Would you like to have lunch at CANAL CAFE, located on the edge of the moat in Iidabashi? If you’re riding the Sobu Line, you’ll be able to see the restaurant from the train window as you pass over the ditch. On a nice day, you can even enjoy an outdoor meal on the boat deck attached to the restaurant.
CANAL CAFE
This restaurant is located about a one-minute walk from Iidabashi Station on the Tokyo Metro subway system. The entrance faces Sotobori Dori.
Boat Deck
Upon entering the restaurant, you’ll find a set of stairs leading down. The boat deck is on the right-hand side of the stairs, and the restaurant is on the left. Please note that the boat deck and the restaurant have different menus, prices, and hours of operation.
The tables on the boat deck are lined up facing the Ushigome moat.
Boathouse
This restaurant was also the first boathouse established in Tokyo in 1918.
The boathouse is open from 11:30 am to 4:00 pm. You can rent boats for 40 minutes at the cost of 1,000 yen for up to three people. It is also possible to have a meal while boating.
Large carp were swimming in the canal. It costs 20 yen to feed the carp, and the money is used to clean up the channel.
On the Boat Deck, dining was self-serve. When I informed the waiter that I would eat there, she provided me with a portable device. When my food was ready, I received a notification on a handheld device. I retrieved the food and returned it to my table on the Boat Deck.
Pizza baked in a Neapolitan-style oven
Prosciutto
This restaurant offered a pizza called Prosciutto, which included ingredients such as prosciutto ham and rocket.
Chewy dough, salty Prosciutto, and mildly melted cheese made for a delicious meal.
Margherita
The refreshing acidity of the tomatoes in this pizza complemented the harmonious flavors of mozzarella cheese and basil.
The chewy dough was also a highlight of the dish.
Ushigome moat
The Ushigome moat is a moat that extends about 1.5 kilometers from the Ushigome Bridge in front of JR Iidabashi Station to the Shinmitsuke Bridge.
The JR Chuo Line runs along the edge of the moat. Above the bank is Sotobori Park, a 2-kilometer promenade from JR Iidabashi Station to Yotsuya Station, which is a popular place for viewing cherry blossoms in the spring.
Developed by the Tokugawa Shogun
The Ushigome moat is part of the outer moat that surrounds Edo Castle. This moat was constructed in the early Edo period, during the reigns of the first and third shoguns, Ieyasu and Iemitsu, to defend the castle and maintain public order in the area.
The outer moat is a large moat with a total length of 14 kilometers, which was created by utilizing natural topography. In addition to serving as a defense for Edo, this moat also played a crucial role in water transportation within the city.
“Nishikie” by Hiroshige Utagawa
This Nishiki-e print, created by Hiroshige Utagawa during the late Edo period, features a view of the Ushigome moat as seen from the direction of Iidabashi. The Ushigome gate is visible on the far left side of the artwork.
Changed to road after World War II
After the Tokugawa shogunate collapsed and the Meiji era began, there was no longer anyone responsible for maintaining the moat. As a result, the canal became stagnant and emitted an unpleasant odor. A significant portion of the ditch was filled in to address this issue.
Later, the primary means of transporting goods shifted from water to land transportation. As a result, the use of dugouts decreased, and many were reclaimed to make way for roads. After World War II, debris was disposed of by burying it in the moat. As a result, the only remaining section of the moat today is between Iidabashi and Akasaka-mitsuke. The last moat to be buried was the Iida moat in 1972. After this, there was a growing interest in preserving the moat. Today, efforts are made to maintain and keep the moat.
It is worth noting that a CANAL CAFE restaurant is located at the edge of the moat in Iidabashi. If you can visit Tokyo, consider stopping by and having lunch outdoors with a view of the Ushigome moat. The experience of enjoying the city’s precious greenery and the water surface is sure to be refreshing.
