Nerima

Nerima 練馬区
Special ward
Nerima City
A street in Hikarigaoka, Nerima
Flag
Location of Nerima in Tokyo
Nerima Location in Japan
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Prefecture	Tokyo
Area
• Total	48.16 km2 (18.59 sq mi)
Population (2010-04-01)
• Total	713,995
• Density	14,443/km2 (37,410/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Kobushi Magnolia
• Flower	Azalea
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address	6-12-1 Toyotama-kita, Nerima 176-8501
Website	www.city.nerima.tokyo.jp

Nerima (練馬区, Nerima-ku) is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. In English, it calls itself Nerima City.

As of 1 August 2007, the ward has an estimated population of 703,005, with 323,296 households and a population density of 14,443 persons per km². 12,897 foreign residents are registered in the ward. 18.4% of the ward's population is over the age of 65. The total area is 48.16 km².

History

In the Edo period, the area was mostly farmland producing daikon radishes, gobo burdocks, and potatoes. After the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, many people from central Tokyo moved to the area.

In October 1, 1932, Nerima town, and Kami-Nerima, Naka-Arai, Shakujii and Ōizumi Villages were incorporated in Old Tokyo City. Prior to the creation of the ward on August 1, 1947, the area had been part of Itabashi. In 1952, the Japan Self-Defense Forces established a base there. The first division of the eastern group of the Ground Self-Defense Force has its headquarters there. The United States Forces Japan already had a base, Grant Heights, which it returned to Japanese control in 1973. Grant Heights had been Narimasu airfield under the Imperial Japanese Army until the end of World War II. The runway is now the main street in front of the IMA department store in Hikarigaoka.

Geography

Shakujii River and cherry blossoms

Nerima lies at the northwestern edge of the 23 special wards of Tokyo. Its neighbors are the special wards of Itabashi (to the east), Suginami, Toshima and Nakano (to the south), as well as the cities of Musashino (to the southwest) and Nishi-Tokyo (to the west). To the north lie three cities in Saitama Prefecture: Wako, Asaka and Niiza.

Economy

Toei Animation has its headquarters in the Ohizumi Studio in Nerima. Anime International Company has its headquarters in the AIC Digital Building. In addition, Studio Comet, and Mushi Production have their headquarters in Nerima.

Education

Nihon University Ekoda Campus

Public schools

• 69 elementary schools are operated by the Nerima City Board of Education
• 34 junior high schools are operated by the Nerima City Board of Education
• 10 high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education

High schools

• Fourth Commercial High School
• Hikarigaoka High School
• Igusa High School
• Nerima High School
• Nerima Technical High School
• Oizumi High School
• Oizumi Gakuen High School
• Oizumi Sakura High School
• Shakujii High School
• Tagara High School

National schools

• Oizumi elementary school attached to Tokyo Gakugei University
• Oizumi junior high school attached to Tokyo Gakugei University
• Tokyo Gakugei University senior high school

Private schools

• One elementary school
• Three junior high schools
• Four high schools

Colleges and universities

• Musashino Academia Musicae
• Musashi University
• Nihon University Ekoda Campus
• Sophia University Shakujii Campus: Faculty of Theology

International Schools

• Aoba-Japan International School

Transportation

Rail

Tokyo Metro Fukutoshin Line

• Tokyo Metro
  • Yūrakuchō Line: Kotake Mukaihara, Hikawadai, Heiwadai, Chikatetsu Akatsuka Stations
  • Fukutoshin Line: Kotake Mukaihara, Hikawadai, Heiwadai, Chikatetsu Akatsuka Stations
• Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation
  • Ōedo Line: Shin-egota (on the boundary with Nakano), Nerima, Toshimaen, Nerima-kasugachō, Hikarigaoka Stations

Seibu Ikebukuro Line

• Seibu Railway
  • Ikebukuro Line: Ekoda, Sakuradai, Nerima, Nakamurabashi, Fujimidai, Nerima-Takanodai, Shakujii-kōen, Ōizumi-gakuen Stations
  • Shinjuku Line: Kami-Shakujii, Musashi-Seki Stations
  • Toshima Line: Nerima, Toshimaen Stations
  • Yūrakuchō Line: Kotake Mukaihara, Shin-Sakuradai, Nerima Stations
• Tobu Railway
  • Tōjō Line: Tōbu-Nerima and Shimo-Akatsuka Stations are on the boundary with Itabashi

Bus

• Kanto Bus
• Keio Bus: The Chu 92 bus travels between Nerima and Nakano Stations
• Kokusai-Kogyo Bus
• Seibu Bus
• Toei Bus: The Bus Service Division of the Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation operates 5 routes in Nerima Ward.

Road

• Expressways:
  • Kan-etsu Expressway
  • Tokyo Gaikan Expressway
• National highways:
  • National Route 17 (Shin Ōmiya Bypass)
  • National Route 254 (Kawagoe Kaidō)
• Other major roads:
  • Shin-Ōme Kaidō (Prefectural Road 245)
  • Mejiro Dōri (Prefectural Road 8)
  • Hoya Kaidō (Prefectural Road 233)
  • Kan-nana (Prefectural Road 318)
  • Kan-pachi (Prefectural Road 311)
  • Nakasugi Dōri (Prefectural Road 427)
  • Senkawa Dōri (Prefectural Road 439)
  • Fuji Kaidō (Prefectural Road 441)
  • Sasame Dōri (Prefectural Road 443&68)
  • Igusa Dōri (Prefectural Road 444)

Leisure

Toshimaen amusement park

Amusement parks

• Toshimaen

Museums

• Ward art museum
• Iwasaki Chihiro illustrated book museum

Parks

Jōhoku Central Park

• Hikarigaoka Park
• Shakujii Park
• Ōizumi Central Park
• Musashiseki Park
• Jōhoku Central Park (on the boundary with Itabashi)

Media

Nerima prepares the Nerima News Azalea, a city newsletter, in English.

Other

Nerima ward office

• Japan Ground Self-Defense Force Nerima Base

International relations

Nerima has a sister-city relationship with Ipswich, Queensland, Australia. Nerima Gardens in Ipswich commemorates the tie. Nerima also has a similar link to Haidian District, Beijing, China.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Nerima Animation Conference (Japanese) and (English)
• Nerima Gardens page at Ipswich City Council site