Tsukudajima

Founded by Osaka fishermen who relocated at the invitation of Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 1600s, this tiny island at the mouth of the Sumida River retains its quiet, village-like atmosphere. Narrow lanes wind past century-old tsukudani (preserved fish) shops, a Shinto shrine with an annual summer festival, and traditional wooden houses, all with Tsukishima's high-rises looming overhead.