Taito City is located in the northeastern part of Tokyo’s 23 wards and is one of the oldest urban areas in Tokyo throughout the Edo period.
Sightseeing spots in Taito City
Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa has a history of 1,400 years since its construction.
In the Edo period (1603-1867), the Genroku culture of the townspeople developed, and since the Meiji period (1868-1912), art galleries and museums have been built in the area, which has also become a center for art, including the Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music.
The wholesale district in the Asakusabashi area, which survived the Great Kanto Earthquake (1923) and World War II, still retains the atmosphere of the Taisho and early Showa periods.
Taito Ward was created in 1947 through the merger of the then Shimotani and Asakusa wards.
The origin of Taito-ku is said to be that both Shimotani and Asakusa wards have a long history, so they had a hard time finding a name. The governor of Tokyo proposed the name “Taito-ku” by combining “Dai” for the high ground of Ueno and “Higashi” for the Shitamachi area on the east side of Ueno. Taito is also said to have a happy meaning.
Sumida Park
Along the Sumida River, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Sumida Park is one of the 100 best cherry blossom viewing spots in Japan. Yoshimune Tokugawa opened the park to the public so that the common people could enjoy cherry blossom viewing. More than 300 cherry trees line the 1-kilometer stretch from Azuma Bridge across the Sumida River to Sakura Bridge. It is recommended to view the cherry blossoms on the other side of the river from a houseboat or water bus.
Ueno Imperial Zoological Gardens
9-83 Ueno Koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo
The Ueno Zoological Gardens celebrated its 130th anniversary with the opening of a new facility, the Polar Bears and Sea of Seals. The indoor viewing corridor, called the Corridor of Water and Ice, has an overhead archway and a glass floor. Visitors can experience the connection between animals and people. Ueno’s polar bears are Yukio, a male, and Reiko, a female. Reiko is the oldest polar bear in Japan.
Yanaka Cemetery
7 Yanaka, Taito-ku, Tokyo
Yanaka is located in the valley between Ueno and Hongo. It is one of the Yanesen, a part of the Yamanote area, but still has a downtown atmosphere. Yanaka Cemetery is a famous cherry blossom viewing spot where many famous people have been laid to rest. The ruins of the five-story pagoda, designated as a cultural asset by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, served as the model for the works of Rohan Koda, a novelist born in Shimotani.
Old Iwasaki Garden
1-3-45 Ikenohata, Taito-ku, Tokyo
The former Iwasaki Family Residence, including the Western-style house, the hall that was part of the Japanese-style house, and the billiard room, which are all still standing in the former Iwasaki Garden, are designated as Important Cultural Properties. The construction was completed by Yosuke Iwasaki, the eldest son of Yataro Iwasaki, the founder of the former Mitsubishi Zaibatsu. At the time of the Great Kanto Earthquake, the house was opened to the citizens of the neighborhood. Currently, it is open to the public as a metropolitan park.
