Written by Katharina Mungall
Travel writer, photographer and architect
We went to Shibamata on 20 September 2017, the day we changed hotels in Tokyo. Gary’s love of Tora-san was the reason we went. The temple woodcarvings are the reason I’d tell you to go, even if you’ve never seen a Tora-san film in your life.
Back then, Gary had a bit of an unhealthy obsession with the Tora-San film series. He had been binge watching the films every weekend, pretty much ever since we first travelled to Japan. So when we visited Japan for the second time, we simply had to incorporate a day-trip to Shibamata into our two-week itinerary.
If Tora-san means nothing to you, here’s the short version. Otoko wa tsurai yo, also known as the Tora-san series, follows Torajirō Kuruma (Tora-san), a travelling salesman and lovable tramp. He travels around Japan falling in love repeatedly with various madonnas, but he always comes back to his family in Shibamata.
We visited on 20 September 2017. The personal experience in this article comes from that trip; the practical details below were checked against official information on 28 September 2026.
| Planning point | Details |
|---|---|
| Where | Shibamata, in Katsushika on the eastern edge of Tokyo, beside the Edogawa River |
| Time needed | Allow about 2 hours for the street and temple, or 3–4 hours with the museum; add travel time from your hotel |
| Station | Shibamata Station for the main street; Shin-Shibamata for a longer walk in along the river |
| Free | The station statues, the shopping street, and the temple gate and grounds |
| Paid | Taishakuten’s carving gallery and Suikeien garden (one ticket); the Tora-san Museum; Yamamoto-tei |
Why visit Shibamata if you have never seen Tora-san?
Shibamata (柴又) is a neighbourhood in Katsushika, on the eastern end of Tokyo, not far from the Edogawa River – the natural border between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture.
Walking down the main street just off the railway station can feel like stepping back in time. The streets around the temple approach have kept an older, low-rise character that much of Tokyo lost over the 20th century, and you would be forgiven for thinking you had somehow time-travelled back to an older Tokyo.
While other parts of Tokyo are filled with skyscraper offices and high-rise apartment blocks, Shibamata’s main street has kept its small wooden-fronted shops and homes, many of them only two storeys high.
With its main street running all the way down to the local grand temple, which has its back to the Edogawa River, it’s easy to imagine Samurai or royal retainers perusing the shops in days of old. A picture perfect location that gives no wonder to why it was used as the home for Tora-san.
So who is it for? If you’re a Tora-san fan, you won’t need persuading: the station statues, the street’s film connections and the museum give you plenty to look for. If you’ve never seen them, the carvings at Shibamata Taishakuten are reason enough on their own. And if you simply like older streets and snacking your way along them, the approach to the temple gives you that in a compact half-day without leaving Tokyo.
If you’d rather have a full day out with a similar old-street feel, our Kawagoe Day Trip from Tokyo: Our Little Edo Itinerary is the bigger outing, and Best Day Trips from Tokyo: 6 Trips We Actually Took compares the others we’ve done.
How to get to Shibamata
How long it takes to reach Shibamata depends on where you’re staying, so plan the trip from your hotel with a live route planner rather than trusting a single journey time.
And there are actually two different stations in Shibamata itself. Which one you pick depends on the type of experience you want to have. Shibamata Station is on the Keisei Kanamachi Line; Shin-Shibamata is on the Hokuso Line.
From Shinjuku, one option is the JR Yamanote Line to Nippori, the Keisei Main Line to Keisei-Takasago, then the Kanamachi Line to Shibamata. Allow for those changes when checking your journey.
If you have enough time, then I would suggest you get off at Shin-Shibamata. The walk along the Edogawa River is quite interesting and picturesque. This is an optional detour towards the river, rather than the shortest walk to the temple.
If you are short of time, then get off at Shibamata Station. It has a more direct access to the neighbourhood and will also give you more of a Tora-San experience.
