Is Akihabara actually Taito Ward? Find the real Akihabara!!

Did you know that the place known as Akihabara is not the real Akihabara?
In terms of place name, that area belongs to Kanda, Chiyoda Ward.
The land bearing the name Akihabara is actually located in a different part of the neighborhood.

■ Akihabara, Taito Ward, Tokyo is here

The real "Akihabara" is a small area under the JR overpass that doesn't even have its own block, around where Hanamasa Meat is located.
Although it is not an unrelated location, a corner at the very edge of Akihabara, far from being Akihabara-like, bears the name "Akihabara."
What we call Akihabara is the area of ​​Sotokanda 1-chome, Sotokanda 3-chome, Sotokanda 4-chome, Kanda Sakumacho 1-chome, Kanda Hanaokacho, Kanda Aioicho, Kanda Neribeicho, and Kanda Matsunagacho in Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo...in other words, all of Kanda.

So why did this happen?
Let's take a look at history.
In the early Edo period, the area that is now Akihabara was a bustling area with lumber merchants gathering along the Kanda River and the Kanda Sakuma Riverbank, and most of the area was dominated by the residences of feudal lords and hatamoto (direct vassals of the Shogunate). It was an upscale residential area.
However, due to repeated fires and other events, the mansions were closed in the suburbs, and townspeople who were given land as substitutes settled on the vacant lots, leading to the expansion of the townspeople's area.
It was during this period that the Kanda Fruit and Vegetable Market, the predecessor of the fruit and vegetable market located where Akihabara UDX is now, flourished.

At that time, the name Akihabara had not yet been coined. This entire area was called Kanda.

■The name Akihabara was coined in the Meiji era

In the Meiji period, it became a firebreak and came to be called "Akihabara," "Akiha no Hara," or "Akiha-ga-hara."
The conventional wisdom is that the name Akihabara came into being when the train station opened, but when it first opened in 1890, it was called "Akihabara (AKINOGAHARA Station)."
There are also stories that show that it was a key point in thorough distribution, as it was a freight-only station that did not handle passengers.
In 1907, the name of the station was changed to Akihabara, and the current Akihabara was born.
At this point, Akihabara did not yet exist as a place name.

■The place name "Akihabara" was born in 1964, Showa 39.

The area now known as Akihabara straddled Shitaya Ward and Kanda Ward until 1943.
In 1943, due to a change in ward boundaries, part of Matsunagacho in Kanda Ward was incorporated into Shitaya Ward, and part of Renbeicho in Shitaya Ward was incorporated into Kanda Ward.
Four years later, as part of the postwar reorganization of the 35 wards of Tokyo City, Shitaya Ward and Asakusa Ward merged to form the current Taito Ward.
Then in 1964, with the implementation of the residential address system, the entire area of ​​Matsunaga-cho and Renbei-cho, which had been moving back and forth between different areas, became "Akihabara."
This is where the place name Akihabara was born.
October 1, 1964 can be said to be the birthday of the place name "Akihabara."
By this time, Akihabara was already rapidly growing as a huge electronics district dealing in white goods, in line with the rapid economic growth. In 1962, Akihabara Station on the Hibiya Line opened, and in November the Akihabara Radio Kaikan Electric Building was completed.
Akihabara was quietly born in a corner of Kanda, a glittering electronics town that was attracting attention.

■The true population of Akihabara is 64 people

Now, since it's such a small area, the population is low.
Furthermore, since it is an office district, there are few people living there to begin with. Most of the area is just office buildings.
As of 2017, there are 53 households living in Akihabara, with a population of just 64.
Away from the bustling electronics district, the area has the feel of a downtown area of ​​Taito Ward.

When you visit Akihabara, be sure to check out the place name Akihabara as well.
The faint scent of history still lingers, quietly waiting for you.

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The mystery of the Daily Yamazaki Triangle emerging at Iwamotocho intersection

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A quick introduction to Uniqlo stores around Akihabara

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Take advantage of the half-price sale at Akihabara's supermarket FUKUSHIMAYA!