is a special ward in the

Tokyo Metropolis Tokyo, officially the Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan, capital and List of cities in Japan, most populous city in Japan. With a population of over 14 million in the city proper in 2023, it is List of largest cities, one of the most ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. 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 is a Special wards of Tokyo, special ward in the Tokyo, Tokyo Metropolis in 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 ...

Itabashi is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. In English, it is called Itabashi City. Itabashi has sister-city relations with Burlington, Ontario, in Canada; Shijingshan District of Beijing in the People's Republic of China; and Bolog ...

, and Kita in the north and Nakano,

Shinjuku , officially called Shinjuku City, is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative center, housing the northern half of the busiest railway station in the world ( Shinjuku Station) as well as the Tokyo Metropol ...

, and Bunkyo in the south. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947, and reached a peak resident population of 370,000 in 1965. The population has continued to decline and as of May 1, 2015, the ward had an estimated population of 298,250, with a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geog ...

of 22,920 persons per km². During the day the population swells with commuters, resulting in a daytime population of around 378,475. The total land area of Toshima is 13.01 km², sitting on a moderate plateau with a difference of 28 m between the ward's highest and lowest points. Approximately 47% of Toshima's land is residential, and 20% is commercial and public areas. Although Toshima is a ward, it is referred to as a city. The ward offices are located in

Ikebukuro is a commercial and entertainment district in Toshima, Tokyo, Japan. Toshima ward offices, Ikebukuro Station, and several shops, restaurants, and department stores are located within city limits. Transportation At the center of Ikebukuro is ...

, which is also the commercial and entertainment center of Toshima. With a non-Japanese population of 19,868, or 7.42% of the total, Toshima is one of the most international wards in Tokyo. Of the foreign population, 56% is of Chinese descent, 20% is of Korean descent, with the rest being of primarily Filipino and European descent.

History

Toshima was formed in 1932 by the merger of four towns, Sugamochō, Nishi-sugamochō, Takadachō, and Nagasakichō, bordered by the quickly expanding former city of Tokyo. The area evolved from a suburban agricultural district in the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

to the urban commercial center that it is today. The growth was fueled by the construction of various rail lines built in the Meiji and Taishō periods. The former Somei village, now part of Toshima, was a center of plant nurseries, and is the birthplace of the '' Somei Yoshino'', Japan's most popular variety of

sakura The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...

(cherry blossom tree). The variety was developed at the end of the Edo period.

Politics and government

Toshima is run by a city assembly of 36 elected members. The current mayor is Yukio Takano, an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

backed by all major parties except the Japanese Communist Party. In April 2011, Taiga Ishikawa was elected to the Toshima assembly, becoming the first openly gay man to win an election in Japanese history.

Districts and neighborhoods

;Nagasaki Area * Chihaya * Kanamechō * Mejiro^a * Minaminagasaki * Nagasaki * Nishiikebukuro^b * Senkawa * Takamatsu ;Nishisugamo Area * Agariyashiki * Higashiikebukuro *

* Ikebukuro Honchō * Kamiikebukuro * Kitaōtsuka^c * Mejiro^d * Minamiikebukuro^e * Minamiōtsuka^f * Nishiikebukuro^g * Nishisugamo ;Sugamo Area * Kitaōtsuka^h * Komagome * Minamiōtsukaⁱ * Sugamo ;Takada Area * Mejiro^j * Minamiikebukuro^k * Nishiikebukuro^l * Takada * Zōshigaya Notes: * ^a - 4, 5-chōme * ^b - 4-chōme * ^c - 2, 3-chōme * ^d - 4-chōme * ^e - 1-chōme * ^f - 3-chōme * ^g - 1, 3-chōme * ^h - 1-chōme * ⁱ - 1, 2-chōme * ^j - 1, 2, 3-chōme * ^k - 2, 3, 4-chōme * ^l - 2-chōme

Sights

Sunshine 60 Ikebukuro Tokyo 20070304-03 cropped

* Sunshine City: The focal point of much of the entertainment in and around Ikebukuro, Sunshine City sports some of the best shopping and dining in Toshima. * The Ancient Orient Museum * Morikazu Kumagai Art Museum * Zoshigaya Missionary Museum *

Toyota is a Japanese Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturer headquartered in Toyota City, Aichi, Japan. It was founded by Kiichiro Toyoda and incorporated on August 28, 1937. Toyota is the List of manuf ...

Amlux Showroom building is located here * Tokiwa-sō, an apartment complex famous for being the early living-quarters of many prominent manga artists. * Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre: Near

Ikebukuro Station Ikebukuro Station () is a major railway station located in the Ikebukuro district of Toshima, Tokyo, Japan, shared by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East), Tokyo subway operator Tokyo Metro, and the two private railway operators Seibu Railw ...

, this facility built in 1990 is one of the newer spots in Toshima and has a concert hall with regular performances and art exhibitions. There is a stage in the open space out front and it is a popular place for amateur musicians during the warmer months. * Myonichikan of Jiyu Gakuen Girls' School: Designed by famous American architect

Frank Lloyd Wright Frank Lloyd Wright Sr. (June 8, 1867 – April 9, 1959) was an American architect, designer, writer, and educator. He designed List of Frank Lloyd Wright works, more than 1,000 structures over a creative period of 70 years. Wright played a key ...

