite normal!

First, I wrap the thread around the base.

Then I go up the fabric, winding the thread around.

And then I go down so the thread intersects with itself.

I tie it up... and this one is done.

One out of many! It seems very time intensive.

Would you like to feel it?

Oh, it's quite stiff.

Yes. I use a traditional technique called "shiborizome."

Shiborizome is a dyeing method in which fabric is tied in certain places

before it's dyed in order to produce patterns.

It's used to create designs for items like kimonos and hand towels.

But after tying off her fabrics, Matsumoto doesn't dye them.

She turns them into sculptural art.

Your sculptures are quite large.

Yes.

How does it feel to hold an exhibition in Denenchofu?

This gallery is a special space.

The large entryway, the tea-ceremony room,

the living room with a fireplace, the big garden.

This space has allowed me to present my sculptures from many angles.

How wonderful.

I see this show as a collaboration

between a Japanese-style house and this traditional technique.

Next, we venture south, towards the Tama River.

Along the bank is a plateau that rises up to 20 meters above river level.

We'll head there first.

There's a lot of stairs. Let's go check it out.

We made it to the top. And there is the shrine.

This is Tamagawa Sengen Shrine.

It was founded roughly 800 years ago

and is dedicated to the worship of Mt. Fuji.

We have a beautiful view over here. Let's check this out first.

Wow, it's so beautiful.

On the opposite side of the river is Kanagawa Prefecture.

We've got the river, we've got some buildings, we've got a beautiful bridge...

The weather's nice. It's lovely!

There's the "shinkansen," the bullet train.

Hello!

I'm Kailene.

I'm Saito.

Our guide for this area is curator Saito Aya.

There used to be something here. Actually, it's still here.

Can you guess what?

This shrine was built on top of it.

Well, I did notice we're on high ground...

What is it?

This shrine was built atop a "kofun."

Kofun?

Kofun are ancient burial mounds built in Japan

between the third and seventh centuries.

They served as tombs for elites and other high-ranking figures.

Beneath this shrine is a kofun from around the sixth century.

It's a keyhole-shaped structure

that's about 60 meters long and 30 meters across.

So there are kofun in the Tokyo area!

Yes. Actually, many have been lost to urban development and so on.

But there are still kofun along the east bank of Tama River.

I had no idea!

Around 50 remain, maybe more. Vestiges of the past.

Denenchofu in particular is home to a cluster of kofun.

There are as many as ten burial mounds

in the riverside area immediately north of the shrine.

They're all located inside a public park.

Kailene, take a look over there.

It looks like a forest.

But it's actually a burial mound called Kamenokoyama Kofun.

Oh wow!

I imagined a rounded mass but it's actually quite long.

Right. One hundred seven meters from end to end.

- One hundred seven meters!
- Yes.

What appears to be a wooded hill is actually another keyhole-shaped kofun.

A series of surveys conducted since the 1920s

have discovered several burial mounds around this location.

Why here?

Take a look down there. That's the Tama River.

We're on higher ground here.

They built tombs for prominent figures in these elevated spots

so that people would be impressed when they looked up at them.

They're impressive to look up at, and the entombed gets a nice view!

We believe that's why they chose to build tombs all along the river.

Inside one of the park's facilities is a partial recreation of a kofun.

- What do you think?
- Is this what I think it is?

Yes, it's the circular portion of a keyhole-shaped kofun.

This is a full-scale model of a kofun from the late sixth century.

- Remember the wooded hill?
- Yes.

It would've looked like this.

Oh wow, completely different!

Yes, this is the original form.

Placed atop the burial mounds were terracotta figurines called "haniwa."

Were they decorative?

Their purpose was to protect the tomb and its occupants from evil spirits.

This is the entrance to the stone chamber.

Shall we?

It's quite a big space.

A chamber made of stones housed the coffin.

And buried along with the body were many ornamental objects.

Excavations have unearthed a variety of items.

Mirrors, glass beads, jade necklaces, rusted swords.

And of course, haniwa.

They had cylindrical haniwa as well as ones shaped like animals.

How cute!

Horses and deer and so forth.

People in Japan have been making charming objects for a long time!

It's fun to see this and imagine what it was like back then.

I'm glad to hear that.

Denenchofu is one of the few places in Tokyo

where you can see these ancient burial mounds up close.

Our final destination today is another nature-filled space

that speaks to Denenchofu's history.

So the bus stop is named "Tamagawa Onshitsumura,"

which means "Tamagawa greenhouse village."

Maybe there's some sort of greenhouse in the area?

Let's see if we can find it.

We've arrived at a low-lying area sandwiched

between Tama River and the plateau that extends from the park.

A residential neighborhood stretches into the distance.

Here we go. Here we go.

I bet you this is a greenhouse right here.

Let's see.

Hello!

Is that a greenhouse back there?

Yes!

This is Akimoto Chikako. Her family runs a greenhouse and plant nursery.

The bus stop said "greenhouse village."

There used to be many greenhouses here for growing carnations.

In this area?

It was pretty much all greenhouses around here.

When Denenchofu was first developed a century ago,

this area became home to horticulturalists,

who cultivated flowers such as carnations and roses.

At one point, there were over 30 greenhouses in this neighborhood.

There's a reason why this location was chosen for greenhouse cultivation.

The adjacent plateau offered an abundance of spring water,

and the lowlands had good drainage.

What's more, the proximity to the city center

meant there was a market for flowers.

- May I look inside?
- Be my guest.

I'd love a tour!

Wow, look at all these plants!

Such a wide variety.

Yes. I've never really counted...

I believe we have about 50 varieties.

The Akimoto family's plant nursery was founded in 1941.

Akimoto's father-in-law Fujio uprooted the family to Denenchofu

in order to start cultivating carnations using greenhouse farming.

After World War II, their flower business grew rapidly.

But gradually, flower cultivation moved to rural areas and overseas,

and the greenhouse village became a residential area.

The Akimotos shifted their focus

from flowers to ornamental plants and bonsai.

They even started renting out greenery.

Today, their business is the only one that remains.

They hope to keep the legacy of this greenhouse village alive.

This is such a charming neighborhood. And this is a beautiful greenhouse.

I hope it lives on.

Me too.

See this bamboo grove?

Oh yes!

We even get some bamboo shoots.

Wow, that's rare here in the city!

My friends tell me Denenchofu-grown bamboo shoots are a delicacy!

The air here is clean and fresh.

I think this town is wonderful.

It's not for me to say, but thank you.

Denenchofu was an area

that I really wasn't familiar with before coming here today.

And I was really missing out.

The people who work and live in the area

are so passionate about the ancient history,

the more recent history, and even the current movement in the area.

If you find yourself tired from busy Tokyo-life,

it's an excellent area to enjoy the greenery, the wide roads,

and a breath of fresh air from busy Tokyo-life.