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Kōtō

is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. It is known as Kōtō City in English. As of May 1, 2025, the ward has an estimated population of 543,730, and a population density of . The total area is .

Kōtō is east of the Tokyo metropolitan center, bounded by the Sumida River to the west and the Arakawa River to the east. Its major districts include Kameido, Kiba, Kiyosumi, Monzen-nakachō, Shirakawa, and Toyosu. The waterfront area of Ariake is in Kōtō, as is part of Odaiba, Ojima.

Etymology

means "East [of the] River" in Japanese. The in means "east" and is the same character as the in .

Geography

Kōtō is on the waterfront of Tokyo Bay, sandwiched between the wards of Chūō and Edogawa. To the north, its inland boundary is with the Sumida special ward. Much of the land in northern Kōtō is old reclaimed land, and the elevation is very low (below sea level). The southern part is relatively new, but there are a few old temples or shrines.

Noteworthy places in Kōtō include:

  • In the former ward of Fukagawa: Kiba, Fukagawa, Edagawa;
  • In the former ward of Jōtō: Kameido, Ōjima, Sunamachi;
  • On recently reclaimed land: Ariake, Yumenoshima, Tokyo Rinkai Fukutoshin.

History

The western part of the ward was formerly part of Fukagawa Ward of Tokyo City. It suffered severe damage in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and was heavily bombed during World War II. Kōtō Ward was formed in 1947 by the merger of Fukagawa and Jōtō wards. The area has a history of canal-based commerce during the Edo period and was once a center for lumber storage and distribution.

Districts

There are 46 districts in Kōtō:

Fukagawa Area
  • Botan
  • Eitai
  • EtchÅ«jima
  • Fukagawa
  • Fukuzumi
  • Furuishiba
  • Fuyuki
  • Hirano
  • Ishijima
  • Kiba

 

  • Kiyosumi
  • Miyoshi
  • Mōri
  • Morishita
  • Monzen-nakachō
  • Ōgibashi
  • Saga
  • Sarue
  • Sengoku
  • Shirakawa

 

  • Shin-Ōhashi
  • Sumiyoshi
  • Senda
  • Takabashi
  • Tōyō
  • Tokiwa
  • Tomioka
  • Umibe
Jōtō Area
  • Higashisuna
  • Kameido
  • Kitasuna
  • Minamisuna
  • Ōjima
Waterfront Area

 

Transportation

Rail

Highway

  • Shuto Expressway
  • C2 Central Loop (Itabashi JCT – Kasai JCT)
  • No.7 Komatsugawa Route (Ryogoku JCT – Yagochi)
  • No.9 Fukagawa Route (Hakozaki JCT – Tatsumi JCT)
  • B Bayshore Route (Kawasaki-ukishima JCT – Koya)

Air

Economy

Companies with headquarters in Kōtō include Daimaru, Ibex Airlines, Fujikura, and Maruha Nichiro.

The broadcasting center of Wowow is in Kōtō.

Seta Corporation was headquartered in Kōtō.

Government

Kōtō City's main office is in Tōyō. There are branch offices in Shirakawa, Tomioka, Toyosu, Komatsubashi, Kameido, Ojima, Sunamachi, and Minamisuna.

Notable places

Kiba Park

Kiba Park is a spacious urban park in Kōtō, covering approximately . The park features jogging paths, tennis courts, a barbecue area, playgrounds, and open lawns. It is divided into northern and southern sections connected by the Kiba Park Bridge, a prominent pedestrian overpass. The park also includes the Kiba Park Urban Greening Botanical Garden and hosts seasonal events such as the "Flower and Light Movement" illumination.

Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo

The Museum of Contemporary Art Tokyo (MOT), within Kiba Park, opened in 1995. It focuses on contemporary art from the postwar period to the present, with works by both Japanese and international artists, and houses about 5,400 artworks and 280,000 related materials. It underwent a major renovation and reopened in 2019.

Education

Colleges and universities

Primary and secondary schools

Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.

Public elementary and middle schools are operated by the Koto City Board of Education.

Combined junior and senior high schools:

Junior high schools:

Elementary schools:

Private schools:

International schools

International schools are independently owned and operated.

International relations

On April 20, 1989, Kōtō became a sister city of Surrey, British Columbia, Canada.

Notable people from Kōtō

References

External links