“Higashi Sumida” a whisper on the wind. That’s what the name feels like here in Tokyo. Higashi Sumida is a place in Sumida City. Sumida City is a special ward in Tokyo. It is also called Sumida-ku. Sumida is in the north-eastern part of Tokyo.
Sumida-ku was founded on March 15 1947. It was previously the wards Honjo and Mukojima. Mukojima was formed in 1932. It contained the former town of Sumida. This town gave the ward its name.
As of March 1 2023, Sumida had about 277058 people living there. That’s about 20120 people per square kilometer. The total area of Sumida is about 13.77 square kilometers.
Sumida’s city office is in Azumabashi. The commercial center is around Kinshicho Station. The Sumida and Arakawa rivers form parts of Sumida’s boundaries. Adachi is to the north. Arakawa is to the northwest. Katsushika is to the east. Edogawa is to the southeast. Taitō is to the west. Chūō is to the southwest. Kōtō is to the south.
Many landmarks dot Sumida. The Tokyo Skytree is a broadcasting tower. It is the tallest tower in the world. It is the tallest man-made structure in Japan. The Tokyo Solamachi retail complex is next to Skytree. The Sumida Aquarium is on the 5th and 6th floors.
The Asahi Beer Hall is also here. It has the Asahi flame. French designer Philippe Starck created it in 1989. It is one of Tokyo’s most recognizable modern structures. The Edo-Tokyo Museum tells the history of Tokyo. Eko-in is a Buddhist temple.
Hokusai-dori is a street with prints by Hokusai. Hokusai was born in the Kamezawa area of Sumida. Honjo Matsuzaka-cho Park marks the site of Kira Yoshinaka’s residence. The Forty-seven rōnin killed him here. Ryōgoku Kokugikan is the National Sumo Stadium. Sumida Triphony Hall is a concert hall. The Tobu Museum showcases railways. Tokyo Irei-do is a memorial hall. It honors those who died in the Great Kantō earthquake and the Bombing of Tokyo. Yokoamicho Park is in the Yokoami district.
Higashi Sumida is in the north of Sumida. This area was once the Mukojima Ward. Other places here include Sumida, Tsutsumi-dori, Yahiro, Mukojima, Higashi Mukojima, Tachibana, Bunka, Kyojima and Oshiage.
Asahi Breweries has its headquarters in Azuma-bashi. Japan Tobacco has a plant in Yokokawa. Keisei Electric Railway has its headquarters in Oshiage. Lion Corporation has its home office in Honjo. Tobu Railway also has its headquarters in Oshiage.
Tōru Yamamoto is the mayor as of 2023. The council has 34 members. JR East Sōbu Main Line has Kinshichō and Ryōgoku Stations. Tobu Railway’s Tōbu Isesaki Line has Oshiage, Tokyo Skytree, Hikifune, Higashi-Mukōjima and Kanegafuchi Stations. The Tōbu Kameido Line has Higashi-Azuma, Omurai and Hikifune Stations. Keisei Electric Railway Keisei Oshiage Line has Oshiage, Keisei Hikifune and Yahiro Stations. Tokyo Metro Hanzōmon Line has Kinshichō and Oshiage Stations.
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education runs metropolitan high schools here. These include Honjo High School, Mukojima Commercial High School and Mukojima Technical High School. There is also Nihonbashi High School, Ryogoku High School, Sumidagawa High School and Tachibana High School.
Sumida City Board of Education runs municipal schools. These include Azumadaini Junior High School and Azumamatchibana Junior High School. Bunka Junior High School and Honjyo Junior High School are also here. Kinshi Junior High School and Ryogoku Junior High School are present. Sakuratsutsumi Junior High School and Sumida Junior High School are here too. Tatekawa Junior High School and Terashima Junior High School round out the junior high schools.
There are many municipal elementary schools too. No. 1 Terajima Elementary School and No. 2 Terajima Elementary School are here. No. 3 Azuma Elementary School and No. 3 Terajima Elementary School are also present. Chuwa Elementary School and Futaba Elementary School are here too. Higashiazuma Elementary School and Hikifune Elementary School exist.
The Tokyo Korean 5th Elementary and Middle School is here too. It is a North Korean school.
Ryūnosuke Akutagawa lived in Mukojima. Enomoto Takeaki also lived here. Katsushika Hokusai was born in Kamezawa. Katsu Kaishū was born in Kamezawa. Kōda Rohan lived in Mukōjima. Matsuo Bashō lived in Honjō. Mori Ōgai lived in Mukōjima. Nezumi Kozō has a memorial at Eko-in.
Sumida has sister-city relationships. These are with Seodaemun-gu in Seoul South Korea. It also has a relationship with Shijingshan District in Beijing China.
Sumida’s landscapes feature in the Lycoris Recoil anime series. Paranormasight: The Seven Mysteries of Honjo is a horror visual novel set here.
Higashi Sumida. A place of history. A place of modern life. A piece of Tokyo’s vibrant tapestry.