We took the subway out to a suburban area of Tokyo, walked down a town street lined with convenience stores and other storefronts, and turned off the street toward a forested area where a red metal bridge arched over a ravine. This is the Todoroki Valley, which feels like it must be hours away from the busy center of Tokyo instead of a quick subway ride.

As we walked down the stairs that run down by the side of the bridge, the air immediately felt like it dropped by about ten degrees. We were surrounded by bright greenery on every side, and all was still and cool and quiet. Down the center of the ravine runs a small river studded with rocks; shafts of sunlight streamed through the leafy trees and sparkled on the water. A wide sidewalk along the river provides ample walking space for pedestrians. 

There were only a few other visitors to the area on the day we were there, and most of them were at the small temple towards the end of the 20-30 walk. This temple featured a shallow pool of water fed by water spurting from the mouths of two dragon heads which jutted out from a rock face partially covered with moss.

Finally, the peaceful walk along the river emerged back into the suburban neighborhood of Todoroki. We took a looping route down the neighborhood streets back towards the subway station. Along the way, we saw a small neighborhood temple, Todoroki Fudoson. It was gorgeously decorated with chrysanthemums, and large trees shaded the temple area.

We continued along the streets to the train station, noting the funny streetside banners with the local mascot “Todo-Rocky,” who is apparently a “boxing seal” from Todoroki, Tokyo. These were very cute!

Google Maps Link: Todoroki Valley

Google Maps Link: Todoroki Valley Entrance