Setagaya, Tokyo

Setagaya (世田谷区 Setagaya-ku) is one of the 23 special wards of Tokyo, Japan. It is also the name of a neighborhood within the ward. The ward calls itself the City of Setagaya in English. Its official bird is the Azure-winged Magpie, its flower the Fringed Orchid(look like a heron), and its tree the zelkova.

As of 2005, the ward has an estimated population of 810,897 and a density of 13960 persons per km². Its total area is 58.08 km², the second largest among the special wards.

Setagaya has sister-city relationships with Winnipeg, Manitoba in Canada; the Döbling district of Vienna, Austria; and Bunbury, Western Australia.

Geography

Setagaya sits at the southwestern corner of the 23 special wards. The Tama River separates it from Kanagawa Prefecture. Many railroads extend radially from the center of Tokyo, passing through Setagaya.

Most of the land is in the Musashino tableland. The parts along the Tama River to the south are comparatively low-lying.

The population of Setagaya is among the highest in Tokyo, and there are many residential neighborhoods.

History

The special ward of Setagaya was founded on March 15, 1947.

During the Edo period, 42 villages occupied the area. With the abolition of the han system in 1871, the central and eastern portions became part of Tokyo Prefecture while the rest became part of Kanagawa Prefecture; in 1893, some areas were transferred to Tokyo Prefecture. With the establishment of Setagaya Ward (an ordinary ward) in the old Tokyo City in 1932, and further consolidation in 1936, Setagaya took its present boundaries.