Toshima-ku, Special ward in northern Tokyo, Japan
Description
Toshima-ku is a special ward in the northern part of the Tokyo metropolis in Japan, encompassing neighborhoods such as Ikebukuro, Sugamo, and Komagome. The area covers a densely built zone with office buildings, department stores, parks, and residential blocks connected by a network of railway stations and streets.
History
The ward was formed in 1943 by merging four older municipalities as part of a reorganization of the capital's administrative structure. Over the 20th century, Ikebukuro grew into a major transport hub, shaping further urban development across the area.
Culture
The name Toshima comes from a historical island group that once existed in the western part of what is now Tokyo. In Sugamo, older residents gather along traditional shopping streets, while younger crowds fill the manga and anime shops in Ikebukuro.
Practical
Most visitors reach the area through Ikebukuro or Sugamo, both offering direct connections to different parts of the city. Navigating becomes easier by following major stations and the main roads that cross through the district.
Did you know?
In Somei during the 19th century, growers developed the Somei Yoshino variety, which later became the most common cherry blossom type across Japan. This cultivar spread so rapidly that today almost all cherry trees in parks and along streets in the capital descend from this variety.
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