Sumida, Tokyo

Sumida (墨田区, Sumida-ku) is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Sumida City.

As of 1 March 2023, the ward has an estimated population of 277,058 and a population density of 20,120 persons per km². Its total area is 13.77 km².

Sumida's city office is located in Azumabashi, while its commercial center is the area around Kinshicho Station in the south.

Geography

Sumida is in the north-eastern 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

• 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.^[2]
• Edo-Tokyo Museum
• Eko-in: Buddhist temple
• Hokusai-dori (Hokusai Street), with a series of prints by famed Japanese artist Hokusai, who was born in the Kamezawa area of Sumida
• Honjo Matsuzaka-cho Park: the residence of Kira Yoshinaka stood on this site. The Forty-seven rōnin killed him during the Genroku era.
• Kinshicho Station, among the most popular places to play the mobile game Pokémon Go in all of Japan. It's easy to see people staring at their phones for hours and catching every single Pokémon around the area.^{[citation needed]}
• Ryōgoku Kokugikan (National Sumo Stadium)
• Sumida Triphony Hall, concert hall
• Tobu Museum
• Tokyo Irei-do (Tokyo Memorial Hall): a memorial to unidentified people who died in the Great Kantō earthquake, the Bombing of Tokyo in World War II and other catastrophes; by Itō Chūta
• Tokyo Skytree: A digital terrestrial television broadcasting tower used by NHK and other broadcasters. It is the tallest tower in the world and the tallest man-made structure in Japan. The Tokyo Solamachi (Tokyo Skytree Town) retail complex is adjacent to Skytree, with Sumida Aquarium on the 5th and 6th floors.
• Yokoamicho Park, in the Yokoami district

Places

• In the north (the former Mukojima Ward): Sumida, Tsutsumi-dori, Higashi Sumida, Yahiro, Mukojima, 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 2023, the mayor is Tōru Yamamoto. The council consists of 34 members.

Transport

Rail lines

• JR East Sōbu Main Line: Kinshichō, Ryōgoku Stations
• Tobu Railway
  • Tōbu Isesaki Line: Oshiage, Tokyo Skytree, 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

Railway stations

Highways

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

Education

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

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

• Ryogoku Junior High School [ja]^[9]

Municipal kindergartens, elementary schools, and junior high schools are operated by Sumida City Board of Education (墨田区教育委員会).^[10]

Municipal junior high schools:^[10]

Municipal elementary schools:^[10]

Municipal kindergartens:^[10]

International schools:

• Tokyo Korean 5th Elementary and Middle School (東京朝鮮第五初中級学校) - North Korean school^[11]

Notable people

Historical

• Ryūnosuke Akutagawa lived in Mukojima
• Enomoto Takeaki lived in Mukojima
• 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
• Masakazu Morita, voice actor
• Masao Ohba: former WBA flyweight champion
• Sadaharu Oh: baseball player and manager
• Kazuhito Tadano: Major League Baseball player
• Suihō Tagawa: manga artist
• Hisanori Takahashi: baseball player
• Tomomi Takano: model and professional boxer
• Yoshihiro Takayama: pro wrestler
• Chisa Yokoyama: voice actor
• Shunsuke Kazama, actor, voice actor and tarento

International relations

Sumida maintains sister-city relationships with Seodaemun-gu, Seoul, South Korea, and with Shijingshan District, Beijing, China.

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 manga series
• Battle Kuma Oni. in Kachidoki Bridge 「東京激震! 新生莫斯科華撃団! Tōkyō Gekishin! Shinsei Mosukuba Kagekidan!」 Tokyo Trembles! The New Moscow Combat Revue! in Oji Hiroi's 2000 Sakura Wars TV Series Shin Sakura Taisen the Animation, 2020
• Lycoris Recoil anime series^[12]
• Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo, the horror visual novel directed and written by Takanari Ishiyama and published by Square Enix, 2023

References

External links

Special Wards
of TokyoWestern
(Tama area)

Core city	Hachiōji
Cities	Akiruno Akishima Chōfu Fuchū Fussa Hamura Higashikurume Higashimurayama Higashiyamato Hino Inagi Kiyose Kodaira Koganei Kokubunji Komae Kunitachi Machida Mitaka Musashimurayama Musashino Nishitokyo Ōme Tachikawa Tama
Nishitama District	Hinode Mizuho Okutama Hinohara

Insular Area