Transit Hub · Ochanomizu

Ochanomizu Station & Hijiri-bashi 御茶ノ水駅・聖橋

Tokyo's classic train-photo spot: from Hijiri-bashi bridge, watch the Marunouchi Line pop out of a tunnel and cross the Kanda River ravine beneath the Chuo and Sobu lines.

About

Ochanomizu sits on the steep edge of the Kanda River valley, a man-made canal cut in the Edo period that now looks like a wooded gorge in the middle of the city. JR's Chuo (orange) and Sobu (yellow) lines run along its banks, and the Marunouchi Line (red) briefly emerges from the hillside to cross the water on a small bridge before disappearing again. Stand on the 1927 Hijiri-bashi bridge, an elegant concrete arch, and you can often catch three or even four trains in a single frame, a shot loved by photographers and anime directors alike. The surrounding area is Tokyo's musical-instrument district, the Nikolai Cathedral and Yushima Seido Confucian temple are within a few minutes' walk, and Jimbocho book town is a short stroll south.

Highlights

• Hijiri-bashi view of the Marunouchi Line crossing the Kanda River beneath JR tracks
• Chances of catching orange Chuo, yellow Sobu and red Marunouchi trains together
• The Kanda River gorge, an Edo-era canal that looks like a natural ravine
• Hijiri-bashi itself: a 1927 concrete arch bridge
• Nikolai Cathedral and Yushima Seido within five minutes' walk

Tips

• From Hijiri-bashi, look downstream (east, toward Akihabara) for the classic shot of the Marunouchi Line crossing under the JR tracks.
• Weekday mornings and late afternoons have the most frequent trains; the triple overlap is a matter of patience.
• Keep the pavement clear for commuters: shoot from the edge, no tripods at rush hour.
• Use the Hijiri-bashi Exit of JR Ochanomizu Station; the Marunouchi Line station is just across the bridge.

Open in Google Maps · Info checked 2026-10-09

Nearby

• Yushima SeidoLocal Secret · 70 m away
• Kanda MyojinShrine · 230 m away
• Myojinshita Kandagawa HontenRestaurant · 230 m away
• Aji no ManrakuRamen & Noodles · 250 m away
• Holy Resurrection Cathedral (Nikolai-do)Landmark & Tower · 270 m away
• Shoheibashi BridgeBridge · 300 m away
• Origami KaikanArt & Exhibits · 310 m away
• Tonkatsu MarugoRestaurant · 320 m away