Art walk guide: the Sumida River in Asakusa is home to many public art installations
Get this: a compact, walkable area around Tokyo’s Sumida River is the site of both the city’s oldest temple, Sensoji, and its newest technological marvel, the 634-metre Tokyo Skytree. And as if that weren’t enough, it’s actually a pretty nice place to lay your eyes on some art. Once you’re finished with the famous neighbourhood’s requisite tourist stops, give this walk a try and discover the Sumida’s arty side.
Photo: Time Out TokyoGreen Planet
The main art attraction along the Sumida is the Geidai Taito Sumida Art Project, or GTS, a series of outdoor installations created between 2010 to 2012 by students at the Tokyo University of the Arts to coincide with the completion of the Skytree. On the Asakusa side of the river, make your first stop Sumida Park (1 Mukojima, Sumida-ku). Heading to the park from Asakusa Station, the first GTS projects you’ll encounter are the bowl-shaped Green Planet as well as a pair of GTS ‘art benches’. Art you can sit on – what an accommodating city.
Photo: Time Out TokyoSky Nest
Don’t leave Sumida Park quite yet. Head north and you’ll run into two more GTS pieces, Sky Nest, a bird’s nest made of large wooden planks and Look, a series of giant arrows pointing towards the Skytree (you know, just in case you missed it).
Photo: Time Out TokyoReflectscape
After you’ve Look-ed at these pieces long enough, cross the river via Kototoibashi and head towards the Skytree. Near Tokyo Skytree Station you’ll encounter another couple of GTS pieces, Oboroke