(2) Narrow buildings next to former rivers

Many of the small houses and buildings in Tokyo have been shaped by the rivers of yesteryear.

(1) Setagaya, near Midorigaoka Station

Here is one in Setagaya, on a plot of land that bordered the former Kuhonbutsugawa river 九品仏川, or くほんぶつがわ. The river is now the Kuhonbutsu River green road 九品仏川緑道 that runs from the pleasant heart of Jiyugaoka to Midorigaoka. Our house, below, is just meters away from Midorigaoka station (map).

In this map from 1945, we see that the plot of land is a rice paddy or marshy land, bounded by the Kuhonbutsu River and the train tracks.

(2) Edogawa-ku

In Egogawa-ku there is a very lovely park comprising a stream and a lines of trees. This narrow house is not as dramatic as the first example, but the geographic conditions are more obvious, as the house is built at the confluence of two former rivers.

See: NARROW HOUSE ON FORMER RIVER, EDOGAWA, TOKYO

The structure wasn’t built until the last 1960’s or the 1970’s. Here is an aerial view of the same spot in 1945-50, 1961-64, 1974-78, 1979-83, 1984-87. 1988-90, and 2004.

Confluence of two rivers in Edogawa-ku, Tokyo in 1945; site of a narrow house.

**(3) Rokugo Irrigation Ditch 六郷用水 (Rokugo yosui) (map)**

A very narrow building in Ota-ku, near Chidoricho Station, on the edge of a former irrigation canal.

Narrow building next to a former river in Ota-ku Tokyo, aerial photo.

(4) Tachiaigawa green road 立会川緑道

This building (map), southeast of Oimachi Station, is located on the former banks of the Tachiaigawa river.

I’ve also seen this specific walking path named 東大井遊歩道 (Higashi-Oi promenade).

Oimachi area map (PDF)
Photos of the promenade (PDF)

(5) River Side House 「川に寄り添う家」

This is a celebrated house in the Horinouchi 堀ノ内 district of Setagaya-ku, Tokyo by:

Architect : Kota Mizuishi / Mizuishi Architects Atelier 水石浩太建築設計室
Structural engineer : Kentaro Nagasaka 長坂設計工舎
Lighting designer : Tatsuoki Nakajima 中島龍興照明デザイン研究所
Contractor : Hirano-kensetu

Not very big in Japan! Tiny house no wider than parking space goes on sale in Tokyohttps://t.co/dScHBnBc87 pic.twitter.com/ANyeD12y1f
— Andreas_sensei-Slava Ukrayini 🇺🇦! (@Bunny_Godfather) July 23, 2016