Setagaya-ku, Special ward in Tokyo, Japan
Setagaya-ku is a special ward in western Tokyo that extends across gentle hills and flat residential neighborhoods crisscrossed by rail lines. The ward contains several universities, broad residential areas with low houses, and parks scattered between shopping streets and temples.
42 villages gradually merged during the Edo period into a rural area outside the capital before being incorporated into Tokyo City in 1932. The postwar reform of 1947 shaped the current special ward from these incorporated territories.
Gotokuji houses countless Maneki-neko figurines that draw visitors to its temple halls, while the narrow lanes of Shimokitazawa have become an evening hub for local theater groups and musicians. The streets around Sangenjaya and Kyodo stations preserve small shops and restaurants where neighbors meet for conversation.
Multiple rail lines cross the ward from east to west, linking smaller stations to the major hubs of Shibuya and Shinjuku within 15 to 30 minutes. Local buses fill gaps between stations and connect the parks and shopping districts across the ward.
The Todoroki Valley dips suddenly between residential streets, revealing a wooded stream that flows through bamboo and deciduous trees. A small shrine stands at the bottom of the ravine where water glides over flat stones.
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