江戸川水閘門, Water lock and bridge in Higashi-Shinozaki, Tokyo, Japan.
The Edogawa Lock Gate is a water control structure located where Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture meet. It comprises five gates that regulate water flow between the Edogawa River and its older channel.
Construction began in 1936 and was completed in 1943, representing a major shift in Japanese water management. The project was undertaken during a period when the nation was modernizing its infrastructure to handle natural hazards.
The lock gate serves as a gathering point where people interact with the river and observe boat movements between water levels. It shows how water infrastructure shapes daily activities along the waterways.
The best time to visit is during tidal changes when you can clearly see the lock in operation. Wear sturdy shoes and be careful on wet surfaces, as the area can be slippery near the water.
This structure sits in an administratively borderless zone between Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, not clearly claimed by either jurisdiction. It remains one of only a handful of places in Japan where territorial boundaries remain genuinely undefined.
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