As cities evolve, they often begin to resemble one another, shaped by familiar patterns of development. Yet some places retain a character of their own—and continue to be chosen, generation after generation. Ochanomizu is one of them. View of the Kanda River and railway tracks from Hijiri Bridge The area around JR Ochanomizu Station is defined by its complex terrain. With landmarks like Hijiri Bridge and the steep slopes running along the Kanda River, the neighborhood offers a vivid sense of Tokyo’s layered geography. Simply walking through it, you begin to understand just how intricate the city really is. And then, along those slopes overlooking the river valley, an unexpected scene unfolds. Shops with walls covered entirely in guitars. Showcases filled with vintage brass instruments. Out front, young musicians pick up instruments and play—faces serious, completely absorbed in the moment. Even today, Ochanomizu remains one of the largest and most concentrated musical instrume...
Who was the first famous person in Japanese history? That’s not an easy question—but there’s one name that stands out. Her name was Himiko , and she ruled nearly 1,800 years ago. While powerful figures likely existed in Japan long before her, Himiko is special for one key reason: She is the earliest known individual in Japanese history that we can actually identify today by name —with a fairly clear historical context and credible evidence of her existence. An Identifiable Person in a Prehistoric Land Japan in the 3rd century CE had no written records of its own. Most of what we know about this time comes from Chinese historical texts , especially the Records of Wei (魏志倭人伝), part of the Records of the Three Kingdoms . This document tells us that the country of Wa (early Japan) had been in turmoil under the rule of male kings. It was said that conflict could not be resolved until the people "made a woman named Himiko their ruler." She was described as a shaman-que...