is one of the 23 Special wards of Tokyo

Special wards of Tokyo

The are 23 municipalities that together make up the core and the most populous part of Tokyo, Japan. Together, they occupy the land that was the city of Tokyo before it was abolished in 1943. The special wards' structure was established under the Japanese Local Autonomy Law and is unique to...

, Japan. Toshima is one of the eight central wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan area, including Chiyoda

Chiyoda, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards in central Tokyo, Japan. In English, it is called Chiyoda ward. As of October 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 45,543 and a population density of 3,912 people per km², making it by far the least populated of the special wards...

, Minato

Minato, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 1 March 2008, it had an official population of 217,335 and a population density of 10,865 persons per km². The total area is 20.34 km².Minato hosts 49 embassies...

, Shibuya

Shibuya, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. As of 2008, it has an estimated population of 208,371 and a population density of 13,540 persons per km². The total area is 15.11 km²....

, Chuo

Chuo, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards that form the heart of Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Chūō City in English.Its Japanese name literally means "Central Ward," and it is historically the main commercial center of Tokyo, although Shinjuku has risen to challenge it since the end of World War II...

, Shinjuku

Shinjuku, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...

, Taito

Taito, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Taito City.As of April 1, 2011, the ward has an estimated population of 168,909, with 94,908 households, and a population density of 16,745.86 persons per km². The total area is 10.08 km².-History:The ward was founded...

, and Bunkyo

Bunkyo, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...

 surrounding the Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace

Imperial Palace may refer to:Institutions*Kaiserpfalz in the Holy Roman EmpirePlaces:*Forbidden City, Beijing, China*Tokyo Imperial Palace , Tokyo, Japan*Heijō Palace, Nara Japan*Heian Palace, Japan...

. Located in the north-eastern area of Tokyo, Toshima is bordered by the wards of Nerima, Itabashi, and Kita wards, in the north, and Shinjuku

Shinjuku, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the busiest train station in the world and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the government of Tokyo.As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population...

 and Bunkyo

Bunkyo, Tokyo

is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there...

 in the south.

The ward was founded on March 15, 1947 and reached a peak resident population

Population

A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...

 of 370,000 in 1965. The population has continued to decline and as of May 1, 2011, the ward had an estimated population of 267,787 with a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 20,583.17 persons per km². During the day the population swells with commuters, resulting in a daytime population of around 430,000.

The total land area of Toshima is 13.01 km², sitting on a moderate plateau with a difference of 28 m between the ward's highest and lowest points. Approximately 47% of Toshima's land is residential, and 20% is commercial

Commerce

While business refers to the value-creating activities of an organization for profit, commerce means the whole system of an economy that constitutes an environment for business. The system includes legal, economic, political, social, cultural, and technological systems that are in operation in any...

 and public areas.

Although Toshima is a ward, it refers to itself as a city. The ward offices are located in Ikebukuro

Ikebukuro

is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....

, which is also the commercial and entertainment center of Toshima.

With a non-Japanese population of 19,868, or 7.42% of the total, Toshima is one of the most international wards in Tokyo. Of the foreign population, 56% is of Chinese descent

Chinese people in Japan

Chinese people in Japan consist of migrants from China to Japan and their descendants. They have a history going back for centuries.- Population and distribution :...

, 20% is of Korean descent, followed by Filipinos

Filipinos in Japan

Filipinos in Japan formed a population of 202,592 individuals at year-end 2007, making them Japan's fourth-largest foreign community, according to the statistics of the Ministry of Justice. Their population reached as high as 245,518 in 1998, but fell to 144,871 individuals in 2000 before...

 and of European descent.

History

Toshima was formed in 1932 by the merger of four towns, Sugamochō, Nishi-sugamochō, Takadachō, and Nagasakichō, bordered by the quickly expanding former city of Tokyo

Tokyo City

was a municipality in Japan and part of Tokyo-Fu which existed from May 1, 1889 until its merger with its prefecture on July 1, 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by independent special wards...

.

The area evolved from a suburban agricultural district in the Edo period

Edo period

The , or , is a division of Japanese history which was ruled by the shoguns of the Tokugawa family, running from 1603 to 1868. The political entity of this period was the Tokugawa shogunate....

 to the urban commercial center that it is today. The growth was fueled by the construction of various rail lines built in the Meiji

Meiji period

The , also known as the Meiji era, is a Japanese era which extended from September 1868 through July 1912. This period represents the first half of the Empire of Japan.- Meiji Restoration and the emperor :...

 and Taishō

Taisho period

The , or Taishō era, is a period in the history of Japan dating from July 30, 1912 to December 25, 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Taishō Emperor. The health of the new emperor was weak, which prompted the shift in political power from the old oligarchic group of elder statesmen to the Diet...

 periods.

