This is Tokyo #2 Hills in Bunkyo district

We have lots of great hills in Tokyo, and what it makes special is that every single hill has its own name.

rat hill

This hill, for example, is called "Nezumi-zaka", which means,

• Nezumi : rat
• zaka : hill

= rat hill. Why? The reason is that this slope was so narrow that people in Edo era ( 17th-19th century ) thought that only small rats could pass it.

chest hitting hill

Another good example is "Munatsukizaka", which means,

• Muna/Mune : chest
• tsuki : hit
• zaka : hill

So, this is a "chest hitting hill". You need to lift your legs up to your chest in order to go up this hill because of its steep slope.