Kita, Tokyo

Kita
北区
Special ward
City of Kita

Asukayama Park in Ōji, Kita, Tokyo

Flag

Symbol

Location of Kita in Tokyo Metropolis
Kita

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 35°45′N 139°44′E / 35.750°N 139.733°E / 35.750; 139.733Coordinates: 35°45′N 139°44′E / 35.750°N 139.733°E / 35.750; 139.733
Country Japan
Region Kantō
Prefecture Tokyo Metropolis
Area
  Total 20.61 km2 (7.96 sq mi)
Population (May 1, 2015)
  Total 340,287
  Density 16,510/km2 (42,800/sq mi)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Website www.city.kita.tokyo.jp

Kita (北区 Kita-ku, "Northern Ward") is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is City of Kita. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947.

As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 340,287 and a population density of 16,510 persons per km². The total area is 20.61 km².

History

The area was a collection of rural villages and towns until the 1880s, when it was connected by rail to central Tokyo (Oji Station opening in 1883). Parts of the area joined Tokyo City in 1932 as the Oji and Takinogawa wards. Kita was officially formed in 1947 by the merger of these wards.[1]

Geography

The name Kita, meaning "north," reflects the location among the wards of Tokyo. To its north lie the cities of Kawaguchi and Toda in Saitama Prefecture. To the east, south and west lie other special wards: Adachi, Arakawa, Itabashi, Bunkyō, and Toshima.

Rivers include the Arakawa River and the Sumida River.

Famous sites

Economy

The head office of Seiyu Group is in Kita.[2]

Education

The city's public elementary and middle schools are operated by the City of Kita Board of Education.

The city's public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.

The following international schools are in the ward:

The following universities are in the ward:

Transportation

Rail

Highways

Notable people from Kita

International relations

Kita has a sister city relationship with Xuanwu District, Beijing, China.

It is also twinned with the following cities in Japan.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Kita, Tokyo.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for North Tokyo.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/1/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.