is a special ward located in

Tokyo Metropolis Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...

, Japan. In English, it calls itself Itabashi City. Itabashi has sister-city relations with Burlington, Ontario, in Canada;

Shijingshan District Shijingshan District () is an urban district of the municipality of Beijing. It lies to the west of the urban core of Beijing, and is part of the Western Hills area, bordering the districts of Haidian to the northeast and east, Fengtai to the so ...

of Beijing in the People's Republic of China; and

Bologna Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

in Italy. As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 547,270, and a population density of 16,990 persons per km². The total area is 32.22 km².

Geography

Itabashi lies on the

Kantō plain The is the largest plain in Japan, and is located in the Kantō region of central Honshū. The total area of 17,000 km2 covers more than half of the region extending over Tokyo, Saitama Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture, Chiba Prefecture, ...

. The

Arakawa River or Ara River may refer to: * Arakawa River (Kanto) or Ara River may refer to: * Arakawa River (Kanto), which flows from Saitama Prefecture and through Tokyo to Tokyo Bay * Arakawa River (Uetsu), which flows from Yamagata Prefecture and throu ...

, a major river, forms part of the boundary with Saitama Prefecture. Surrounding the ward are, in Saitama, the cities of Wakō and Toda; and in Tokyo, the wards of

Nerima is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. The ward refers to itself as Nerima City. , the ward has an estimated population of 721,858, with 323,296 households and a population density of 15,013 persons per km2, while 15,326 foreign residents are r ...

Toshima is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is one of the eight central wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Located in the northern area of Tokyo, Toshima is bordered by the wards of Nerima, Itabashi, and Kita in the north and Nakano, Shinjuku ...

, and Kita.

Districts and neighborhoods

;Akatsuka Area * Akatsuka * Akatsukashin-chō * Daimon * Misono * Narimasu * Shingashi * Takashimadaira^a * Tokumaru * Yotsuba ;Itabashi Area * Chūmaruchō * Fujimichō * Futabamachi * Hikawamachi * Honchō * Inaridai * Itabashi * Kaga * Kumanomachi * Minamimachi * Nakaitabashi * Nakajuku * Nakamachi * Ōyamachō * Ōyamahigashi-chō * Ōyamakanai-chō * Ōyamanishimachi * Saiwaichō * Sakaemachi * Yamato-chō ;Kamiitabashi Area * Higashishinmachi * Higashiyama-chō * Kamiitabashi * Komone * Minamitokiwadai * Mukaihara * Ōyaguchi * Ōyaguchikami-chō * Ōyaguchikita-chō * Sakuragawa * Tokiwadai * Yayoimachi ;Shimura Area * Aioimachi * Azusawa * Funado * Hasune * Hasunuma-chō * Izumichō * Maeno-chō * Miyamotomachi * Nakadai * Nishidai * Ōharamachi * Sakashita * Sakogi * Shimizumachi * Shimura * Shingashi^b * Takashimadaira^{b, c} * Wakaki Notes: ^a – (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8-chōme)
^b – (formerly part of Shimura Nishidai-chō area)
^c – (1 & 9-chōme)

History

The name of the ward means "plank bridge" and derives from the wooden span over the Shakujii River that dates from the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese ...

. Such a bridge was remarkable at the time, and the name has lasted since. The

current bridge Currents, Current or The Current may refer to: Science and technology * Current (fluid), the flow of a liquid or a gas ** Air current, a flow of air ** Ocean current, a current in the ocean *** Rip current, a kind of water current ** Current (stre ...

in that location is made of

ferroconcrete Reinforced concrete (RC), also called reinforced cement concrete (RCC) and ferroconcrete, is a composite material in which concrete's relatively low tensile strength and ductility are compensated for by the inclusion of reinforcement having hig ...

. In the

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characte ...