, this notable building was completed in 1922, shortly before he completed work on the Imperial Hotel. * Sugamo Jizodori: The shopping district known as "old ladies'

Harajuku is a district in Shibuya, Tokyo. Harajuku is the common name given to a geographic area spreading from Harajuku Station to Omotesandō, Tokyo, Omotesando, corresponding on official maps of Shibuya, Tokyo, Shibuya ward as Jingūmae 1 Japanese a ...

Festivals

* Fukuro Matsuri: This festival started in 1968 and features a parade of mikoshi (portable shrines) and a yassa dance. It is held on September 14 and 15 of each year outside the west exit of Ikebukuro Station and attracts as many as 200,000 people. * Otsuka Awa Odori Dance: A large summer event gathering 150,000 people, this festival features groups performing and competing with colorful costumes and dancing in front of JR Ōtsuka Station. * Nagasaki Shishimai (

lion dance Lion dance ( zh, s=舞狮, t=舞獅, p=wǔshī, c=, first=t) is a form of traditional dance in Culture of China, Chinese culture and other Asian countries in which performers mimic a Asiatic lion, lion's movements in a lion costume to bring good l ...

): The lion dance is performed every year on the second Sunday of May at Nagasaki Shrine.

Economy

FamilyMart has its headquarters in

, Toshima.

Seiyu Group , or , is a Japanese group of supermarkets, shopping centers and department stores, headquartered in Akabane (赤羽), Kita, Tokyo.

has its registered head office in Toshima. Libro, a bookstore chain, is headquartered in Toshima.

Itochu is a Japanese corporation based in Umeda, Kita-ku, Osaka and Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo, Aoyama, Minato, Tokyo. It is one of the largest Japanese ''sogo shosha'' (general trading and investment companies) distinguished by the strength of its textil ...

corporation and Seven & I Holdings Co., Ltd. has a presence in Toshima. Taisho Pharmaceutical, a pharmaceutical company, also has its headquarters in the ward. In 1956, Asatsu Inc. established its headquarters in Mejiro, Toshima. In May 1967, the company's headquarters moved to

Shinbashi , sometimes transliterated Shimbashi, is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Name Read literally, the characters in Shinbashi mean "new bridge". History The area was the site of a bridge built across the Shiodome River in 1604. The river was l ...

, Minato.

Education

There are six Universities in Toshima. *

Gakushuin University is a private university in Mejiro, Toshima, Tokyo. The Gakushūin (or "Peers School") was established during the Meiji period to educate the children of the Japanese nobility, but back then the institution had only the primary and secondary ...

* Tokyo College of Music * Rikkyo University or St. Paul's University * Taisho University * Tokyo International University * Tokyo University of Social Welfare Two prestigious universities are located bordering Toshima. They are the

University of Tokyo The University of Tokyo (, abbreviated as in Japanese and UTokyo in English) is a public research university in Bunkyō, Tokyo, Japan. Founded in 1877 as the nation's first modern university by the merger of several pre-westernisation era ins ...

in Bunkyo and

Waseda University Waseda University (Japanese: ), abbreviated as or , is a private university, private research university in Shinjuku, Tokyo. Founded in 1882 as the Tōkyō Professional School by Ōkuma Shigenobu, the fifth Prime Minister of Japan, prime ministe ...

bordering Shinjuku. Located Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education operates area public high schools. Toshima is also home to a number of accredited private schools: * Rikkyo Ikebukuro Junior and Senior High School Toshima City Board of Education (豊島区教育委員会) operates public elementary and junior high schools. Municipal junior high schools: * Chitosebashi Junior High School ( 千登世橋中学校) * Ikebukuro Junior High School (池袋中学校) * Komagome Junior High School ( 駒込中学校) * Meiho Junior High School ( 明豊中学校) * Nishiikebukuro Junior High School (西池袋中学校) * Nishisugamo Junior High School (西巣鴨中学校) * Senkawa Junior High School ( 千川中学校) * Sugamokita Junior High School ( 巣鴨北中学校) Municipal elementary schools: * Asahi Elementary School (朝日小学校) * Chihaya Elementary School ( 千早小学校) * Fujimidai Elementary School ( 富士見台小学校) * Gyoko Elementary School ( 仰高小学校) * Hosei Elementary School (豊成小学校) * Hoyu Elementary School (朋有小学校) * Ikebukuro Elementary School (池袋小学校) * Ikebukuro Daiichi (No. 1) Elementary School (池袋第一小学校) * Ikebukuro Daisan (No. 3) Elementary School (池袋第三小学校) * Ikebukuro Honcho Elementary School ( 池袋本町小学校) * Kaname Elementary School (要小学校) * Komagome Elementary School ( 駒込小学校) * Konan Elementary School (高南小学校) * Mejiro Elementary School ( 目白小学校) * Minami Ikebukuro Elementary School (南池袋小学校) * Nagasaki Elementary School (長崎小学校) * Nishisugamo Elementary School (西巣鴨小学校) * Sakura Elementary School ( さくら小学校) * Seiwa Elementary School (清和小学校) * Shiinamachi Elementary School (椎名町小学校) * Sugamo Elementary School (巣鴨小学校) * Takamatsu Elementary School (高松小学校) Municipal kindergartens: * Ikebukuro Kindergarten (池袋幼稚園) * Minami Nagasaki Kindergarten (南長崎幼稚園) * Nishisugamo Kindergarten (西巣鴨幼稚園)

