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Yotsuya (四谷, 四ツ谷) is an area inShinjuku,Tokyo, that previously was a ward (四谷区Yotsuya-ku) in the now-defunctTokyo City. In 1947, when the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged withUshigome ward of Tokyo City andYodobashi suburban ward ofTokyo-fu to form the modernShinjuku ward.
Yotsuya is located in the southeastern part of Shinjuku. Prior to 1943, when Tokyo was still acity, Yotsuya was one of its wards and had definite boundaries, but it is less clearly defined today. Yotsuya is generally defined as coinciding with the jurisdiction of the Shinjuku City Yotsuya Branch Office and the Yotsuya Police Station, which includes most of Shinjuku east of Meiji-dōri and south of Yasukuni-dōri. To the east lies the neighborhoods ofBanchō inChiyoda.
For addressing purposes, the name Yotsuya is used for a part of Shinjuku located immediately west ofYotsuya Station; it is divided into fourchōme.
Before the growth ofEdo, Yotsuya was a farming village outside the city. In 1634, with the digging of the outer moat aroundEdo Castle, many temples and shrines moved to Yotsuya. The moat had stone walls, and amitsuke, or watch tower, was also built. Yotsuya Mitsuke stood near the present-dayYotsuya Station.
The relocation of the temples and construction of themitsuke brought settlements of workers, and following the devastatingMeireki fire, many more people moved to Yotsuya, which had been spared. Gradually the area became part of the city of Edo.
In 1695, theshōgunTokugawa Tsunayoshi ordered the establishment of a vast kennel. The purpose was to board stray dogs as part of his policy of showing mercy to animals. The facility outside the Yotsuya Gate occupied 20,000tsubo (66,000 m2; 710,000 ft2).
Yotsuya developed rapidly due to its central location. In 1894, the Kōbu Railway, predecessor of the present-dayChūō Line, extended its existing railway line betweenShinjuku andTachikawa to Ushigome and opened Yotsuya andShinanomachi stations. The railway enabled the easy transport of raw materials into the area; soon, pencil, tobacco and other industries moved in and began Yotsuya's rapid industrial development.
Many historic temples and graves are located in Yotsuya. Among them are Sainen-ji, where the grave of the ninjaHattori Hanzō and his lance are interred.
The Korea Center is located in Yotsuya, and the Korea Education Institution (Korean:동경한국교육원,Japanese:東京韓国教育院), affiliated with the Embassy of South Korea, is inside.[1]
The Shinjuku City (the Shinjuku Ward) Board of Education (新宿区教育委員会) operates public elementary and junior high schools.
Most portions of Yotsuya are zoned to Yotsuya Elementary School (四谷小学校), which is in Yotsuya 2-chōme. Sections zoned to Yotsuya ES include all of 1 and 2-chōme and portions of 3 and 4-chōme. The remainder of Yotsuya 3 and 4-chōme are zoned to Yotsuya 6th (Dairoku) Elementary School (四谷第六小学校) inDaikyōchō. All sections of Yotsuya, 1 to 4-chōme included, are zoned to Yotsuya Junior High School (四谷中学校) in Yotsuya 1-chōme.[2]
Most area public high schools are operated by theTokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.
Prime MinisterSaito Makoto lived in Yotsuya. He was assassinated at his home on February 26, 1936. This was one of the events of theFebruary 26 Incident.
Other notable residents include:
Yotsuya has figured prominently in various works of fiction. Thekabuki playYotsuya Kaidan took place there, as did the novelTeisō Mondō byKan Kikuchi. Yotsuya was the setting for theShōtarō Ikenamihistorical novelKenkaku Shōbai and thejidaigeki television series based on it. It was also featured in the novelNorwegian Wood byHaruki Murakami.
Korea Center 7th floor, Yotsuya 4-4-10, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 160-0004, Japan
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