Takadanobaba
From Freepedia
Takadanobaba (Japanese: 高田馬場) is a district located in Tokyo's Shinjuku ward.
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History
Originally, the area's spelling in Chinese letters, 高田馬場, was read as 'Takatanobaba' and still now (in 2005) this is the pronunciation used by Tokyo residents in their 50s or older. However, younger Tokyoites and residents who have come from outside Tokyo, use the pronunciation 'Takadanobaba' which rolls slightly more easily off the tongue. The area is also often referred to simply as "Baba".
The area was previously known as Totsuka (戸塚) however in 1636, the then shogun, Tokugawa Iemitsu, built a 'baba' (literally: 'horse place', a place for horseback riding and horse racing) in the area. 'Takata' was the name of the mother of Matsudaira Tadateru (the sixth son of previous shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu, the grandfather of Tokugawa Iemitsu) who favored the area as a sightseeing spot.
Life in Takadanobaba
The town is a transport hub for commuters traveling in from the West of Tokyo as it is home to three popular train lines: the Shinjuku Line, the JR Yamanote Line and the Tozai Line. During the morning rush hour, Takadanobaba is one of the hot-points of the Tokyo transport network with all three stations bursting at the seams with local residents, students and commuters.
Like neighboring Waseda, the area is synonymous with students (albeit with a somewhat less salubrious image). In addition to being a commuting station for students at Waseda University, the area is home to numerous educational institutions including well known vocational colleges and preparatory schools. Gakushuin university too is nearby, just one station stop away in Mejiro.
In the evening, once the commuters have returned to the suburbs and the local residents are safe at home, the student aspect to the town becomes far more prominent. The streets around the station become crowded with large groups of students staggering out of the numerous cheap bars and izakayas.
Architecturally, the station area is dominated by the monolithic and appropriately named Big Box building. Big Box houses a sports gym, some cheap clothing stores and a fast food restaurant. It is considered past its prime by popular Japanese standards. This malaise is shared by a number of buildings in the station area and that Takadanobaba has long been due for a face-lift.
The Japanese Language school "Sendagaya" together with the New York style "Ben's Cafe," used English bookshop "The Blue Parrot," the sports bar "Footnik" and the English pub "The Fiddler" have placed Takadanobaba on most foreigners' map of Tokyo.
Osamu Tezuka's fictional character Astro Boy was born in Takadanobaba on April 7, 2003. In commemoration, starting in 2003 the JR platform has used the theme music from the TV series to signal that a train is about to leave.
See also
External Links
- Ben's Cafe
- Big Box (Japanese)
- The Blue Parrot Bookshop