The former Somei village, now part of Toshima, is the birthplace of the Somei Yoshino, Japan's most popular variety of sakura

Sakura

A cherry blossom is the flower of any of several trees of genus Prunus, particularly the Japanese Cherry, Prunus serrulata, which is sometimes called sakura after the Japanese . Many of the varieties that have been cultivated for ornamental use do not produce fruit...

 (cherry blossom tree). The variety was developed at the end of the Edo period.

Politics and government

Toshima is run by a city assembly of 36 elected members. The current mayor is Yukio Takano, an independent backed by all major parties except the Japanese Communist Party

Japanese Communist Party

The Japanese Communist Party is a left-wing political party in Japan.The JCP advocates the establishment of a society based on socialism, democracy and peace, and opposition to militarism...

.

In April 2011, Taiga Ishikawa

Taiga Ishikawa

is a Japanese politician and LGBT activist. He became the first openly gay male politician to win an election in Japanese history when he was elected in April 2011 to a seat in the Toshima ward assembly....

 was elected to the Toshima assembly, becoming the first openly gay man to win an election in Japanese history.

Neighborhoods

Kami Ikebukuro Nishi Ikebukuro Higashi Ikebukuro Kanamecho Sugamo

Komagome Otsuka Mukohara

Sights

• Sunshine City
  Sunshine City, Tokyo
  is a building complex located in East Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo. It is Tokyo's oldest city within the city and has the 240 metre tall Sunshine 60 skyscraper at its centre...
  
  : The focal point of much of the entertainment in and around Ikebukuro, Sunshine City sports some of the best shopping and dining in Toshima.
• The Ancient Orient Museum
• Morikazu Kumagai Art Museum
• Toyota Amlux Showroom building is located here
• Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
  Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space
  The Tokyo Metropolitan Art Space is a Japanese concert hall and theater located in Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo, operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Foundation for History and Culture.- External links :...
  
  : Near Ikebukuro Station
  Ikebukuro Station
  is a railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world , and the busiest station in the Tobu, Seibu and Tokyo Metro networks. It primarily serves commuters from...
  
  , this facility built in 1990 is one of the newer spots in Toshima and has a concert hall with regular performances and art exhibitions. There is a stage in the open space out front and it is a popular place for amateur musicians during the warmer months.
• Myonichikan of Jiyu Gakuen Girls’ School
  Jiyu Gakuen Girls’ School
  Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School Myonichikan, the "House of Tomorrow," is the original building complex of Jiyu Gakuen, designed by renowned American architect Frank Lloyd Wright....
  
  : Designed by famous American
  United States
  The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
  
   architect
  Architect
  An architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
  
   Frank Lloyd Wright
  Frank Lloyd Wright
  Frank Lloyd Wright was an American architect, interior designer, writer and educator, who designed more than 1,000 structures and completed 500 works. Wright believed in designing structures which were in harmony with humanity and its environment, a philosophy he called organic architecture...
  
  , this notable building was completed in 1922, shortly before he completed work on the Imperial Hotel
  Imperial Hotel, Tokyo
  The Imperial Hotel, Tokyo, Japan, was created in the late 1880s at the request of the Japanese aristocracy to cater to the increasing number of western visitors to Japan. The hotel site is located just south of the Imperial Palace grounds, next to the previous location of the Palace moat...
  
  .
• Sugamo
  Sugamo
  is a neighborhood in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. It is well known for , a popular shopping street for the older generation . It lies at the crossing point of the JR Yamanote railway line, and national road route Route 17.-See also:* Sugamo Prison* Sugamo Station...
  
   Jizodori: The shopping district known as "old ladies' Harajuku
  Harajuku
  Harajuku is the common name for the area around Harajuku Station on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of Tokyo, Japan....
  
  ."

Festivals

• Fukuro Matsuri: This festival started in 1968 and features a parade of mikoshi
  Mikoshi
  A is a divine palanquin . Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when moving to a new shrine...
  
   (portable shrines) and a yassa dance. It is held on September 14 and 15 of each year outside the west exit of Ikebukuro Station and attracts as many as 200,000 people.
• Otsuka Awa Odori Dance: A large summer event gathering 150,000 people, this festival features groups performing and competing with colorful costumes and dancing in front of JR
  East Japan Railway Company
  is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
  
   Ōtsuka Station.
• Nagasaki Shishimai (lion dance
  Lion dance
  Lion dance is a form of traditional dance in Chinese culture, in which performers mimic a lion's movements in a lion costume. The lion dance is often mistakenly referred to as dragon dance. An easy way to tell the difference is that a lion is operated by two people, while a dragon needs many people...
  
