Shinjuku, Tokyo

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Shinjuku (新宿区 -ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is a major commercial and administrative centre, housing the busiest train station in the world (Shinjuku Station), and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the administration center for the Tokyo Metropolis. The area around Shinjuku Station is home to a large concentration of department stores, specialist electronic and camera shops, cinemas, restaurants and bars. Many international hotels have a large presence here.

As of 2005, the ward has an estimated population of 305,352 and a density of 16710 persons per km². The total area is 18.23 km².

Shinjuku has the highest numbers of registered foreign nationals of any community in Tokyo. As of October 1, 2005, 29,353 people with 107 nationalities were registered in Shinjuku. The top five nationalities are Korea (including North and South), China, France, Myanmar, and the Philippines.

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Contents

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Geography

Tokyo wards around Shinjuku are: Chiyoda to the east; Bunkyo and Toshima to the north; Nakano to the west, and Shibuya and Minato to the south. In addition, Nerima is only a hundred meters away. The highest point in Shinjuku is Hakone Hill, 44.6m, in Toyama Park east of Takadanobaba and Shin-Okubo stations. The lowest point is 4.2m in the Iidabashi area.

Areas of Shinjuku include:

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History

In 1634, as the outer moat of the Edo castle was built, a number of temples and shrines moved to the Yotsuya area on the western edge of Shinjuku. In 1698, during the Edo period, Naitō Shinjuku had developed as a new (shin) station (shuku or juku) on the Kōshū Kaidō, one of the major highways of that era. Naitō was a daimyo whose mansion stood in the area; his land is now a public park, the Shinjuku Gyoen. Image:Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 25 January 2004.jpg Shinjuku began to develop into its current form after the Great Kantō earthquake in 1923, since the seismically stable area largely escaped the devastation. Consequently, West Shinjuku is one of the few areas in Tokyo with many skyscrapers.

The present ward was established on March 15, 1947, with the merger of the former wards of Yotsuya, Ushigome, and Yodobashi.

In 1991, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government moved from the Marunouchi district of Chiyoda to the current building in Shinjuku. (The Tokyo International Forum stands on the site vacated by the government.)

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Government

Like the other wards of Tokyo, Shinjuku has a status equivalent to a city. As of 2005, the mayor is Hiroko Nakayama. The kugikai (ward council) consists of 38 elected members affiliated with the Liberal Democratic, New Clean Government, Democratic, Communist and other political parties, as well as independents. Its kuyakusho (ward headquarters) is at 1-4-1 Kabukicho. Image:03-05-JPN192.jpg

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Transportation

Shinjuku is a major urban transit hub: JR Shinjuku Station sees an estimated 2 million passengers pass through each day, with interchanges to three subway lines and two privately owned commuter lines, as well as the JR lines.

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Rail

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Highway

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Education

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Colleges and universities

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Schools

Public elementary and junior high schools in Shinjuku are operated by the Shinjuku Ward Board of Education. Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.

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People

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Sister cities

Shinjuku has sister-city arrangements with Lefkada in Greece; Tiergarten (now Berlin-Mitte) in Berlin, Germany; and Dongcheng District, Beijing, People's Republic of China.

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External links

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