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is one of the 23 special wards that form the heart of Tokyo, Japan. It is historically the main commercial center of Tokyo, although Shinjuku has risen to challenge it since the end of World War II. The ward refers to itself as Chūō City in English.
Many of the most famous sites in Tokyo are in Chūō. The Ginza (銀座), site of the former silver mint from which it takes its name, is a famous neighborhood in Chūō. The gold mint, or Kinza (金座), formerly occupied the site of the present-day Bank of Japan (日本銀行) headquarters building, also in Chūō.
As of 2005, the ward has an estimated resident population of 97,987 and a density of 9654 persons per km². However, because of the concentration of businesses, offices and retail space, the daytime population swells to an estimated 650,000. The total area is 10.15 km².

Contents

Geography

History

Places

Politics and Government

Elections

Transportation

Rail

Highway

Education

Famous people

External links

Geography

Chūō is in the eastern part of Tokyo. It is surrounded by five other special wards: Chiyoda (千代田), Minato (港), Taito (台東), Sumida (墨田), and Koto (江東). Its central location among the wards of the old Tokyo City gave rise to its name, which means "center."

History

★ 1869: A foreigners' settlement is established. It continued until about 1899.

★ 1947: The ward was founded on March 15.

Places

★ Nihonbashi Area (日本橋地区)

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★ Hakozakicho (箱崎町) - Location of Tokyo City Air Terminal (T-CAT)

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★ Hamacho (浜町)

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★ Hisamatsucho (久松町)

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★ Higashi Nihonbashi (東日本橋)

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★ Honcho (本町)

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★ Hongokucho (本石町) - Location of Bank of Japan (日本銀行).

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★ Horidomecho (堀留町)

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★ Kabutocho (兜町) - The securities district. Location of Tokyo Stock Exchange.

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★ Kakigaracho (蛎殻町)

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★ Suitengu Shrine (水天宮) - A Shinto shrine at which women pray for conception and safe birth.

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★ Kayabacho (茅場町)

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★ Kodenmacho (小伝馬町)

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★ Muromachi (室町) - Location of Mitsukoshi (三越) department stores.

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★ Nihonbashi (日本橋) - Traditional commercial center. Also home to the Takashimaya (高島屋) department stores, and the "zero milestone" from which highway distances to Tokyo are measured.

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★ Ningyocho (人形町)

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★ Ohdenmacho (大伝馬町)

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★ Tomizawacho (富沢町)

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★ Yokoyamacho (横山町)

★ Kyobashi Area (京橋地区)

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★ Akashicho (明石町) - Home to St. Luke's Hospital and Nursing School and the adjacent Garden Tower skyscraper.

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★ Ginza (銀座) - Tokyo's most upscale shopping district, housing huge department stores such as Matsuya (松屋), Matsuzakaya (松坂屋), Mitsukoshi (三越), Wako (和光), and Printemps (プランタン), as well as the famous Kabukiza (歌舞伎座) theater. At night, Ginza is ablaze with neon lights. Exclusive bars abound.

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★ Shinbashi Enbujo (新橋演舞場) - A famous theater

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★ Hatchobori (八丁堀) - During the Edo period, the location of the police barracks

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★ Hamarikyu-teien (浜離宮庭園) - Location of Hamarikyu Onshi Teien (浜離宮恩賜庭園). A spacious public park, formerly the property of daimyo of Kōshū, and later under the administration of the Imperial Household Agency

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★ Kyobashi (京橋)

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★ Minato (湊)

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★ Shinkawa (新川)

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★ Eitai Bridge (永代橋) - A famous bridge across the Sumida River (隅田川)

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★ Shintomi (新富)

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★ Tsukiji (築地) - Location of Chuo City Office. Widely viewed as one of the best sushi (寿司) destinations in the world because of its huge wholesale fish market, which supplies restaurants and stores across eastern Japan. Also home to the Jodo Shinshu temple of Tsukiji Hongwanji (築地本願寺).

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★ Yaesu (八重洲) - District on the east side of Tokyo Station(東京駅). The Yaesu side of Tokyo Station is the terminal for the Shinkansen (新幹線), or "bullet train" lines.

★ Tsukishima Area (月島地区)

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★ Harumi (晴海) - The location of a major exposition site that hosts the annual auto show and the comic market; Harumi Port is also here

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★ Kachidoki (勝どき) - The location of a famous bridge of the same name over the Sumida River

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★ Tsukishima (月島)

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★ Tsukuda (佃)

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★ Sumiyoshi Shrine (住吉神社) - A Shinto shrine with a history dating back to 1590

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★ Toyomicho (豊海町)

Politics and Government

Chuo is run by a city assembly of 30 elected members. The current mayor is Yoshihide Yada, an independent backed Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito.

Elections

★ Chuo mayoral election, 2007

Transportation

Rail

At Tokyo Station, six Shinkansen, seven ordinary railway, and one subway line serve Chūō. In addition, three Toei subway lines stop at various stations throughout the ward.

Highway

Shuto Expressway

★ No. 1 Ueno Route (Edobashi JCT - Iriya)

★ No. 6 Mukojima Route (Edobashi JCT - Horikiri JCT)

★ No. 9 Fukagawa Route (Hakozaki JCT - Tatsumi JCT)

★ C1 Inner Loop (Edobashi - Takaracho - Kyobashi - Ginza - Shiodome - Hamazakibashi - Shiba Park - Tanimachi - Kasumigaseki - Daikanmachi - Edobashi)

Education

Public elementary and middle schools in Chūō are operated by the Chūō City Board of Education. Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.

Famous people

★ Aoki Kon'yo, introduced the cultivation of the sweet potato

★ Terry Ito, television director

★ Akira Emoto, actor

★ Ken'ichi Nagira, folk singer

★ Hayashiya Kikuzo, rakugo comedian

External links

★ Chuo official website in English

★ Chuo official website in Japanese

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