  ): The lion dance is performed every year on the second Sunday of May at Nagasaki Shrine.

Economy

FamilyMart

FamilyMart

is a convenience store franchise chain first opened in Japan on September 1, 1981. FamilyMart is Japan's third largest convenience store chain, behind 7-Eleven and Lawson, and the largest chain store in South Korea. FamilyMart is owned and overseen by FamilyMart Company, Limited...

 has its headquarters in Ikebukuro

Ikebukuro

is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro station, and several shops, restaurants, and enormous department stores are located within city limits....

, Toshima. Seiyu Group

Seiyu Group

or is a Japanese group of supermarkets, shopping centers, and department stores owned by Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Its head office is in Akabane, Kita, Tokyo.-History:...

 has its registered head office in Toshima. Libro

Libro

is a Japanese book retailer. Libro is a unit of Seiyu Group. Libro is headquartered in Nishi-Ikebukuro, Toshima, Tokyo.-External links:*...

, a bookstore chain, is headquartered in Toshima. Itochu

ITOCHU

, until 1992 "C. Itoh" in English, is a Japanese general trading concern based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo. It has a common origin with Marubeni Corporation. Itochu is a Fortune 500 company.-History:...

 corporation and Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. has a presence in Toshima.

In 1956 Asatsu Inc. established its headquarters in Meijiro, Toshima. In May 1967 the company's headquarters moved to Shinbashi

Shinbashi

is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan, located south of Ginza, west of Tsukiji, east of Toranomon and north of Hamamatsucho.-History:Shinbashi was the Tokyo terminus of the first railway in Japan in 1872...

, Minato.

Education

There are four Universities in Toshima.

• Gakushuin University
  Gakushuin University
  is an elite higher educational institution in Mejiro, Toshima Ward, Tokyo. It was re-established after World War II as an affiliate of the Gakushūin School Corporation, the privatized successor to the original Gakushūin University or "Peers School" set up during the Meiji era to educate the...
  
  
• Tokyo College of Music
  Tokyo College of Music
  was founded as in Kanda, Tokyo in 1907. It is the oldest private music school in Japan.- History :The founder , Yonejirō Suzuki, introduced European classical music into the Empire of Japan....
  
  
• Rikkyo University
  Rikkyo University
  , also known as Saint Paul's University, is a private university, based on Christian precepts, in Ikebukuro, Tokyo. There is a suburban campus in Niiza in nearby Saitama.It is known for its liberal climate symbolized by the motto -History:...
  
   or St. Paul's University
• Taisho University
  Taisho University
  is a private university in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. The predecessor of the school was founded in 1885, and it was chartered as a university in 1926.Its school precepts are based on the Tendai school of Buddhism.The University of Hawaii is a sister school....
  
  

Two prestigious universities are located bordering Toshima. They are University of Tokyo

University of Tokyo

, abbreviated as , is a major research university located in Tokyo, Japan. The University has 10 faculties with a total of around 30,000 students, 2,100 of whom are foreign. Its five campuses are in Hongō, Komaba, Kashiwa, Shirokane and Nakano. It is considered to be the most prestigious university...

 in Bunkyo and Waseda University

Waseda University

, abbreviated as , is one of the most prestigious private universities in Japan and Asia. Its main campuses are located in the northern part of Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as Tokyo Senmon Gakko, the institution was renamed "Waseda University" in 1902. It is known for its liberal climate...

 bordering Shinjuku. Located Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education

Tokyo 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 area public high schools.

Toshima is also home to a number of accredited private English schools.

Rail

The main hub for rail transportation in Toshima ward is Ikebukuro Station

Ikebukuro Station

is a railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. With 2.71 million passengers on an average daily in 2007, it is the second-busiest train station in the world , and the busiest station in the Tobu, Seibu and Tokyo Metro networks. It primarily serves commuters from...

, the second busiest train station in Japan.

The rail lines which run through or terminate in Toshima are:

• East Japan Railway Company
  East Japan Railway Company
  is the largest passenger railway company in the world and one of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in Yoyogi, Shibuya, Tokyo....
  
   (JR East)
  • Saikyō Line
    Saikyo Line
    The is a railway line between Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. It is a part of the East Japan Railway Company network...
    
