Last updated March 31, 2024

Follow the old road to Nikko
20. Kita-senju, Minami-senju
Matsuo Basho left on his "Oku-no-Hosomichi" from Daisenju. Senju, North East of Edo, was the first rest area on the road to Nikko. View the vestiges of this rest point town while following the temples, shrines and remnants of the Edo period dotted along the old road to Nikko.
- Joto
- Culture/History
- Downtown
Route
Select a spot to see details such as tourist information and barrier-free information.
- Start JR, Tokyo MetroKita-Senju Station [West Exit]
About 1 minute on foot
About 50 meters
- Spot1 Kitasenju Marui/
THEATRE1010About 7 minutes on foot
About 400 meters Travel Tips
- Spot2 Shosenji Temple
About 8 minutes on foot
About 430 meters
- Bus Stop Toei Bus 草43Senju 1-chome Bus Stop
About 4 minutes by bus
2nd stop
- Bus Stop Toei Bus 草43Senjuohashi Bus Stop
About 3 minutes on foot
About 130 meters
- Spot3 Susanoo-jinja Shrine
About 3 minutes on foot
About 160 meters Travel Tips
- Spot4 Arakawa Furusato Museum
About 11 minutes on foot
About 630 meters
- Spot5 Ekoin Temple
About 1 minute on foot
About 60 meters
- Spot6 Enmeiji Temple
About 4 minutes on foot
About 200 meters
- Goal JR・Tokyo MetroMinami-Senju Station[JR West Exit, Tokyo Metro North Exit]
- Information used in the creation of this website was current as of January 2023
- Indicated route travel times are calculated based on a speed of about 60 meters/minute
Route Details
There is also useful information for when you actually visit a spot, such as the time required, details on restrooms, and travel time between spots.
Explanation of PictogramsNote Items are indicated in dark blue if applicable.
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- Wheelchair-accessible restroom (located within the ticket gates at train and subway stations unless noted otherwise)
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- Nursing area (with diaper-changing table, unless noted otherwise)
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- Written communication possible through communication boards or paper
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- Osotomate-friendly facility
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- Parking for the impaired
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- Explanations, etc. available through tactile maps or in Braille

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Start JR, Tokyo Metro Kita-Senju Station [West Exit]
Start at the JR, Tokyo Metro Kita-Senju Station [West Exit].
For station details, refer to the Toei Subway website operated by JR East and the Tokyo Metro website. -
About 1 minute on foot
About 50 meters Travel Tips Use the elevator at the north ticket gate at JR Kita-Senju Station to come out on the west exit deck that leads to the 2nd floor of the Kitasenju Marui.
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Spot1 Kitasenju Marui/THEATRE1010 About 20 minutes
There are large commercial facilities near the west exit of Kita-Senju Station. Enjoy shopping for accessories and cosmetics as well as men’s, women’s and children’s clothing. Also, you can satisfy your gourmet needs with the restaurants on the 9th floor. The THEATRE 1010 (senju), an Adachi Ward cultural facility, is on the 10th to 12th floors where various fun events and plays are held. There is also an exhibition with a model of the Senju-shuku and related panels where you can learn about life at the time.
Accessibility Information
Can be accessed directly from the pedestrian deck at the west exit of Kita-Senju Station. There is a dedicated elevator for wheelchair users or parents with strollers and each floor has wheelchair-accessible toilets.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom on 1st floor Restroom Information
Each floor has toilets with a wheelchair-accessible restroom. Ostomate facilities are provided.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- [Kitasenju Marui] 03-5244-0101
[THEATRE 1010] 03-5244-1010
[For inquiries about the Senju-shuku model and panels: ADACHI CITY MUSEUM]
03-3620-9393 - Address
- 3-92, Senju, Adachi-ku
- Fee
- Varies by shop
- Hours
- Varies by shop
- Closed days
- Please check the Official Website.
Official Website
[Kitasenju Marui]
https://www.0101.co.jp.e.ex.hp.transer.com/084/
[THEATRE 1010]
https://www.t1010.jp/
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details. -
About 7 minutes on foot
About 400 meters Travel Tips From the 1st-floor exit of Kitasenju Marui to the old road, use the flat path that has little traffic.
