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Zero Milestone In Japan
That bronze plaque you're standing next to isn't just marking any spot... it's literally marking THE spot where all of Japan begins. See, back in 1972, they had to move this original Zero Milestone from the middle of Nihonbashi Bridge to this little square to protect it, and honestly, most tourists walk right past without realizing they're at Japan's equivalent of Rome's Golden Milestone. Here's what's wild about this place... the calligraphy you see on those bridge plaques behind you? That's the actual handwriting of Yoshinobu Tokugawa, Japan's LAST shogun, and the "Zero Milestone of Japan" characters on this monument came from Prime Minister Eisaku Sato's brush... the same guy who won the Nobel Peace Prize. So you're basically looking at autographs from two of Japan's most pivotal historical figures, just casually displayed here in Nihonbashi Muromachi. When this whole system started in 1603, every single one of Japan's five great highways began right here where you're standing. Picture this... samurai, merchants, and daimyo lords all started their epic cross-country journeys from this exact square, measuring every kilometer of their travels from zero. Today, locals still use this as their reference point, and if you look closely at that 1911 Renaissance-style stone bridge towering above us, you'll notice it's one of the few structures in Tokyo that survived both the Great Earthquake and World War Two completely intact.
Did You Know?
- Japan’s Zero Milestone, located at Nihonbashi Bridge in Chuo City, Tokyo, has been the official starting point for measuring distances on Japan’s major roads since the Edo period (1603–1868), making it a living symbol of the nation’s historical road network and the origin of the famous Edo Five Routes, including the Tokaido and Nakasendo highways.
- The original ‘Zero Milestone of Tokyo City’ marker, once embedded in the middle of Nihonbashi Bridge, was moved to a nearby square in 1972 for preservation; the bridge now features a memorial plaque with calligraphy by Nobel Peace Prize-winning Prime Minister Eisaku Sato, blending modern political history with ancient tradition.
- Despite its central role in Tokyo’s history, the Nihonbashi area—and the Zero Milestone with it—is often overlooked by visitors due to the bustling business district and an unsightly overhead expressway built in the 1960s; however, families can still discover hidden layers of Edo-era Tokyo by taking a boat tour along the surviving canals that once crisscrossed the area, offering a unique perspective on the city’s watery past.