Sumida, Tokyo

Sumida 墨田
—  Special ward  —
墨田区 · Sumida City
Asahi Breweries Headquarters in Sumida
Flag
Location of Sumida in Tokyo
Sumida
Coordinates: 35°42′N 139°49′E
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tokyo
Area
• Total	13.75 km2 (5.31 sq mi)
Population (2008)
• Total	240,296
• Density	17,480/km2 (45,300/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Website	Sumida

Sumida (墨田区, Sumida-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It calls itself Sumida City in English.

As of 2008, the ward has an estimated population of 240,296 and a density of 17,480 persons per km². The total area is 13.75 km².

Sumida maintains sister-city relationships with Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea; and with Shijingshan District, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

Geography

Sumida is in the northeastern part of the mainland portion of Tokyo. The Sumida and Arakawa are the major rivers, and form parts of its boundaries. Its neighbors are all special wards: Adachi to the north; Arakawa to the northwest; Katsushika to the east; Edogawa to the southeast; Taitō to the west; Chūō to the southwest; and Kōtō to the south.

Landmarks

• Tokyo Sky Tree: NHK and other broadcasters have proposed a new tower, which, when completed, will be the tallest freestanding tower in the world and the tallest man-made structure in Japan. It is currently scheduled for completion in 2011, when all of Japan will have switched to digital terrestrial television.
• Ryōgoku Kokugikan (National Sumo Stadium)
• Edo-Tokyo Museum
• Asahi Breweries Headquarters: The Asahi Beer Hall with the Asahi flame created by French designer Philippe Starck in 1989, is one of Tokyo's most recognizable modern structures.
• Eko-in: Buddhist temple
• Honjo Matsuzaka-cho Park: the residence of Kira Yoshinaka stood on this site. The Forty-seven Ronin took his life during the Genroku era.
• Hokusai-dori (street), with a series of prints by famed Japanese artist Hokusai who was born in the Kamezawa area of Sumida.
• Tobu Museum
• Tokyo Irei-do (Tokyo Memorial Hall): a memorial to those unidentified people who died in the Great Kantō Earthquake, the Bombing of Tokyo in World War II and other catastrophes
• Yokoamicho Park, in the Yokoami district

Places

• In the north (the former Mukojima Ward): Sumida, Tsutsumi-dori, Higashi Sumida, Yahiro, Higashi Mukojima, Tachibana, Bunka, Kyojima, Oshiage
• In the center (former Honjo Ward): Azuma-bashi, Higashi Komagata, Honjo, Narihira, Yokokawa
• In the south (former Honjo Ward): Yokoami, Ryogoku, Chitose, Ishiwara, Kamezawa, Midori, Tatekawa, Kikukawa, Taihei, Kinshi, Koto-bashi

History

The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. It was previously the (ordinary) wards Honjo and Mukojima. Mukojima, formed in 1932, contained the former town of Sumida, which along with the river gave the ward its name.

Companies

• Asahi Breweries has its headquarters in Azuma-bashi.
• Japan Tobacco has a plant in Yokokawa.
• Keisei Electric Railway has its headquarters in Oshiage.
• Lion Corporation, the detergent and toiletries giant, has its home office in Honjo.
• Tobu Railway has its headquarters in Oshiage.

Politics

As of 2005, the mayor is Noboru Yamazaki. The council consists of 34 members.

Transportation

For more details on this topic, see Transportation in Greater Tokyo.

Rail lines

• JR East Sōbu Main Line: Kinshichō, Ryōgoku Stations
• Tobu Railway
  • Tōbu Isesaki Line: Oshiage, Narihira-bashi, Hikifune, Higashi-Mukōjima, Kanegafuchi Stations
  • Tōbu Kameido Line: Higashi-Azuma, Omurai, Hikifune Stations
• Keisei Electric Railway Keisei Oshiage Line: Oshiage, Keisei Hikifune, Yahiro Stations
• Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line: Kinshichō, Oshiage Stations
• Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
  • Toei Asakusa Line: Honjō Azuma-bashi, Oshiage Stations
  • Toei Shinjuku Line: Kikukawa Station
  • Toei Ōedo Line: Ryōgoku Station

Train stations

Higashi-Azuma Station Higashi-Mukōjima Station Hikifune Station Honjō Azumabashi Station Kanegafuchi Station Kinshichō Station

Kikukawa Station Narihira-bashi Station Omurai Station Oshiage Station Ryōgoku Station Yahiro Station

Highway

• Shuto Expressway
  • C2 Central Loop
  • No.6 Mukōjima Route
  • No.7 Komatsugawa Route
• National highways
  • Route 6
  • Route 14

Famous people

Historical

• Ryūnosuke Akutagawa lived in Mukojima
• Enomoto Takeaki lived in Mukojima
• Hasegawa Heizo lived in Honjō
• Katsushika Hokusai was born in Kamezawa
• Katsu Kaishū was born in Kamezawa
• Kōda Rohan lived in Mukōjima
• Matsuo Bashō lived in Honjō
• Mori Ōgai lived in Mukōjima
• Nezumi Kozō (Jirokichi): A memorial is located at Eko-in

Modern

• Haruka Igawa: actress, model
• Chosuke Ikariya: actor, comedian (The Drifters)
• Nana Kinomi: actress
• Masao Oba: former WBA flyweight champion
• Sadaharu Oh: baseball player and manager
• Kazuhito Tadano: Major League Baseball player
• Suihō Tagawa: manga artist
• Hisanori Takahashi: baseball player
• Yoshihiro Takayama: pro wrestler
• Chisa Yokoyama: voice actor

Education

Public elementary and middle schools are operated by Sumida.

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

• Honjo High School
• Mukojima Commercial High School
• Mukojima Technical High School
• Ryogoku High School
• Sumidagawa High School
• Tachibana High School

In addition the metropolitan school district also operates a metropolitan junior high school:

• Ryogoku Junior High School

Works set in Sumida

• Chushingura, the fictional account of the events surrounding the revenge of the Forty-seven Ronin
• Bokuto Kitan, the novel by Nagai Kafu
• You're Under Arrest

External links

• Sumida official website in English