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Spot2 Shosenji Temple About 15 minutes
Arai Hyoubu Masakatsu is said to have founded this Jodo Sect temple in 1260. The wooden Senju Kannon statue in Shosenji Temple is the origin of the place name, Senju. Locals call it the Red Gate Temple because the gate is vermilion-lacquered.
In the Edo period (1603-1868), when the Nikko route was developed, the Tokugawa family built a palace here and put it in use. It is also known to have been one of the bases of Senju-juku. In January and July, when Enmadou is open to the public, many street vendors line up to sell their goods.Accessibility Information
Wheelchair users can enter through the parking lot entrance to the left of the front side of the Red Gate.
Restroom Information
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Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3881-2358
- Address
- 2-11, Senju, Adachi-ku
- Fee
- Free entry to grounds
- Hours
- 9:00-17:00
- Closed days
- Free entry to grounds
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 8 minutes on foot
About 430 meters Travel Tips The old road is a 6-meter-wide one-way street heading south. Be careful as there is no sidewalk.
Toei Bus 草43 Senju 1-chome Bus Stop
About 4 minutes by bus
2nd stop Travel Tips Toei Bus [草43] Get the bus heading to Asakusa Kaminarimon
Toei Bus 草43 Senjuohashi Bus Stop
About 3 minutes on foot
About 130 meters
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Spot3 Susanoo-jinja Shrine About 15 minutes
A historic shrine founded in the Heian period by Kokuchin, a high-ranking disciple of the founder of Shugendo. It is dedicated to the heroic deity Susanoo, who is the younger brother of the Sun Goddess Amaterasu and who killed the giant eight-headed serpent Yamata-no-Orochi, as well as the deity Asuka, who has the wisdom to judge between good and evil with a single word.
Accessibility Information
There is a slope with handrails on both sides of the main shrine. The approach is cobbled but passable by wheelchair users, enabling them to visit the shrine. An indoor wheelchair is available for visitors who wish to pray inside the shrine.
Restroom Information
Public toilets (squat style) are available on the shrine grounds
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3891-8281
- Address
- 6-60-1, Minami-senju, Arakawa-ku
- Fee
- Free entry to grounds
- Hours
- Worship hours: 6:00 - 17:00
*See the shrine’s website for times to request prayers. - Closed days
- Free entry to grounds
- Official Website
- https://www.susanoo.or.jp/index.html
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 3 minutes on foot
About 160 meters
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Spot4 Arakawa Furusato Museum About 40 minutes
The museum opened in May 1998, as a place to pursue learning while enjoying the local culture and history. There is a permanent exhibition of items excavated from the remains of Arakawa-ku, medieval monuments as well as reconstructions of life in early modern towns and farms, scenes of minting old coins, houses from circa 1966, and materials related to “The Narrow Road to the Deep North” (a chronicle by the poet Matsuo Basho, published in 1702). There are exhibits that change three times a year in addition to exhibits of materials stored at the museum. The free Arakawa Traditional Arts Gallery displays works from local artisans. It adjoins the Minami Senju Library.
Accessibility Information
There are wheelchair-accessible restrooms on the 1st and 2nd floors. There is parking for customers with impairments. Inquire at the library counter on the second floor if you would like to use the nursing room.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom on 1st floor Restroom Information
Toilets with wheelchair-accessible restrooms are on the 1st and 2nd floors.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3807-9234
- Address
- 6-63-1, Minami-senju, Arakawa-ku
- Fee
- ¥100 (Free for Arakawa Ward residents underjunior high school age and over 65 years old.Persons with disabilities and their caregiversincluding non-residents are free of charge.)
- Hours
- 9:00 - 17:00 (admission until 16:30)
- Closed days
- Mondays (the following day if Monday is a national holiday), every 2nd Thursday of the month (cleaning day)
- Official Website
- https://www.city.arakawa.tokyo.jp/a016/bunkageijutsu/furusato/furusato-main.html
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 11 minutes on foot
About 630 meters
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Spot5 Ekoin Temple About 10 minutes
A temple of the Jodo Sect, Ekoin opened around 360 years ago. It was built in remembrance of the people who perished in the great fire of the Meireki era in Edo. The temple teaches that all living beings, human or animal, receive the mercy of Buddha.
Accessibility Information
The grounds are cobbled but the stones are flat, so wheelchair users can also pay their respects at the graves.