, the

Nakasendō The , also called the ,Richard Lane, ''Images from the Floating World'' (1978) Chartwell, Secaucus ; pg. 285 was one of the five routes of the Edo period, and one of the two that connected Edo (modern-day Tokyo) to Kyoto in Japan. There were 69 ...

crossed the nearby Shimo Itabashi, and the name came to apply to that area as well. Itabashi was one of the Four Edo Post Towns, and travellers first lodged there after leaving the shogunal capital. Kaga Domain had a mansion there. The shogunate maintained the Itabashi execution grounds at Itabashi. On October 1, 1932, nine towns and villages of Kita-Toshima District were merged and became part of

Tokyo City was a municipality in Japan and part of Tokyo-fu which existed from 1 May 1889 until its merger with its prefecture on 1 July 1943. The historical boundaries of Tokyo City are now occupied by the Special Wards of Tokyo. The new merged gove ...

as Itabashi Ward. It became a special ward May 3, 1947. On August 1 of that year, the localities of Nerima, Kami-Nerima, Naka-Arai, Shakujii and Ōizumi were split off from Itabashi to create

Ward.

Education

Universities

Itabashi is home to four universities. Tokyo Kasei University has a campus in the Kaga neighborhood. Also in Kaga is the main campus of

Teikyo University is a private university headquartered in the Itabashi ward of Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1931 as Teikyo Commercial High School (帝京商業高等学校). It became Teikyo University in 1966. It is part of Teikyo Group, a multinational ...

Daito Bunka University is a medium-size four-year university with two campuses: one at Itabashi in Tokyo and the other at Higashi Matsuyama in Saitama, Japan. The sports program is strong in rugby and distance running, with the Ekiden (駅伝えきでん relay road ...

has one campus in Takashima-daira, and another in

Higashimatsuyama, Saitama is a city located in Saitama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 90,456 in 41,124 households and a population density of 1400 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Higashimatsuyama is located in th ...

. The fourth is the medical college of

Nihon University , abbreviated as , is a private university, private research university in Japan. Its predecessor, Nihon Law School (currently the Department of Law), was founded by Yamada Akiyoshi, the Minister of Justice (Japan), Minister of Justice, in 1889. ...

Public schools

Public high schools are operated by the

Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education (東京都教育委員会 ''Tōkyō-to Kyōiku Iinkai'') is the board of education in Tokyo, Japan. The board directly manages all of the public high schools in all 23 special wards, the Western ...

