Shitamachi in the context of "Ushigome"

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⭐ Core Definition: Shitamachi

Yamanote (山の手; Japanese pronunciation: [ja.ma.no(ꜜ).te]) and Shitamachi (下町; [ɕi̥.ta.ma.tɕi]) are traditional names for two areas of Tokyo, Japan.

Yamanote refers to the affluent, upper-class areas of Tokyo west of the Imperial Palace. While citizens once considered it as consisting of Hongo, Kōjimachi, Koishikawa, Ushigome, Yotsuya, Akasaka, Aoyama and Azabu in the Bunkyō, Chiyoda, Shinjuku, and Minato wards, in popular conception, the area extended westwards to include the Nakano, Suginami, and Meguro wards after the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923.

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In this Dossier

Shitamachi in the context of Bunkyō, Tokyo

Bunkyō (文京区, Bunkyō-ku) is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. Situated in the middle of the ward area, Bunkyō is a residential and educational center. Beginning in the Meiji period, literati like Natsume Sōseki, as well as scholars and politicians have lived there. Bunkyō is home to the Tokyo Dome, Judo's Kōdōkan, and the University of Tokyo's Hongo Campus.

It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Hongo and Koishikawa wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Bunkyo ward exhibits contrasting Shitamachi and Yamanote geographical and cultural division. The Nezu [ja] and Sendagi [ja] neighborhoods in the ward's eastern corner are attached to the Shitamachi area in Ueno. On the other hand, the remaining areas of the ward typically represent Yamanote districts.

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Shitamachi in the context of Minato, Tokyo

Minato (港区, Minato-ku) [minato] is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English.

Minato was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits the contrasting Shitamachi and Yamanote geographical and cultural division. The Shinbashi neighborhood in the ward's northeastern corner is attached to the core of Shitamachi, the original commercial center of Edo-Tokyo. On the other hand, the Azabu and Akasaka areas are typically representative Yamanote districts.

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Shitamachi in the context of Nihonbashi

Nihonbashi (日本橋, Nihonbashi; Japanese pronunciation: [ɲi.hon.ba.ɕi], also romanized as Nihombashi Japanese pronunciation: [ɲi.hom.ba.ɕi], Nippombashi Japanese pronunciation: [ɲip.po(ꜜ)m.ba.ɕi], or Nipponbashi Japanese pronunciation: [ɲip.po(ꜜ)n.ba.ɕi]) is a business district of Chūō, Tokyo, Japan, which sprung up around the bridge of the same name that has linked two sides of the Nihonbashi River at this site since the 17th century. The first wooden bridge was completed in 1603. The current bridge, designed by Tsumaki Yorinaka and constructed of stone on a steel frame, dates from 1911. The district covers a large area to the north and east of the bridge, reaching Akihabara to the north and the Sumida River to the east. Ōtemachi and Yaesu are to the west and Kyobashi to the south.

Nihonbashi, together with Kyobashi and Kanda, is the core of Shitamachi, the original downtown center of Edo-Tokyo, before the rise of newer secondary centers such as Shinjuku and Shibuya.

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Shitamachi in the context of Kanda, Tokyo

Kanda (神田) is an area in northeastern Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It encompasses about thirty neighborhoods. Kanda was a ward prior to 1947. When the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged with Kojimachi to form the modern Chiyoda.

Kanda, together with Nihonbashi and Kyobashi, is the core of Shitamachi, the original downtown center of Edo-Tokyo, before the rise of newer secondary centers such as Shinjuku and Shibuya.

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Shitamachi in the context of Ginza

Ginza (/ˈɡɪnzə/ GHIN-zə; Japanese: 銀座 [ɡindza]) is a district of Chūō, Tokyo, located south of Yaesu and Kyōbashi, west of Tsukiji, east of Yūrakuchō and Uchisaiwaichō, and north of Shinbashi. It is a popular upscale shopping area of Tokyo, with numerous internationally renowned department stores, boutiques, restaurants and coffeehouses located in its vicinity.

Ginza was a part of the old Kyobashi ward of Tokyo City, which, together with Nihonbashi and Kanda, formed the core of Shitamachi, the original downtown center of Edo (Tokyo).

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Shitamachi in the context of Ueno

Ueno (上野; Japanese pronunciation: [ɯ.e.no]) is a district in Taitō, Tokyo. The area extending from Ueno to Asakusa is part of the historical Shitamachi (literally "low city") district of Tokyo, which is often associated with working-class traditions and culture as well as their distinct accent. The district's name roughly translates into "Upper Field" in English.

The Ueno area, in the strict sense, centres around Ueno Station, which has historically been the terminus for long-distance trains bound for northern Japan, such as the Blue trains and the Shinkansen. To the north, Ueno Park stretches to the area just behind the University of Tokyo's Hongo Campus. Ueno Park houses some of Tokyo's finest cultural sites, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Western Art, the National Museum of Nature and Science, and a major public concert hall. Numerous Buddhist temples can also be found in the park, including the Bentendo, dedicated to the goddess Benzaiten, on an island in Shinobazu Pond. The Kan'ei-ji, a major temple for the Tokugawa shōguns, also stands in this area, with its pagoda now located within the grounds of Ueno Zoo. Nearby is Ueno Tōshō-gū, a Shinto shrine dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu. The International Library of Children's Literature is also in the area.

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Shitamachi in the context of Chūō, Tokyo

Chūō (中央区, Chūō-ku; Japanese pronunciation: [tɕɯː.oː, tɕɯː.oꜜː, tɕɯː.oꜜː.kɯ]) is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself in English as Chūō City. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Kyōbashi and Nihonbashi wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis.

Chūō-ku, as a combination of Kyōbashi and Nihonbashi, is the core of Shitamachi, the original downtown center of Edo-Tokyo. The name Chūō literally means "Central Ward," and it has historically been Tokyo’s main commercial center. However, since the end of World War II, Shinjuku and Shibuya in the west have risen to challenge that position. This is reflected in the fact that Chūō is located entirely outside the Yamanote Line loop, which is now regarded as the inner core of central Tokyo.

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