What thoughts might run through a child’s mind here at Kami-Koiwa Elementary School? Perhaps it’s about history. This school is in Edogawa. It’s a special ward in Tokyo. Edogawa got its name from the Edo River. The river runs along the ward’s east side.
Let’s talk about Edogawa’s history. In 1937, seven towns merged. Koiwa and Komatsugawa were two of those towns. Kasai, Matsue, Mizue, Shinozaki and Shikamoto were the others. These became Edogawa.
The students of Kami-Koiwa Elementary School are part of this ward’s story. They learn and grow here. Public schools are run by the Edogawa Board of Education. This board oversees many schools. Harue Junior High School is one. So is Higashi Kasai Junior High School.
Koiwa also has its own junior high schools. Koiwa No. 1 Junior High School exists. Koiwa No. 2 and No. 3 are nearby. Koiwa No. 4 and No. 5 are also options for older students.
Many elementary schools feed into these junior high programs. No. 2 Kasai Elementary School helps. No. 3 Kasai Elementary School is another feeder. Students might also come from Edogawa Elementary School. Funabori Elementary School sends kids here too.
Consider Higashi Koiwa Elementary School. Students from there may attend. Several other elementary schools send graduates to junior high. They include Hirai Elementary School and Kamata Elementary School. Kami-Koiwa Elementary School plays its part. It readies students for the next stage.
Many people of Indian ancestry live in Edogawa. They make up about 10% of Indian people in Japan. A large group lives in Nishikasai. This community grew when engineers came to fix the Y2K bug. They liked the Tozai Line. It made getting to work easy.
The Edogawa Indian Association serves this group. Jagmohan S Chandrani heads it. Some call him the father of Little India. Restaurants in Nishikasai offer North and South Indian foods. The Global Indian International School Tokyo serves expats.
The flower of Edogawa is the Rhododendron. Its tree is the Cinnamomum camphora. Edogawa has a sister city. It is Gosford, New South Wales, Australia. Edogawa also has ties with Azumino. It maintains friendships with Tsuruoka too.
Imagine the children at Kami-Koiwa Elementary School. They learn about these connections. They discover their place in Edogawa. They also learn about the world. They are part of a growing community. They are part of Edogawa’s future. Kami-Koiwa Elementary School helps them on their way.