Things to do in Shibamata
The easiest order today is: the statues outside Shibamata Station, down the shopping street to Taishakuten, then the Tora-san Museum and/or Yamamoto-tei, and the river if you still have the energy. Our own visit started at the museum, followed by a Japanese tea house, the temple and finally the street. You don’t need to follow our order.
The Tora-san statues and Taishakuten-sando
As soon as you leave Shibamata Station, you are hit with references to the Tora-san film series. Right beside the gates to the station is a statue of Shibamata’s favourite son.
The statue was erected in 1999 with donations from local merchants and visitors.
The larger than life statue sees the man, suitcase in hand, looking back over his shoulder as if to say goodbye (and see you soon) to the neighbourhood he always returns to.
In 2017 a second statue was added of Sakura, the sister of Tora-san, and it’s not hard to imagine she’s seeing her brother off after he’s been jilted by love again.
Behind the statue of Sakura is the entrance to Taishakuten-sando, perhaps one of the most picturesque streets in Tokyo.
As mentioned before, this street with its wooden fronted shops leads directly up to Shibamata Taishakuten Temple. It’s also the street we finished our own visit on. Here are a couple of the main sights you don’t want to miss on your way down the main street of Shibamata.
Street food sold on Taishakuten-sando
It is particularly well known for the street food that is sold here.
The local cuisine of Shibamata includes:
- salted rice crackers
- grilled eel
- and a dumpling known as kusa dango
One could get lost for hours just passing from shop to shop trying the different flavours of food. It’s most definitely a must-visit for world foodies.
Takagiya Shinise
There is one shop in particular that serves kusa dango, called Takagiya Shinise. The local tourism association describes it as the model for the shop owned by Tora-san’s family in the films. So if you are a film buff, with a penchant for Tora-san, then you definitely want to visit Takagiya Shinise and try the type of sweets made in the films by Tora-san’s aunt and uncle.
The robot sweet shop
When we visited in 2017, half way down Taishakuten-sando you came across a somewhat unusual sight. Right where the main street bends to the right was a rather unique shop, with a large robot looming over you! This was Shibamata Haikara Yokocho, the toy and candy shop with a toy museum upstairs.
The shop sold some very unusual candies and toys. Some of these were beyond your wildest imagination. But then that’s perhaps no surprise. Japan always has some interesting ideas and the contents of this shop were no exception.
There were construction kits with moulds to make your own candy and robot cats that poop chocolate, as well as plenty of flavours you had probably never heard of.
The vintage arcade machines and upstairs toys are another reason to look in, but check the shop’s own notices before going. The toy museum is normally open only on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays. The operator also warns of short-notice closures, shorter shop hours and games being out of action, so don’t make a particular machine or sweet the reason for the journey.
The woodcarvings at Shibamata Taishakuten
At the very end of the main street, you will find the Shibamata Taishakuten Temple – a stunning temple that remains the main focal point of the neighbourhood. This Buddhist temple was founded in 1629 and dedicated to Taishakuten.
The temple’s large carved Nitenmon Gate can be seen from a great distance and is awe inspiring when seen up close.
Completely surrounded by a wall, this enclosure with its wooden walkways and beautiful carvings gives a real feeling of tranquillity. The temple’s carvings include the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac and scenes from the Lotus Sutra.
On our visit, this felt like one of the quieter temples of Tokyo, but also one of the capital’s most stunning examples of temple architecture.
The Shibamata Taishakuten Temple features a lot in the Tora-san series, as the main character visits the local high priest frequently for advice.
We went on to the temple after the tea house, and I had never seen such beautiful woodcarvings. If the films mean nothing to you, this is the part of Shibamata I’d come for.
You can walk through the gate and into the temple grounds without paying. The carving gallery around the Taishakudo hall shares a ticket with the Suikeien garden. The temple’s visitor information lists ¥400 for adults, with admission from 9am to 4pm and closing at 4.30pm. So if the carvings are your reason for coming, don’t leave your arrival until late in the afternoon. Check for any special closures, especially around New Year.
