Kita (北区) is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is City of Kita. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 340,287, and a population density of 16,510 persons per km2. The total area is 20.61 km2.

Districts and neighborhoods

History

The area was a collection of rural villages and towns until the 1880s, when it was connected by rail to central Tokyo (Oji Station opening in 1883). Parts of the area joined Tokyo City in 1932 as the Ōji (former Ōji and Iwabuchi towns) and Takinogawa (former Takinogawa town) Wards. Kita was officially formed in 1947 by the merger of these wards.

Geography

The name Kita, meaning "north," reflects the location among the wards of Tokyo. To its north lie the cities of Kawaguchi and Toda in Saitama Prefecture. To the east, south and west lie other special wards: Adachi, Arakawa, Itabashi, Bunkyō, and Toshima. Four rivers run through Kita:

Famous sites

Economy

The head office of Seiyu Group is in Kita.

Education

The city's public elementary and middle schools are operated by the City of Kita Board of Education. The city's public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. The following private domestic schools are in the ward: The following international schools are in the ward: The following universities are in the ward:

Transportation

Rail

Highways

Notable people from Kita

International relations

Kita has a sister city relationship with Xuanwu District, Beijing, China. It is also twinned with the following cities in Japan.