Outside of the Clinic

6/2/2024

In the following article, I would like to tell you about the nice things to see just outside of our humble clinic.

There’s lots to do around the area that you may take interest in. On the map above, four stars were added to mark the locations of these interesting spots. Below are descriptions of each place corresponding to the numbers on the map.

#1 Cherry blossoms

When you think of flowers in Japan, what kind of flowers first come to mind? If you thought cherry blossoms, great job, that’s definitely a popular flower here in Japan. Just around our clinic, dotting the Shinagawa Intercity Street, cherry blossom trees can be found giving a picturesque visual to the locale.

As you can see in the photo below, (which I happened to capture on June 15, 2023), the trees stood there providing lush green beauty to the photo.

However, when the seasonal blooming comes, the green colors burst into a beautiful pink provided by the flowers sprouting under the Spring sun.

#2 Tokaido post town

In the Edo Period, five main roads were built leading out from the center of Edo. Kitashinagawa, now located to the north of present day Shinagawa Street, used to be a post town located alongside one of the main roads. Tokaido was the largest and most important road connecting Edo and Kyoto. This photo below is Kitashinagawa in our current times.

The street probably looked more like this 200 years ago, with many visitors coming and going. They may been dressed as seen in the picture afterwards.

#3 Old and New

Moving a bit away from Shinagawa Street, you can find more remains of the Edo Period. This area used to be a fishing village where they caught and brought seafood to bring to the Edo Castle. In the picture, you may notice a transition happening from the foreground to the background: ancient, old, and new.

#4 Recommended food

Have you ever tried udon? It’s a traditional Japanese noodle dish, consisting of broth and thick noodles. This restaurant is a great spot to try it. It’s really good. I myself have been a huge fan of the place for 20 years. If you feel like having udon for lunch, don’t be shy to give it a try. However, I do have a piece of advice if you do plan to eat here: It always gets crowded around 12pm on weekdays, so be sure to have plenty of time carved out in your schedule for lunch.