[Special] Capturing Ota City’s Essence: A Journey with Film and Compact Digital Cameras - Haneda/Kojiya Edition

Grab your camera and explore Haneda and Kojiya

Let’s start in the Haneda area, located in the southeastern part of Ota City.

Haneda is home to Haneda Airport, one of Japan’s premier international gateways. In recent years, it’s gained attention as a tourist destination, thanks to attractions like Haneda Airport Garden, where you can indulge in gourmet dining and shopping, and Haneda Innovation City, a hub for cutting-edge technology and culture.

But there’s more to Haneda than its modern, polished image. Situated at the mouth of the Tama River, the area was once a thriving fishing town. Today, it retains a natural charm with tidal flats and green spaces, making it a delightful spot for a leisurely stroll.

*Captured with a film camera.
We’ve arrived at the Tama River riverside ❶, where Haneda Airport is visible in the distance. You can watch planes taking off and soaring into the sky.


*Captured with a compact digital camera.
The riverbank is lined with docks where old-fashioned fishing boats and yakata-bune houseboats are moored, creating a charming, unique landscape.


*Captured with a compact digital camera.
The striking bridge you can see across the water is Daishi-bashi Bridge, which connects Ota City with Kawasaki City in Kanagawa Prefecture. There’s a walkway, so you can cross over to the other side.

From the Edo period to the early Showa period, this spot was the location of a ferry called Haneda no Watashi ❷. The ferry, which could carry 20 to 30 people, not only transported passengers but also goods like seafood, agricultural products, and clothing, playing an important role in daily life. This scene is famously depicted in the ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige Utagawa’s Meisho Edo Hyakkei (One Hundred Famous Views of Edo).


Haneda no watashi Benten no yashiro (Haneda Ferry and Benten Shrine) from Meisho Edo Hyakkei (One Hundred Famous Views of Edo) by Hiroshige Utagawa
The ferry service ended when the first Daishi-bashi Bridge was built in 1939, but a stone monument still stands here, preserving the memory of those days.


*Captured with a compact digital camera.

As you walk along the roads near the Tama River, you’ll notice a brick wall that stands about knee- to waist-high. This is the remnants of the red brick levee ❸, originally built to protect the area from flooding caused by the Tama River’s overflow.


*Captured with a compact digital camera.
The levee was constructed over a span of about 1.6 kilometers, between 1918 and 1933. Records show that during the Jonan Air Raid at the end of the Pacific War, the outside of the red brick levee was used as an evacuation site to escape fires, and that it helped safeguard the lives and property of local residents.

Though the levee has long completed its primary mission, it remains an enduring feature of the area’s landscape, still part of the original scenery.


We spotted a crab near the red brick levee! *Captured with a compact digital camera.

Next, we headed to Haginaka Park ❹, a popular spot for families, featuring a children’s traffic park, a swimming pool, a baseball field, and plenty of open grassy space.

One of the park’s unique features is the Junk Park, where you can see a collection of old vehicles on display. There are so many retro vehicles and trolleys that we couldn’t resist taking photos!


A car from the Toden Arakawa Line, the only trolley in Tokyo. *Captured with a film camera.

The trolley car was in service until December 2012. *Captured with a film camera.

You can even sit in the driver’s seat and have fun! *Captured with a compact digital camera.


For more details on Haginaka Park, please check out this page.
https://unique-ota.city.ota.tokyo.jp/charm/life/haginakapark/

Planning to visit the Seven Lucky Inari Shrines in the Haneda area?
Check out this article, introduced by Ota-ku Shotengai Navi Otafull!
https://otakushoren.com/trip/6854

If you head just a little north from the Tama River, you’ll reach the Kojiya area.

This neighborhood is bisected by an industrial road, and both sides are lined with narrow alleys, old-fashioned houses, and factories, creating a distinctive townscape.

Near the station, there’s a shopping street that still holds the charm of a traditional downtown area, always bustling with people. We strolled through Kojiya Shopping District ❺on the south side of the station.


*Captured with a compact digital camera.
The street is a blend of new shops and old-fashioned ones. You’ll find plenty of fresh food stores, like delis, greengrocers, and butchers, with the lively calls of shopkeepers echoing through the streets.
It’s the perfect spot to take your time shopping while looking at the storefronts and wondering, “What should I make for dinner tonight?”

We heard about a charming shop nearby with a retro vibe—YOICHI: A rental traditional Japanese house & kitchen, sometimes a café ❻—so we decided to check it out. The café specializes in spicy curry and snacks.

The space has a cozy, inviting feel, created by renovating a traditional Japanese house. The one-story building, about 70 years old, was transformed five years ago. The owner, Yayoi, worked with an architect and collaborated with friends and acquaintances to do much of the renovation work herself, preserving as much of the original structure as possible.


*Captured with a compact digital camera.
The result is a unique space that blends nostalgia with a fresh, modern touch.


*Captured with a compact digital camera.
Currently, the café is open three days a week, and on the other days, it’s rented out as an event space.

Yayoi, who grew up overseas and has traveled to 23 countries, serves an original spice curry inspired by Indian and Sri Lankan flavors, but adapted to suit Japanese tastes.


The curry menu changes daily, and you can choose from one to three different types. All the photos show two types of curry (1,400 yen). *Captured with a compact digital camera.



Located near Haneda Airport, the café is popular with international visitors. Yayoi’s warm and friendly personality is also a big part of its charm.

We spoke with Yasumitsu Ueda and Akihito Ueda of the photo specialty store Camera no Ueda to learn more about the rising popularity of film cameras and compact digital cameras.



We hope you enjoyed this special edition on Haneda and Kojiya.

There are many more attractive places in Ota City. Try finding your own place that you can recommend Ota City for. If you find your favorite, please make sure to post on SNS. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #uniqueota!

Ota City promotion website “Unique Ota” delivers information about the appeal of Ota City with the keywords “a town where you can encounter unique locations unlike anywhere else, which can only be found in Ota City.”

We encourage you to dig deep to find the contents you are interested in. Check back soon for the next edition!