Is the Tora-san Museum worth adding?
Because Tora-san is such a big part of Shibamata’s culture, it is only fitting that the town has a museum dedicated to the film series.
The Katsushika Shibamata Tora-san Museum is just a few blocks away from the temple. The museum has a comprehensive collection of all things Tora-san.
Above the museum entrance is a figure of Tora-san hanging on as he fixes its sign.
On our visit, the displays covered the history of the film series, original costumes, scripts and the biographies of the "Madonnas". The museum also houses the family-shop set, moved here from the Shochiku Ofuna Studio.
This was Gary’s moment. He was giddy in here, and he came out with a T-shirt.
The museum is definitely worth a visit if you have any interest in Japanese cinema. If you have none, skip it and give the time to the temple and the street instead.
The museum’s visitor information lists adult admission at ¥500, including the adjoining Yamada Yoji Museum. Opening hours are 9am–5pm; aim to enter by 4.30pm. It normally closes on the third Tuesday of the month, or the next weekday if that Tuesday is a public holiday, with additional closures on the third Wednesday and Thursday of December.
Yamamoto-tei for the house, garden and tea
It is possible to get a combined ticket that gives you access to both the Tora-san Museum and Yamamoto-tei, a former private house nearby. Adult entry to Yamamoto-tei alone is ¥100, or ¥550 for the combined ticket.
The house’s interior has a mixture of both Japanese and Western architecture that gives it a very unique style.
The Yamamoto-tei museum also features a stunning Japanese garden. When you are within the walls, time seems to crawl to a halt, as you sit in its peace and quiet.
You can even enjoy a traditional green tea as you gaze into the garden. Tea is charged separately from admission; the regular café service is not a formal tea ceremony. This place is a great break from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo.
Yamamoto-tei opens from 9am–5pm and follows the same regular closure pattern as the Tora-san Museum. Check both calendars before planning a combined visit.
The Edogawa riverbank and optional ferry
And finally, as I previously mentioned, if you arrived from Shin-Shibamata then walk back to the station along the Edogawa River.
The river runs beyond the back of the temple, with a large embankment and sports grounds on the floodplain.
If you walk just a little further down to the river then you may encounter a pleasant surprise. The Yagiri no Watashi ferry crosses the Edogawa to the Chiba side. Its operation is seasonal and can be cancelled in bad weather or at short notice, so check before you go and treat it as a bonus rather than the plan. The riverbank walk is worth doing either way.
It’s a nice way to end the day before you jump back on the train and head back to the metropolis that is Tokyo.
How much of Shibamata should you plan to see?
For the street and the temple on their own, allow about two hours without lingering. Add the Tora-san Museum and you’re looking at three to four hours, which is the half-day I’d plan for most people. Yamamoto-tei, the riverbank and the ferry (if it’s running) stretch it further. Check the closing times of the paid sites before you promise yourself all of them, because the temple gallery stops admitting visitors at 4pm.
Film fans should plan for the museum. If it doesn’t interest you, a shorter visit built around the carvings and the street makes sense. Allow travel time on top of the hours here; our five-day Tokyo itinerary shows how to fit different neighbourhood visits into a longer trip, and our Tokyo neighbourhoods guide compares Shibamata with eleven other areas we’ve explored.
Shibamata may be a bit off the beaten track and not as lively as the rest of Tokyo, but I honestly believe that it shouldn’t be missed.
With its preserved streets – in a city that seems to have replaced most of its historic buildings with shiny new ones – and its history in Japanese cinema, Shibamata is deeply part of the culture and history of Japan.
Just like the town itself, the long running film series Tora-san shouldn’t just disappear to history but be kept alive and remembered.
So why not take half a day to pay a visit to that lovable tramp and see why he always came back home to Shibamata. And if half a day in one neighbourhood feels like too little for your trip out of the centre, Kawagoe is the fuller day out.
Would you make time for Shibamata even if you’d never seen Tora-san?
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