Taitō, Tokyo

Taitō, Tokyo

Taitō
台東
—  Special ward  —
台東区 · Taitō City
A street in Ueno, Taitō

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Location of Taitō in Tokyo
Taitō is located in Japan
Taitō
 
Coordinates: 35°43′N 139°47′E / 35.717°N 139.783°E / 35.717; 139.783Coordinates: 35°43′N 139°47′E / 35.717°N 139.783°E / 35.717; 139.783
Country Japan
Region Kantō
Prefecture Tokyo
Government
 - Mayor (Ward) Hiroshi Yoshizumi (since May 2003)
Area
 - Total 10.08 km2 (3.9 sq mi)
Population (April 1, 2011)
 - Total 168,909
 - Density 16,745.86/km2 (43,371.6/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
Tree Cherry blossom
Flower Ipomoea nil
Website Taitō Ward
The statue of Saigō Takamori in Ueno Park.
The five-storied pagoda at Sensō-ji

Taitō (台東区 Taitō-ku?) 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.

Contents

History

The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. During the Edo period, the Yoshiwara licensed quarter was in what is now Taitō.

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.

Landmarks

Districts

  • Ueno
  • Akihabara
  • Ameyoko
  • Yanaka
  • Asakusa
  • Asakusabashi

Temples and shrines

  • Sensō-ji and Kaminarimon (Thunder Gate)
  • Asakusa Shrine
  • Akiba Shrine
  • Kan'ei-ji
  • Kishibojin

Parks

Cherry blossom in Ueno Park
  • Asakusa Park
  • Kyu-Iwasaki-tei Garden
  • Sumida Park
  • Ueno Park
  • Yanaka Park

Museums and zoos

  • Asakura Sculpture Hall
  • Daimyo Clock Museum
  • National Museum of Western Art
  • National Science Museum of Japan
  • Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum
  • Tokyo National Museum
  • Ueno no Mori Museum
  • Ueno Zoo
  • Yokoyama Taikan Memorial Hall

Entartainment place

Suzumoto Vaudeville Hall in Ueno
  • Suzumoto Engeijo (Suzumoto Vaudeville Hall)
  • Asakusa Vaudeville Hall

Education

Colleges and universities

  • Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
  • Ueno Gakuen University

Primary and secondary schools

Taito operates public elementary and junior high schools.

Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.

  • Hakuo High School
  • Kuramae Technical High School
  • Shinobugaoka High School
  • Taito Commercial High School
  • Taito Chuyakan High School
  • Ueno High School
  • Ueno Shinobugaoka High School

The school district of the metropolis also operates one metropolitan junior high school:

  • Hakuo Junior High 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.

Economy

Bandai headquarters

The headquarters of Bandai and Bandai Channel are located in Taitō. Tokyo Ricoh Office Solution and Ricoh Technosystems, divisions of Ricoh, are headquartered in Taitō as of 2008.

In August 1991, the Bandai Visual headquarters moved to Taitō. In March 1994, the headquarters moved to another location in Taitō. In September 2004, the headquarters moved to its current location in Shiodome, Minato, Tokyo.

Retail

  • Matsuzakaya department store in Ueno
  • Matsuya department store in Asakusa

Other

  • Taiyo Yuden, electronics and materials company in Ueno

Events

  • Sumidagawa Fireworks Festival
  • Asakusa Samba Carnival
  • Torigoe Shrine Matsuri
  • Sanja Matsuri, one of the three great festivals of Tokyo

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 (on the boundary with Taitō)
    • 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 Isesaki Line: Asakusa Station
  • Tsukuba Express: Shin-Okachimachi, Asakusa Stations

Highways

  • Shuto Expressway No. 1 Ueno Route
  • National Highways
    • Route 4
    • Route 6

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.

See also

PrefSymbol-Tokyo.svg Tokyo portal

  1. ^ a b English name of Taitō
  2. ^ a b c "Public Facilities." City of Taito. Accessed August 27, 2008.
  3. ^ "Bandai Group Establishes 'Bandai Channel' to Distribute Broadband Content." Bandai Group. March 4, 2004. Retrieved on March 16, 2010.
  4. ^ "Topics - Annual Report 2006." Ricoh. Retrieved on January 13, 2009.
  5. ^ "Ricoh Group Registration Scope." Ricoh. Retrieved on January 13, 2009.
  6. ^ "History." Bandai Visual. Retrieved on March 16, 2010.
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