Mita, Minato, Tokyo

is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It was once home to grand estates of several , and now is one of Tokyo's most expensive upscale residential districts; it is home to many artists, CEOs, and celebrities.

Mita is bordered by Higashi-Azabu on the north, Azabu-JÅ«ban and Minami-Azabu to the west, and Shirokane and Takanawa to the south.

Mita is home to Keio University, Mita Hachiman Jinja, and the diplomatic missions of Kuwait, Italy, Hungary, Papua New Guinea, and Australia.

Geography

Mita consists of five chōme:

• Mita 1-chōme and 5-chōme are low lands by Furu River and consist of a mix of both residential and commercial areas.
• Mita 2-chōme, once known as , is on high, elevated land and is a historically wealthy part of Mita, once home to grand estates of several Daimyo. Some of these estates remain to this day: the Tsunamachi Mitsui Club, Australian Embassy, and Italian Embassy are all on former Daimyo estates.
• Mita 3-chōme mostly consists of commercial buildings.
• Mita 4-chōme consists of many historic temples.

Economy

The Yazaki Group has its corporate headquarters in the in Mita.

Transportation

As a historically quiet, upscale, residential area, Mita does not have any train or subway stations within its borders. However, it is located near:

• Akabanebashi Station on the Toei Ōedo Line
• Azabu-juban Station on the Toei Ōedo Line and Tokyo Metro Namboku Line
• Mita Station on the Toei Mita Line and Toei Asakusa Line (Despite its name, Mita Station is not located in Mita, but in the neighboring Shiba district.)
• Shirokane-takanawa Station on the Tokyo Metro Namboku Line and Toei Mita Line
• Tamachi Station on the Yamanote Line and Keihin-Tōhoku Line

Notable places in Mita

Slopes

Many roads up to the Mita plateau have named slopes of historical significance. Each is marked by a wooden post which explains the name.

• corresponds to the ancient . The slope's name changes between the top of and the .

• is a hill road in Mita 4-chōme. It reaches the promontory from Gyoranzaka Crossing which results from the summit in Isaragozaka.

• (from ) is a hill road which lies between Takanawa 2-chōme and 3-chōme. Its name possibly originates from the fact that ivy and vines historically covered the surface of this hill, though an alternate etymology says that a Buddhist priest who wore a died along this slope suddenly on a return trip from Shinagawa.

• is a hill road which crosses between Takanawa 3-chōme and 4-chōme. The street was probably named because there was a in the middle of a slope a long time ago. The area has many hotels.

• (from ) is a slope which is in Mita 4-chōme.

• is a hill road crossing between Mita 3-chōme and 4-chōme. The temple of Anzenji was built here in the Edo era.

• is a hill road in Takanawa 3-chōme. It is alternatively called ) and .

• is a hill road which forms the border of Shirokane 2-chōme and 4-chōme. It goes from Meguro-dori in the southwest to Sakurada-dori in the northeast, and goes past the to the south. The name originates from the Noh actor Hiyoshi Kahei who lived nearby.

Shinto shrines and temples

In the early stages of the Edo period, the decided to extend Edo Castle and ordered temples around the castle to move to Mita. From this reason, there were many temples on the hill, especially in area named . Shrines in the district date back to the Asuka period or Heian period.

Parks

In the Edo period, Mita was home to the estates of (most were ). During the Meiji era, the estates were sold to and . Today, some estates have been converted into public parks.

• . Its former name is .
• Children's park which exists in Mita 5-11-6 Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Its former name is .
• Area:
• Nearby subway station:
• Although a swing, sandbox, launching platform, box type swing, and drinking fountain once existed here, all except the drinking fountain have been removed.

Embassies

• Australian embassy
• Italian embassy

Universities

• Keio University

Tertiary schools

• Tokai University Junior College

Primary and secondary schools

Minato City Board of Education operates public elementary and junior high schools.

Mita 1–2 chōme are zoned to Akabane Elementary School (), while Mita 3–5 chōme are zoned to Mita Elementary School (). The entire district (1–5 chōme) is zoned to Mita Junior High School ().

Full list of primary and secondary schools:

• Friends Girls Junior & Senior High School
• Laurus International School of Science Primary School

Public libraries

Minato City Library operates Mita Library in nearby Shiba.

See also

References