Den-en-chofu
Encyclopedia
Ota, Tokyo
is one of the 23 Special wards of Tokyo, Japan.As of May 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 676,458, with 348,492 households, and a population density of 11,376.69 persons per km²...
Ward in southern Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
. It lies along the Tama River
Tama River
The is a major river in Yamanashi, Kanagawa and Tokyo Prefectures on Honshū, Japan. It is officially classified as a Class 1 river by the Japanese government....
, the natural border between Tokyo and Kawasaki
Kawasaki, Kanagawa
is a city located in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, between Tokyo and Yokohama. It is the 9th most populated city in Japan and one of the main cities forming the Greater Tokyo Area and Keihin Industrial Area....
, Kanagawa
Kanagawa Prefecture
is a prefecture located in the southern Kantō region of Japan. The capital is Yokohama. Kanagawa is part of the Greater Tokyo Area.-History:The prefecture has some archaeological sites going back to the Jōmon period...
. It is served by Den-en-chōfu Station
Den-en-chofu Station
is a station intersecting the Tōkyū Toyoko and Meguro lines in Tokyo. It is roughly a 15-minute train journey from Den-en-chōfu to Shibuya Station....
on the Tōkyū Tōyoko and Meguro lines. Den-en-chōfu includes many detached suburban homes with a variety of styles, including Japanese neo-classical, Edwardian villas, Swiss cottages and modern architectural designs.
History
Denenchōfu was built based on the rural city designed by a British city planner. It is one of the most famous and top-class residential towns where many executives have their dwellings. Being 10 km away from the center of Tokyo, the area contains natural parks. The area has its own regulations for construction in order to preserve the town feel to the area. The residences are fairly big compared to normal housing in other areas in Japan, and the district is often compared to Beverly Hills in Los Angeles, U.S.A.Den-en-chōfu was planned as a garden suburb of Tokyo. In the early 1900s, financier Eiichi Shibusawa
Eiichi Shibusawa
' was a Japanese industrialist widely known today as the "father of Japanese capitalism". He spearheaded the introduction of Western capitalism to Japan after the Meiji Restoration. He introduced many reforms including use of double entry accounting, joint stock corporations and modern note-issuing...
bought, named and developed the area by emulating the garden suburbs that were growing in metropolitan area
Metropolitan area
The term metropolitan area refers to a region consisting of a densely populated urban core and its less-populated surrounding territories, sharing industry, infrastructure, and housing. A metropolitan area usually encompasses multiple jurisdictions and municipalities: neighborhoods, townships,...
s around the world, particularly those in Greater London. http://links.jstor.org/sici?sici=0037-9808(199606)55%3A2%3C140%3ADBTGCI%3E2.0.CO%3B2-Z
Although the area was developing at an adequate pace, it was the Great Kantō Earthquake of 1923
1923 Great Kanto earthquake
The struck the Kantō plain on the Japanese main island of Honshū at 11:58:44 am JST on September 1, 1923. Varied accounts hold that the duration of the earthquake was between 4 and 10 minutes...
that guaranteed his success. Central Tokyo was leveled in the earthquake, but Den-en-chōfu was virtually untouched; in the aftermath, the exodus of people from the central city to the less crowded, cleaner suburbs ensured that the Den-en-chōfu would prosper.
Modern times
Yakumo
Yakumo may refer to:* Yakumo, Hokkaidō, a town in Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan* Yakumo, Shimane, a village in Shimane Prefecture, Japan* Yakumo , a train service in Japan* Japanese cruiser Yakumo, a cruiser of the Imperial Japanese Navy...
, Kakinokizaka, Nakane, Okusawa and Jiyūgaoka
Jiyūgaoka
is a commercial and residential neighborhood in Meguro and Setagaya, located in Tokyo.- Neighbourhood :Jiyūgaoka consists of the area surrounding Jiyūgaoka Station, where the Tōyoko Line and Ōimachi Line intersect...
neighbourhoods.
Den-en-chōfu is known as a very expensive area to live in with houses that are large by Tokyo standards. The most exclusive area is Den-en-chōfu 3-chōme, which is laid out like the spokes of a wheel on the western side of Den-en-chōfu station. Owing to the size of the houses, tree-lined streets and public parks and gardens, it is also a popular area for expatriate families. It is close to a number of international schools (Seisen and St Mary's) and is on the bus route for the German school in Yokohama. A number of "expatriate-friendly" supermarkets are also nearby, selling many foreign comestibles (Den-en Super and Preece).
Residents
Many Japanese executives, actors, actresses, and sports players live in this area. It is a very popular area for expatriates, however, because of the shortage of rental properties, the price for rental properties are quite expensive compared to other areas in Setagaya-ku and Ota-ku. Former Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama owns a house in Den-en-chofu 3-chome, often considered to be the most prestigious section.Education
Ota operates the public elementary and junior high schools in Den-en-chōfu; the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of EducationTokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education
The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education is the board of education in Tokyo, Japan. The board manages the individual school systems within the metropolis. The board also directly manages all of the public high schools in Tokyo...
operates Den-en-chōfu High School.