Azuma-bashi as it appears today, looking east, from the Asakusa side.
- Built: 1774
- Other Names: 大川橋 (Oogawa-bashi)
- Japanese: 吾妻橋 (Azuma-bashi)
Azuma-bashi is a bridge in Tokyo which stretches across the Sumidagawa (Sumida River), connecting the Asakusa and Mukojima districts. It was originally erected in 1774, at which time it was called Ôgawa-bashi, since in the Edo period the Sumida was itself called simply Ôgawa ("Big" or "Great River").
Azuma-bashi was the traditional departure point from which people began their journey from Edo proper to the Shin-Yoshiwara pleasure quarters upriver. As such, it frequently appears in poetry, prose and imagery from the period, especially in ukiyo-e prints and paintings, and humorous writings related to the Yoshiwara.
Though originally a wooden bridge, Azuma-bashi has since been reconstructed in steel.
References
- "Azumabashi." Digital Daijisen デジタル大辞泉. Shogakukan, Inc.