The Yotsuya Araki-cho Area

From Yotsuya Sanchome Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line, head east for about 100 meters along Shinjuku Dori to a gentle slope facing north. Go down the slope to find a row of small eateries and pubs in a drinking area aimed at adults.
During the Edo Period (1603-1868), it was the site of Matsudaira’s estate. There was a Japanese garden with a waterfall and pond surrounded by greenery.
After that, it became a picturesque place where restaurants gathered, prospering as a geisha neighborhood.
Even now, such vestiges of history can be felt among the landmarks dotting the area.
At Muchi-no-ike, or the “pond of the whip”, legend has it that Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shogunate that ruled Japan during the Edo Period, would stop here to wash his horse saddle while hawking in the area. On one side of this pond lies a small shrine, Tsunokami Benzaiten, dedicated to the goddess of water.