Why did Takatsu Ward become part of Kawasaki? Let’s unravel its story. Takatsu Ward is one of Kawasaki’s seven wards in Kanagawa Prefecture. As of 2010, about 215,158 people called it home. That’s a density of 13,150 people per square kilometer. The ward covers 16.38 square kilometers.
Takatsu Ward sits in eastern Kanagawa Prefecture. It is in Kawasaki’s north-central part. The Tama River forms its northern border and it neighbors Tokyo. Tama-ku, Miyamae-ku, and Nakahara-ku in Kawasaki surround it. Kōhoku-ku and Tsuzuki-ku in Yokohama also border it, as does Setagaya-ku in Tokyo.
Takatsu’s neighborhoods include Mizonokuchi and Futago. Also Seta, Suwa, and Kitamigata are neighborhoods here. You will find Shimonoge, Hisamoto, and Sakado too. Kuji, Unane, and Shimo-Sakunobe are other areas. Kami-Sakunobe, Mukaigaoka, and Suenaga add to its diversity. Don’t forget Kajigaya, Shinsaku, and Chitose. Chitose-Shin-cho, Shibokuchi, and Shibokuchi-Fujimi-dai are also here. Hisasue, Kanigaya, Akutsu, and Nogawa complete the picture.
Archaeologists found stone tools from the Paleolithic period here. They also discovered Jōmon period ceramic shards. Under the Nara period, it was part of Tachibana District Musashi Province. Later, the Hōjō clan from Odawara controlled it. In the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate directly controlled it. After the Meiji Restoration, the area split into eight villages. These villages were in Tachibana District. They became part of Kanagawa Prefecture in 1889. Kawasaki annexed these areas from 1937 to 1938. In the 1950s and 1960s, a large housing project transformed the area. It became part of Tama Ward in 1972. Miyamae Ward separated from Takatsu Ward in 1982.
Takatsu Ward serves as a commercial hub and bedroom community. It serves central Kawasaki and Tokyo. Food processing and electronics industries thrive here. Precision equipment is also important.
Mitutoyo and NKK Switches have their headquarters in Takatsu Ward. Fujitsu General and Fujitsu Access are also based here. You’ll also find Bunkyodo and the Kanagawa Science Park. The park serves as a business incubator.
To get around Takatsu Ward, you can use the JR East Nambu Line. The Tōkyū Den-en-toshi Line and Tōkyū Ōimachi Line serve Takatsu Station. You can transfer to the Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line and Tobu Isesaki Line.
Major roads include Japan National Route 246. It is also known as Atsugi-Oyama Road. National Route 409, or Fuchu Road, also runs through here. National Route 466, the No. 3 Keihin Road, is another key route.
Takatsu Station opened in 1927 on the Tamagawa Electric Railway. It became part of the Ōimachi Line in 1943. The station was rebuilt as an elevated station in 1966. This coincided with the opening of the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line. From 2007 to 2009, the platforms were rebuilt.
In 2019, the station served an average of 32,388 passengers daily. Nearby, you’ll find Teikyo University Mizoguchi Hospital. Also the Kawasaki City Takatsu Library is not far. The Kawasaki City Takatsu Elementary School is in the vicinity.
GPS art draws the name “Takatsu” in the ward. Takatsu Village became Takatsu town and then part of Kawasaki City. One theory says its name comes from Takatsu Palace in Osaka. Another suggests it’s named after a river port on the Tama River.
Keiko Oguro’s Memorial Hall displays her nursery rhymes. The Kawasaki Oyama Kaido Furusato Museum showcases the Oyama Kaido and Takatsu areas’ history. Taro Okamoto, Yoshinobu Minowa, and Riko Narumi are all from Takatsu Ward.