Gazing at the Tokyo Metropolitan Nerima Industrial High School, one might wonder about the role of industry in shaping local communities. Nerima, now a special ward referring to itself as Nerima City, was once farmland. Radishes and potatoes grew here. After the 1923 Great Kanto earthquake, Tokyo residents moved to Nerima.
Nerima Industrial High School is under the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. The high school reflects Nerima’s transformation from agriculture to industry.
Before Nerima became a ward in 1947, it was part of Itabashi. In 1952, the Japan Self-Defense Forces built a base here. The United States Forces Japan also had Grant Heights. It became Narimasu airfield for the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II.
The runway is now a street in front of the IMA department store. It’s in Hikarigaoka. Nerima’s landscape blends residential areas with industry. Factories and warehouses dot the area. The transition is visible in the urban layout.
Nerima is on the northwestern edge of Tokyo’s central wards. It borders Itabashi, Suginami, and Toshima. Musashino and Nishi-Tokyo are nearby too. Wako, Asaka, and Niiza in Saitama Prefecture are to the north.
The area hosts many educational institutions. Musashino Academia Musicae and Musashi University are here. So is Nihon University’s Ekoda Campus. Sophia University’s Shakujii Campus has a Faculty of Theology.
Nerima has 64 elementary schools and 32 junior high schools. There is also one combined school. Oizumi Sakura Gakuen combines elementary and junior high education.
Nerima’s economy includes animation studios. Toei Animation has its headquarters here. Anime International Company is also based in Nerima. Studio Comet and Mushi Production contribute to the local animation industry.
Transportation is convenient in Nerima. The Tokyo Metro Yūrakuchō Line serves several stations. The Fukutoshin Line also runs through Nerima. The Toei Ōedo Line provides access to different areas.
Seibu Railway’s Ikebukuro Line stops at multiple stations in Nerima. The Shinjuku Line and Toshima Line also serve the area. Tobu Railway’s Tōjō Line has stations near Nerima. Buses operated by Kanto Bus, Keio Bus, Kokusai Kogyo Bus, and Seibu Bus serve Nerima.
Nerima has sister-city ties with Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. Nerima Gardens in Ipswich commemorates this relationship. Nerima also connects with Haidian District, Beijing, China.
Nerima appears in popular culture. Rumiko Takahashi’s “Ranma ½” and “Urusei Yatsura” are set here. “Nerima Daikon Brothers” and “I Am a Hero” also take place in Nerima.
“Prison School,” “Your Lie in April,” and “Tokyo Ghoul” feature Nerima. “Rent-A-Girlfriend” and “Doraemon” are set here too. The “Ju-On” horror franchise occurs in Nerima.
Nekoma High School from “Haikyu!!” is in Nerima. Nerima blends industry, education, and culture. Its history shapes its present identity. Nerima Industrial High School stands as a symbol of this blend.