Matsudo · 松戸市

Only the Edogawa River separates Matsudo from Tokyo, and yet a stroll along the riverbank often feels more like the countryside than a big city. If you have half a day to spare on a trip to Tokyo, Matsudo offers a Tokugawa villa, a temple full of hydrangeas, one of the region's last rowboat ferries and a famous noodle culture.

History Along the Mito Road

Matsudo began as a post station on the Mito Kaidō, the road that linked Edo with the castle town of Mito. Travelers crossed the Edogawa here by boat, and merchants and inns shaped the town's character. After the end of the shogunate, Tokugawa Akitake, the younger brother of the last shogun, Yoshinobu, settled on a rise above the river. His villa, Tojo-tei, built in 1884, is one of the few fully preserved Tokugawa family residences from the Meiji era and ranks among the most important cultural monuments in Chiba Prefecture.

Sights in Matsudo

Tojo-tei, with its tatami rooms and period-style garden, is the centerpiece of any visit; the neighboring museum tells the story of Akitake's life. He represented Japan at the 1867 Paris World's Fair and later became a passionate photographer. In the north of the city lies Hondo-ji, known as the hydrangea temple: thousands of hydrangeas bloom in June, followed by irises, and in fall the maples turn red. On the Edogawa you'll find the Yagiri no Watashi, a small rowboat ferry that carried travelers across as far back as the Edo period and was immortalized in Itō Sachio's novel "Nogiku no Haka." The municipal museum in 21st Century Forest Park is also worth a visit, with reconstructions of a Jōmon village and a 1960s housing settlement.

Eating in Matsudo: Tsukemen and More

Among noodle fans, Matsudo is considered a stronghold of tsukemen, in which thick, cold noodles are dipped in a concentrated broth made from pork and fish stock. Long lines form outside the best-known shops at lunchtime, even on weekdays. Beyond that, the city offers a typical suburban mix of izakaya, sushi counters and family restaurants around Matsudo and Shin-Matsudo stations. Along the Mito Kaidō, a few old shops recall the days of the post station, and in the evening hours the small pubs by the tracks fill up.

Getting Around and Best Time to Visit

The JR Jōban Line connects Matsudo with Ueno and Shinagawa; the ride to Ueno takes about 20 minutes. The Musashino Line and the Shin-Keisei Line serve the suburbs. Tojo-tei is about a 15-minute walk from the station, and to reach the Yagiri ferry you take the Hokusō Line. The best time to visit is late spring, with hydrangeas in June, as well as fall, when the garden's foliage changes color. In summer, an evening along the Edogawa is well worth it, when families barbecue on the bank and the lights of Shibamata, the old Tokyo neighborhood made famous by films, glow on the other side.

Green Matsudo and Excursions

Despite its population of half a million, the city has plenty of green space. 21st Century Forest Park is a sprawling woodland with ponds, rice paddies and hiking trails, where you can see cherry blossoms in spring and fireflies in June. A cycling path runs along the Edogawa, stretching to Tokyo and farther north. From the Yagiri landing you can cross to Shibamata, visit Taishakuten Temple with its intricate wood carvings and try kusa dango, sticky rice dumplings flavored with mugwort, before taking the ferry back.