Transportation

Rail

The main hub for rail transportation in Toshima ward is

, the second busiest train station in Japan. The rail lines which run through or terminate in Toshima are: *

East Japan Railway Company The is a major passenger railway company in Japan and the largest of the seven Japan Railways Group companies. The company name is officially abbreviated as JR-EAST or JR East in English, and as in Japanese. The company's headquarters are in ...

(JR East) ** Saikyō Line ** Shōnan-Shinjuku Line **

Yamanote Line The Yamanote Line () is a railway Circle route, loop service in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the East Japan Railway Company (JR East). It is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important lines, connecting most of Tokyo's major stations and urban centres ...

Seibu Railway is a conglomerate based in Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan, with principal business areas in railways, tourism, and real estate. Seibu Railway's operations are concentrated in northwest Tokyo and Saitama Prefecture; the name "Seibu" is an abbrevi ...

Seibu Ikebukuro Line The is a railway line of the Japanese private railway operator Seibu Railway. It originates at Ikebukuro Station, a large railway junction in north-western Tokyo, extending to northwest suburbs as far as Tokorozawa, Saitama, and nominally term ...

Tobu Railway is a Japanese commuter railway and ''keiretsu'' holding company in the Greater Tokyo Area as well as an intercity and regional operator in the Kantō region. Excluding the Japan Railways Group companies, Tobu's rail system is the second longes ...

** Tōjō Line *

Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation The , also known as Toei Transportation, Toei Transport, or simply , is a bureau of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government which operates public transport services in Tokyo. Among its services, the Toei Subway is one of two rapid transit systems wh ...

(Toei) **

Tokyo Sakura Tram The , branded as the is a hybrid tram/light rail line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei). The line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once-extensive Tokyo Toden tram system and one of the only two ...

Also known as the Arakawa Metropolitan Streetcar Line, it is Tokyo's only remaining

Tokyo Toden The or simply Toden, is the tram network of Tokyo, Japan. Of all its former routes, only one, the Tokyo Sakura Tram, remains in service. The Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates the Toden. The formal legal name is ''Tokyo-to Den ...

streetcar system. **

Toei Subway The is one of two subway systems in Tokyo, Japan, the other being the Tokyo Metro. The Toei Subway lines were originally licensed to the Teito Rapid Transit Authority (the predecessor of Tokyo Metro) but were constructed by the Tokyo Metropolita ...

: *** Toei Shinjuku Line *** Mita Line ***

Toei Ōedo Line The is a rapid transit railway line of the municipal Toei Subway network in Tokyo, Japan. It commenced full operations on December 12, 2000; using the Japanese calendar this reads "12/12/12" as the year 2000 equals Heisei 12. The line is comple ...

Tokyo Metro The Tokyo Metro () is a major rapid transit system in Tokyo, Japan, operated by the #Organization, Tokyo Metro Co. With an average daily ridership of 6.52 million passengers (as of 2023), the Tokyo Metro is the larger of the Tokyo subway, two s ...

** Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line **

Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line The is a Rapid transit, subway line in Tokyo, Japan, operated by Tokyo Metro. The line runs in a U-shape between Ogikubo Station in Suginami, Tokyo, Suginami and Ikebukuro Station in Toshima, Tokyo, Toshima, with a branch line between Nakano-Sa ...

Tokyo Metro Namboku Line The is a subway line owned and operated by Tokyo Metro in Tokyo, Japan. The line runs between Meguro in Shinagawa and Akabane-Iwabuchi in Kita. The Namboku Line was referred to as Line 7 during the planning stages, thus the seldom-used off ...

Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line The , formally the , is a subway line operated by Tokyo Metro in west-central Tokyo and Wako, Saitama, Japan. The newest line in the Tokyo subway network, it opened in stages between 1994 and 2008. On average, the Fukutoshin Line carried 362,654 ...

Notable people from Toshima

* Mone Inami, professional golfer * Koki Morita, professional footballer * Jun Matsumoto, singer, actor, and member of

Arashi is a Japanese boy band consisting of five members formed under the Johnny & Associates talent agency. The members are Satoshi Ohno, Sho Sakurai, Masaki Aiba, Kazunari Ninomiya, and Jun Matsumoto. Arashi officially formed on September 15, 199 ...

* Kō Shibasaki, singer and actress *

Tatsuro Yamashita , occasionally referred to as Tatsu Yamashita or Tats Yamashita, is a Japanese singer-songwriter and record producer, who is known for pioneering the city pop style of music. His most well-known song is "Christmas Eve", a best-selling song rel ...

, singer-songwriter and record producer

References

External links

Toshima City Official Website
{{Authority control Wards of Tokyo 1932 establishments in Japan