Restroom Information
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Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3801-6962
- Address
- 5-33-13, Minami-senju, Arakawa-ku
- Fee
- Free entry to grounds
- Hours
- 9:00 - 16:30
- Closed days
- Free entry to grounds
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 1 minute on foot
About 60 meters
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Spot6 Enmeiji Temple About 10 minutes
A temple of the Jodo Sect that was opened separate from Ekoin Temple. Crucifixions and beheadings were carried out at the nearby Kozukappara prison until it was abolished. The 4-meter-high Kubikiri Jizo sits at the entrance to the prison and quietly watches over the souls of the executed.
Accessibility Information
There are no steps or slopes from the entrance, and the Kubikiri Jizo, located at the rear of the temple can be viewed from up close.
Restroom Information
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Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3807-0897
- Address
- 2-34-5, Minami-senju, Arakawa-ku
- Fee
- Free entry to grounds
- Hours
- Free entry to grounds
- Closed days
- Free entry to grounds
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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About 4 minutes on foot
About 200 meters
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Goal JR, Tokyo Metro Minami-Senju Station [JR West Exit, Tokyo Metro North Exit]
JR, Tokyo Metro Minami-Senju Station (JR West Exit, Tokyo Metro North Exit) is the goal.
For station details, refer to the Toei Subway website operated by JR East and the Tokyo Metro website.
Sightseeing spots around the Kita-senju and Minami-senju area
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Spot7 Ohashi Park
As this is the start of "Oku-no-Hosomichi" (“The Narrow Road to the Deep North”), there is a monument here engraved with Matsuo Basho’s first poem.
Accessibility Information
There is 1 wheelchair-accessible restroom in the park. Be careful of the steps and slope (max. 10 degrees) at the park entrance.
Toilet with wheelchair-accessible restroom in the park Restroom Information
There is a wheelchair-accessible restroom. There is a step at the entrance to the restroom. Wheelchair users can use the slope on the right-hand side.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3880-5010 (Road park maintenance room eastern roadpark Maintenance Division, Adachi City)
- Address
- Senju Ohashi Kyoudaishiki, Senju Hashidocho, Adachi-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- Free
- Closed days
- Free
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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Spot8 Senju-shuku, Petite Terrace of "Oku-no-Hosomichi (Narrow Road to the Deep North)"
Close to Senjuohashi Station, one can learn about the history of Adachi-ku. There is a statue of Matsuo Basho, who left on his long load to the “Oku-no-Hosomichi” (“The Narrow Road to the Deep North”) from here.
Accessibility Information
There is a terrace built into the side of the entrance toAdachi Market. The statue of Matsuo Basho is alandmark.
Restroom Information
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Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3880-5010 (Road park maintenance roomeastern road park MaintenanceDivision, Adachi City)
- Address
- 47, Senju Hashidocho, Adachi-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- Free
- Closed days
- Free
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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Spot9 Senju Machi-no-eki information center
This is the first stop for walkers in the town of Senju. There are tourist maps and panel displays here.
Accessibility Information
There is a slope that covers the stairs outside the shop. Please call out to the staff when entering the store.
Restroom Information
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Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 080-6630-8037
- Address
- 3-69, Senju, Adachi-ku
- Fee
- Free
- Hours
- 9:00-17:00
- Closed days
- Tuesdays(Open if Tuesday is a national holiday,and open from 1/1 to 1/3)
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.
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Spot10 Sekido Museum of Art
The exhibits are mainly for pottery from around the world, collected by industrialist, Sato Senju. The museum name is taken from Sato’s pen name “Sekido.”
Accessibility Information
There is a spiral slope (6 degrees) between the 1st and 2nd floor so attendants are required. There is no elevator. Wheelchair users can enjoy viewing pottery from around the world. There are point and line-like blocks from the road to the entrance.
Wheelchair-accessible restroom on 1st floor Restroom Information
There is a toilet with wheelchair-accessible restroom on the 1st floor.
Facility Information
- Telephone number
- 03-3888-7520
- Address
- 23, Senju Hashidocho, Adachi-ku
- Fee
- ¥500 (free of charge for those with impairments; inquire for details.)
- Hours
- 10:00 - 17:00 (admission until 16:30)
- Closed days
- Please check the Official Website.
- Official Website
- http://sekido-museum.jp/english/index.html
*This information was current as of January 2024. Contact individual facilities to confirm details.