. * * * * * * Public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Itabashi City Board of Education (板橋区教育委員会). Public junior high schools: * Akatsuka No. 1 Junior High School (赤塚第一中学校) * Akatsuka No. 2 Junior High School (赤塚第二中学校) * Akatsuka No. 3 Junior High School ( 赤塚第三中学校) * Itabashi No. 1 Junior High School ( 板橋第一中学校) * Itabashi No. 2 Junior High School ( 板橋第二中学校) * Itabashi No. 3 Junior High School (板橋第三中学校) * Itabashi No. 5 Junior High School (板橋第五中学校) * Kaga Junior High School ( 加賀中学校) * Kami Itabashi No. 1 Junior High School ( 上板橋第一中学校) * Kami Itabashi No. 2 Junior High School ( 上板橋第二中学校) * Kami Itabashi No. 3 Junior High School ( 上板橋第三中学校) * Nakadai Junior High School (中台中学校) * Nishidai Junior High School ( 西台中学校) * Sakuragawa Junior High School ( 桜川中学校) * Shimura No. 1 Junior High School ( 志村第一中学校) * Shimura No. 2 Junior High School (志村第二中学校) * Shimura No. 3 Junior High School (志村第三中学校) * Shimura No. 4 Junior High School ( 志村第四中学校) * Shimura No. 5 Junior High School (志村第五中学校) * Takashima No. 1 Junior High School (高島第一中学校) * Takashima No. 2 Junior High School (高島第二中学校) * Takashima No. 3 Junior High School (高島第三中学校) Public elementary schools: * Akatsuka Elementary School (赤塚小学校) * Akatsuka Shinmachi Elementary School (赤塚新町小学校) * Fujimidai Elementary School ( 富士見台小学校) * Funado Elementary School ( 舟渡小学校) * Hasune Elementary School (蓮根小学校) * Hasune No. 2 Elementary School (蓮根第二小学校) * Itabashi No. 1 Elementary School ( 板橋第一小学校) * Itabashi No. 2 Elementary School ( 板橋第二小学校) * Itabashi No. 4 Elementary School (板橋第四小学校) * Itabashi No. 5 Elementary School (板橋第五小学校) * Itabashi No. 6 Elementary School ( 板橋第六小学校) * Itabashi No. 7 Elementary School (板橋第七小学校) * Itabashi No. 8 Elementary School ( 板橋第八小学校) * Itabashi No. 10 Elementary School (板橋第十小学校) * Kaga Elementary School ( 加賀小学校) * Kamiitabashi Elementary School ( 上板橋小学校) * Kamiitabashi No. 2 Elementary School (上板橋第二小学校) * Kamiitabashi No. 4 Elementary School (上板橋第四小学校) * Kanazawa Elementary School ( 金沢小学校) * Kita Maeno Elementary School (北前野小学校) * Kitano Elementary School (北野小学校) * Kobai Elementary School ( 紅梅小学校) * Maeno Elementary School ( 前野小学校) * Midori Elementary School ( 緑小学校) * Misono Elementary School (三園小学校) * Mukaihara Elementary School (向原小学校) * Nakadai Elementary School (中台小学校) * Nakanebashi Elementary School ( 中根橋小学校) * Narimasu Elementary School ( 成増小学校) * Narimasugaoka Elementary School (成増ケ丘小学校) * Oyaguchi Elementary School (大谷口小学校) * Sakuragawa Elementary School (桜川小学校) * Shimo Akatsuka Elementary School (下赤塚小学校) * Shimura Elementary School (志村小学校) * Shimura No. 1 Elementary School (志村第一小学校) * Shimura No. 2 Elementary School (志村第二小学校) * Shimura No. 3 Elementary School (志村第三小学校) * Shimura No. 4 Elementary School (志村第四小学校) * Shimura No. 5 Elementary School (志村第五小学校) * Shimura No. 6 Elementary School (志村第六小学校) * Shimura Sakashita Elementary School (志村坂下小学校) * Shingashi Elementary School (新河岸小学校) * Takashima No. 1 Elementary School (高島第一小学校) * Takashima No. 2 Elementary School (高島第二小学校) * Takashima No. 3 Elementary School (高島第三小学校) * Takashima No. 5 Elementary School (高島第五小学校) * Takashima No. 6 Elementary School (高島第六小学校) * Tokiwadai Elementary School (常盤台小学校) * Tokumaru Elementary School (徳丸小学校) * Wakagi Elementary School (若木小学校) * Yayoi Elementary School (弥生小学校)

Private schools

* – North Korean school().

Points of interest

Akatsuka Botanical Garden The is a botanical garden located at 5-17-14 Akatsuka, Itabashi, Tokyo, Japan. It is open daily. The garden is located in Akatsuka's hills and contains over 600 varieties of trees and plants. The Manyo Yakuyo Garden is a Manyo Botanical Garden ...

* Itabashi Botanical Garden * Jorenji temple and the Daibutsu of Tokyo *

Jōhoku-Chūō Park is a public park that straddles the Nerima and Itabashi wards of Tokyo in Japan. The western half of the park lies in Nerima, Nerima Ward, while the eastern half is in Itabashi, Itabashi Ward. The park opened on 1 April 1957. Sports facilities ...

Transportation

Rail

* East Japan Railway Company (JR East)

Saikyō Line The Saikyō Line ( ja, 埼京線, ) is a Japanese railway line operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It connects Ōsaki Station in Shinagawa, Tokyo, and Ōmiya Station in Saitama Prefecture. The line's name is an abbreviation o ...

: Itabashi Station,

Ukima-Funado Station is a railway station on the Saikyō Line in Kita, Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). Lines Ukimafunado Station is served by the Saikyō Line which runs between in Tokyo and in Saitama Prefecture. Some trains c ...

Toei Mita Line The is a subway line of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei) 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 ...

: Shin-Itabashi, Itabashi Kuyakusho-mae, Itabashi-Honchō, Moto-Hasunuma, Shimura Sakaue, Shimura-Sanchōme, Hasune, Nishidai, Takashimadaira, Shin-Takashimadaira, Nishi-Takashimadaira Stations *

Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line The is a subway line in Japan 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 ...

