Did you know Yodobashi Bridge has a rather colorful past? Let me tell you a tale that stretches back centuries. We’re standing on Yodobashi Bridge. It is more than just a way to cross the Kanda River.
The area around Yodobashi Bridge was once Yodobashi Village. This village gives the bridge its name. But there’s more to the story than just geography.
Once, the bridge was called “The Bridge of the Invisible Figures”. This name came from a chilling legend. Suzuki Kurō, a wealthy man from the Muromachi Period, supposedly buried his treasure nearby. He then killed the workers to keep the location secret and threw their bodies into the river. Locals claimed to see figures crossing the bridge. Only one ever returned. This gave rise to the bridge’s eerie former name.
Later, Tokugawa Iemitsu, a shogun, visited the bridge. He found the old name unlucky. The river reminded him of the Yodo River in Kyoto. He renamed it Yodobashi Bridge. This was a great honor. The town around the bridge then adopted the name Yodobashi. Even the famous electronics store, Yodobashi Camera, gets its name from this bridge. The store started in the area near Shinjuku Nishiguchi.
Yodobashi ward used to be its own district. In 1947, it merged with Yotsuya and Ushigome wards. They formed what is now Shinjuku ward.
So, next time you cross Yodobashi Bridge, remember its history. It involves murder, paranoia, and a shogun’s whim. Yodobashi Bridge is much more than just a bridge. It’s a landmark with stories etched into its very foundations.