Chidorigafuchi

You're on the Chidorigafuchi greenway, a path of about 700 metres along one of the palace moats. Chidori means plover, a small wading bird. Some say the name comes from the shape of the moat, which bends in a V like a bird's wings. Others say it is simply for the many birds that gathered here in winter. This water wasn't dug from scratch. When Edo Castle was expanded, a small river valley was dammed to make a moat. Look at how it curves away from you, following the line of that old valley. Today Chidorigafuchi is one of Tokyo's favourite places for cherry blossom. More than a hundred cherry trees line the path, their branches hanging out over the water, and in blossom season rowing boats drift underneath. Just across the path is a quieter place. The Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, opened in 1959, holds the remains of Japanese war dead from the Second World War whose names are not known. It serves as a tomb for those who had no family grave to return to.