: Chikatetsu Narimasu Station *

Tōbu Tōjō Line The is a 75.0 km suburban railway line in Japan which runs from Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo to Yorii Station in Yorii, Saitama, operated by the private railway operator Tobu Railway. Its official name is the , but it is referred to ...

: Ōyama, Naka-Itabashi, Tokiwadai, Kami-Itabashi, Tobu-Nerima, Shimo-Akatsuka, Narimasu Stations Some of these stations straddle the boundaries with other wards, or are within walking distance of Itabashi. The addresses of some stations are in neighboring wards. Shimo-Itabashi Station is in Toshima; Kotake Mukaihara Station and Akatsuka Subway Station are in Nerima; Ukima-Funado Station is actually in Kita.

Highways

Shuto Expressway is a network of toll expressways in the Greater Tokyo Area of Japan. It is operated and maintained by the . Most routes are grade-separated (elevated roads or tunnels) and central routes have many sharp curves and multi-lane merges that requi ...

**No.5 Ikebukuro Route (Takebashi JCT – Bijogi JCT) **C2 Central Loop (Itabashi JCT – Kasai JCT)

Sister cities

, Beijing, China *

Bologna, Italy Bologna (, , ; egl, label=Emilian language, Emilian, Bulåggna ; lat, Bononia) is the capital and largest city of the Emilia-Romagna region in Northern Italy. It is the seventh most populous city in Italy with about 400,000 inhabitants and 1 ...

* Burlington, Ontario, Canada

Notable people from Itabashi

Tsubasa Akimoto is a Japanese actress An actor or actress is a person who portrays a character in a performance. The actor performs "in the flesh" in the traditional medium of the theatre or in modern media such as film, radio, and television. The an ...

, actress * Noriyuki Asakura, composer and vocalist *

Yasuhiko Fukuda is a Japanese composer and keyboardist. History and career Born in Tokyo's Itabashi prefecture, Fukuda began playing piano at the age of 4, and while at school became interested in anime ("We were the first anime generation"). He graduated f ...

, Japanese composer and keyboardist * Tomoko Ikuta, actress * Shō Ishikawa, Japanese baseball player *

Seizō Katō was a Japanese actor, voice actor and narrator who worked for Haikyo (Tokyo Actor's Consumer's Cooperative Society). Kato was born in Tokyo. He was noted for his role as Megatron and Galvatron from the 1st Transformers series until '' Transfo ...

, actor,

voice actor Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talent ...

and narrator * Masakatsu Koike, Japanese politician *

Jin Matsubara is a Japanese politician. He is a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). He was appointed Chairman of the National Public Safety Commission, Minister of State for Consumer Affairs and Food Safety and Minis ...

, Japanese politician *

Junko Mihara is a Japanese politician, and was formerly a singer, actress, and racing driver. She is a member of the Liberal Democratic Party. Entertainment career Mihara made her debut as a teenager in the 1979 television series ''Kinpachi-sensei'', and ...

, Japanese politician, singer, actress, and racing driver * Kayo Noro,

Japanese idol An is a type of entertainer marketed for image, attractiveness, and personality in Japanese pop culture. Idols are primarily singers with training in acting, dancing, and modeling. Idols are commercialized through merchandise and endorsements ...

, singer and entertainer * Takurō Ōno, Japanese actor and talent * Koichi Oshima, baseball player *

Yosuke Santa Maria , better known under the ring name , is a Japanese professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently working for Dragon Gate (wrestling), Dragon Gate. An ''exótico'' and referred to by using feminine pronouns, she is a former Open the Brav ...

, Japanese professional wrestler *

Jin Shirosaki , better known as , is a Japanese entertainer and radio personality who is represented by the talent agency, Sun Music. Shirosaki worked at a host club. Biography Shirosaki served as a host of Host and hostess clubs, host club Club Ai for five ye ...

, entertainer and radio personality *

Kento Yamazaki is a Japanese actor and model. He is best known for his roles in the films ''L DK'' (2014), '' Heroine Shikkaku'' (2015), '' Orange'' (2015), and '' Kingdom'' (2019), as well as the TV shows ''Death Note'' (2015), '' Kiss That Kills'' (2018), ' ...

, Japanese actor and model

References

External links

Itabashi City Official Website
{{Authority control Itabashi, Wards of Tokyo