Taitō


Taitō is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. In English, it is known as Taitō City.
As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 186,276, and a population density of 18,420 persons per km2. The total area is. This makes Taito ward the smallest of Tokyo's wards in area, and third-smallest in population.

History

The ward was founded on March 15, 1947, with the merger of the old Asakusa and Shitaya wards when Tokyo City was transformed into Tokyo Metropolis. During the Edo period, the Yoshiwara licensed quarter was in what is now Taitō. Taitō shares the same Chinese characters, "台東", with Taitung, a city in Taiwan.

Geography

Situated in the northeastern portion of the wards area of Tokyo, Taitō is surrounded by five other special wards: Chiyoda, Bunkyō, Arakawa, Sumida and Chūō.

Districts and neighborhoods

;Asakusa area
  • Asakusa
  • Asakusabashi
  • Hanakawado
  • Hashiba
  • Higashi-Asakusa
  • Imado
  • Kaminarimon
  • Kiyokawa
  • Kojima
  • Komagata
  • Kotobuki
  • Kuramae
  • Matsugaya
  • Misuji
  • Motoasakusa
  • Nihonzutsumi
  • Nishi-Asakusa
  • Torigoe
  • Yanagibashi
;Shitaya area
  • Akihabara
  • Higashi-Ueno
  • Ikenohata
  • Iriya
  • Kita-Ueno
  • Minowa
  • Ryusen
  • Senzoku
  • Shitaya
  • Taito
  • Ueno
  • Ueno-koen
  • Uenosakuragi
  • Yanaka

    Landmarks

Taitō is famous for its typical Shitamachi districts. The Asakusa Culture Tourist Information Center provides amenities to both tourists and locals.

Temples and shrines

  • Sensō-ji and Kaminarimon
  • Asakusa Shrine
  • Akiba Shrine, in Matsugaya
  • Kan'ei-ji
  • Kishibojin
  • Ueno Tōshō-gū
  • Zenshō-an

    Parks

  • Asakusa Park
  • Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden
  • Sumida Park
  • Ueno Park
  • Yanaka Park

    Museums and zoos

  • Amuse Museum
  • Asakura Sculpture Hall
  • Daimyo Clock Museum
  • National Museum of Western Art
  • National Museum of Nature and Science
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
  • Tokyo National Museum
  • Ueno Royal Museum
  • Ueno Zoo
  • Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall

    Entertainment

  • Suzumoto Engeijo
  • Asakusa Vaudeville Hall

    Economy

, a clinical diagnostics and equipment manufacturer, has its headquarters in Taito.
Tokyo Ricoh Office Solution and Ricoh Technosystems, divisions of Ricoh, are headquartered in Taitō as of 2008. Chikumashobo, a publisher, has its headquarters in the Kuramae area of the ward.

Retail

Colleges and universities

Prefectural public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.
Private schools:
The school district of the metropolis also operates one metropolitan junior high school:
The Taito City Board of Education operates municipal elementary and junior high schools.
Municipal junior high schools:
  • Asakusa Junior High School
  • Hakuyo Junior High School
  • Komagata Junior High School
  • Okachimachi Taito Junior High School
  • Sakurabashi Junior High School
  • Shinobugaoka Junior High School
  • Ueno Junior High School
Municipal elementary schools:
  • Asakusa Elementary School
  • Fuji Elementary School
  • Heisei Elementary School
  • Higashi Asakusa Elementary School
  • Ishihama Elementary School
  • Kanasogi Elementary School
  • Kinryu Elementary School
  • Kuramae Elementary School
  • Kuromon Elementary School
  • Matsuba Elementary School
  • Negishi Elementary School
  • Senzoku Elementary School
  • Shinobugaoka Elementary School
  • Taisho Elementary School
  • Taito Ikuei Elementary School
  • Tawara Elementary School
  • Tosen Elementary School
  • Ueno Elementary School
  • Yanaka Elementary School

    Public libraries

Taito operates several public libraries, including the Central Library, the Central Library Asakusabashi Branch, the Negishi Library, and the Ishihama Library. The Central Library is located in the first and second floors of the Lifelong Learning Center.

Other

The city operates the Lifelong Learning Center, a complex including a multi-media room, a studio, and other facilities. The Central Library is on the first and second floors of the Lifelong Learning Center.

Transportation

Rail

  • JR East
  • *Tōhoku Shinkansen, Jōetsu Shinkansen, Akita Shinkansen, Yamagata Shinkansen: Ueno Station
  • *Tōhoku Main Line
  • *Yamanote Line, Keihin-Tōhoku Line: Okachimachi, Ueno, Uguisudani Stations. Also, Nippori Station
  • *Utsunomiya Line, Takasaki Line: Ueno Station
  • *Jōban Line: Officially, the line begins at Nippori Station, although most trains start/terminate at Ueno Station
  • Tokyo Metro
  • *Ginza Line: Ueno-Hirokoji, Inarichō, Tawaramachi, Asakusa Stations
  • *Hibiya Line: Okachimachi, Ueno, Iriya, Minowa Stations
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
  • *Toei Asakusa Line: Asakusa-bashi, Kuramae, Asakusa Stations
  • *Toei Ōedo Line: Ueno-Okachimachi, Shin-Okachimachi, Kuramae Stations
  • Keisei Electric Railway Keisei Main Line: Keisei Ueno Station
  • Tobu Railway Skytree Line: Asakusa Station
  • Tsukuba Express: Shin-Okachimachi, Asakusa Stations

    Highways

  • Shuto Expressway
  • * Ueno Route
  • National highways
  • *
  • *

    Sports and recreation

The City of Taito operates the Taito Riverside Sports Center. The center includes a gymnasium, tennis courts, two baseball fields for adults, one baseball field for children, one large swimming pool, one children's pool, and an athletic field. The gymnasium includes two courts, two budo halls, a Japanese-style archery range, a sumo ring, a training room, a table tennis room, an air-rifle shooting range, and a meeting room.

People