Taitō (台東区, Taitō-ku) 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 10.11 square kilometres (3.90 sq mi). This makes Taito ward the smallest of Tokyo's wards in area, and third-smallest in population.
Contents
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.
Toponymy
As both Asakusa and Shitaya place names had been in use for centuries, neither side wanted to be in a ward named for the other after their merger. Shitaya advocated for naming the merged ward Ueno Ward (上野区, Ueno-ku), while Asakusa preferred Higashi Ward (東区, Higashi-ku; lit. Eastern Ward). As consensus could not be reached, the Governor of Tokyo proposed Taitō Ward (台東区) as a compromise name, with tai (台; plateau) taken from Ueno Plateau (上野台, Uenodai), and tō (東; east) referring to the lowlands east of it, encompassing Asakusa and Shitaya. The name had been used before by an elementary school in Shitaya.
Other suggested names included Shitamachi Ward (下町区), Taihei Ward (太平区), Sumida Ward (隅田区; not to be confused with neighbouring Sumida Ward, written using different characters).
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.
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 (Thunder Gate)
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 (Suzumoto Vaudeville Hall)
Asakusa Vaudeville Hall
Economy
Eiken Chemical, 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 (蔵前) area of the ward.
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
Education
Colleges and universities
Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music
Ueno Gakuen University
Primary and secondary schools
Prefectural public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.
Hakuo High School
Asakusa High School
Kuramae Technical High School
Shinobugaoka High School
Ueno High School
Ueno Shinobugaoka High School
Taito Commercial High School
Taito Chuyakan High School
Private schools:
Ueno Gakuen Junior and Senior High School
The school district of the metropolis also operates one metropolitan junior high school:
Hakuo Junior High School
The Taito City Board of Education (台東区教育委員会) operates municipal elementary and junior high schools.
Municipal junior high schools:
Asakusa Junior High School (浅草中学校)
Hakuyo Junior High School (柏葉中学校)
Komagata Junior High School (駒形中学校)
Okachimachi Taito Junior High School (御徒町台東中学校)
Sakurabashi Junior High School (台東区立桜橋中学校)
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 (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 Skytree Line: Asakusa Station
Tsukuba Express: Shin-Okachimachi, Asakusa Stations
Highways
Shuto Expressway
Ueno Route
National highways
National Route 4
National 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.
People
Remi Hirano, Japanese chef, TV personality and chanson singer
Makoto Shimizu, Japanese musician
Nobuo Kaneko, Japanese actor
Toriyama Sekien, ukiyo-e artist of Japanese folklore