The Tama River and the Akigawa River—two waterways that quietly shape this part of Tokyo. It seems familiar on the surface, almost taken for granted. And yet, there is so much about them that remains unknown. This series follows Megumi Goto, who has spent thirty years kayaking the upper Tama River in Okutama, as she traces what the river carries: history, water, and the lives built around it.
I run kayaking tours on Lake Shiromaru in Okutama. It is called a lake, but in fact it is part of the Tama River, held back by a dam. When visitors join my tours, I often open with a question: why does Tokyo stretch so far to the west?
Most people have never thought about it. Until 133 years ago, this area (Okutama included) was part of Kanagawa Prefecture. In 1893, it was incorporated into what was then called Tokyo-fu, or Tokyo Prefecture. Water was one of the main reasons.
Tokyo needed a dependable source. At the time, the Tama River supplied most of the city’s drinking water, a role it held well into the early 1960s. As the population grew, the city turned to additional rivers: the Arakawa, the Tone. But the Tama’s place in the city’s story did not diminish.
After the annexation, the mountains of Tama were planted and managed as protected water source forests. The work was overseen by Seiroku Honda, the forest engineer and academic behind the planting of Hibiya Park and the woodland of Meiji Shrine. It was not straightforward. Trees were slow to take root, and the traces of that early struggle are still visible if you know where to look.
Thanks in large part to Honda’s dedication, the planting eventually took hold—and the Tama River has remained clean ever since. Rainwater filters slowly through layers of mountain soil before finding its way into the river. That same water eventually flows from the tap in every home across the city.
Floating on water the forest itself has made, I share these stories with every visitor who comes.
Megumi Goto, Owner of Gravity Canoe School and Shiromaru Café, Canoe Instructor
Megumi was born in Yamanashi Prefecture and first experienced river kayaking in 1986, becoming fully immersed in the sport by 1990. She competed in the early days of freestyle kayaking, including the Ocoee River World Cup in the U.S., and placed 7th in the women’s division at the 1994 Pre-World Cup held at the Augsburg artificial course in Germany. After gaining experience at a canoe school in Nagatoro, Saitama prefecture she founded her own school, Gravity, in April 1997, located in Mount Mitake on the upper Tama River. She also runs Shiromaru Café, open every Tuesday and on full moon days.
About Okutama
Okutama is known as a hidden gem in the vicinity of Tokyo, which has a rich natural environment where traditional mountain village culture remains intact. Numerous traditional performing arts have been passed down through the generations, and there are many intangible folk cultural assets, such as the Kashima Odori dance, Shishimai (lion dance), and Kuruma Ningyo (puppet theater). Additionally, many people enjoy mountain climbing, camping, cycling, and fishing in the area.
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