    
  • Shōnan-Shinjuku Line
    Shonan-Shinjuku Line
    The is a passenger railway service in Japan which commenced in December 2001. The line has no dedicated track as services run through shared sections along the Ryōmō Line, Takasaki Line, Utsunomiya Line, Yamanote Freight Line, Yokosuka Line, and Tōkaidō Main Line...
    
    
  • Yamanote Line
    Yamanote Line
    The is commuter rail loop line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by East Japan Railway Company . It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres, including the Yūrakuchō/Ginza area, Shibuya, Shinjuku, and Ikebukuro, with all but two of its...
    
    
• Seibu Railway
  Seibu Railway
  is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbreviation of "west Musashi," referring to the historic name for this area...
  
  
  • Seibu Ikebukuro Line
    Seibu Ikebukuro Line
    The is a commuter railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally terminates at Agano Station.The Seibu Chichibu...
    
    
• Tobu Railway
  Tobu Railway
  is a Japanese commuter railway company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. It operates in Tokyo, Saitama, Chiba, Tochigi, and Gunma Prefectures...
  
  
  • Tōjō Line
• Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
  Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
  The is Tokyo's public transportation authority. Its subway lines are commonly described as 都営 Toei, meaning "operated by the metropolitan government ." It is one of two rapid transit systems making up the Tokyo subway system, the other being Tokyo Metro.-Toei Subway:The lines were originally...
  
   (Toei)
  • Mita Line
    Toei Mita Line
    The is a subway line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation network in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Nishi-Takashimadaira in Itabashi and Meguro in Shinagawa. Trains continue with direct service into the Meguro Line of Tokyu Corporation for...
    
    
  • Toden Arakawa Line
    Toden Arakawa Line
    The is a streetcar line in Tokyo, Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates this line. The Arakawa Line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once-extensive Tokyo Toden streetcar system, but it is not the only tram line in Tokyo, as the privately owned Tōkyū Setagaya Line is also...
    
    
• Toei Subway
  Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
  The is Tokyo's public transportation authority. Its subway lines are commonly described as 都営 Toei, meaning "operated by the metropolitan government ." It is one of two rapid transit systems making up the Tokyo subway system, the other being Tokyo Metro.-Toei Subway:The lines were originally...
  
  :
  • Toei Shinjuku Line
    Toei Shinjuku Line
    The is a subway line in Tokyo and Chiba Prefecture, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . The line runs between Motoyawata Station in Ichikawa, Chiba in the east and Shinjuku Station in the west...
    
    
  • Toei Ōedo Line
    Toei Oedo Line
    The is a subway line in Tokyo, Japan operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation . It commenced full operations on December 12, 2000; using the Japanese calendar this reads "12/12/12" as the year 2000 equals Heisei 12...
    
    

Also known as the Arakawa Metropolitan Streetcar Line, it is Tokyo's only remaining streetcar line.

• Tokyo Metro
  Tokyo Metro
  is one of two rapid transit systems making up the Tokyo subway system, the other being Toei. It is the most used subway system in the world in terms of annual passenger rides.-Organization:...
  
  
  • Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line
    Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line
    The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro. The line connects Wakōshi Station in Wakō, Saitama and Shin-Kiba Station in Kōtō, Tokyo. On maps, diagrams and signboards, the line is shown using the color "gold" , and its stations are given numbers using the letter Y.The proper name as...
    
    
  • Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line
  • Tokyo Metro Namboku Line
    Tokyo Metro Namboku Line
    The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. Its name literally means South-North Line. The line runs between Meguro in Shinagawa and Akabane-Iwabuchi in Kita...
    
    
  • Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line

Famous people

• Kou Shibasaki
  Kou Shibasaki
  , born Yukie Yamamura, on August 5, 1981 in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan is a Japanese singer and actress.-Music career:Shibasaki made her debut in the music industry in 2002 with her first single Trust My Feelings, but she became recognized for her second single Tsuki no shizuku which was used for the...
  
  , singer and actress
• Megumi Yokoyama, actress and television personality
• Jun Matsumoto
  Jun Matsumoto
  , often called by the portmanteau nickname , is a Japanese idol, singer, actor and radio host. He is a member of Japanese boy band Arashi and is best known to Japanese television drama audiences for his portrayal as Tsukasa Dōmyōji in the Hana Yori Dango series, in which he won GQ Japan's Man Of...
  
  , singer, actor, and member of Arashi
  Arashi
  is a Japanese boy band formed under the Japanese talent agency Johnny & Associates, which announced the formation of the group on November 3, 1999 in Honolulu, Hawaii...
  
  

External links

• Toshima official website Scroll down and click on "English" to translate.
• Wikitravel: Tokyo/Toshima