Article

13118 ／あらかわく

Arakawa Ward

Red-brick pump room, used some 80 years.

Former Mikawashima Pump Station

Photo by PekePON (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Float doll

An ink inscription of 1861 on its head box:the Inada-hime float doll.

The Mikawashima float doll Inada-hime has an ink inscription of 1861 (Bunkyu 1) on its head box. The ward describes it as a work of a master doll maker, with a clear date of making and a form kept almost as it was. It is a ward-designated tangible folk cultural property, and its assembly technique is ward-registered.

Ink inscription of 1861 (Bunkyu 1)
Ward-designated tangible folk cultural property (2004)
Assembly technique ward-registered (2013)

02 ／ Nippori temples

Moon, blossom and snow temples:Nippori's temples had seasonal names too.

Nippori is a scenic area, and the ward says Hongyo-ji was also called the "moon-viewing temple", Seiun-ji the "blossom-viewing temple" and Joko-ji the "snow-viewing temple", drawing Edo's literati. Hiroshige's Nippori temple garden print shows spring at Shusho-in.

Hongyo-ji: "moon-viewing temple"
Seiun-ji: "blossom-viewing temple"
Joko-ji: "snow-viewing temple"

03 ／ Torii gates

The gate deeper in dates from 1749,the one at the front from 1779.

On the approach to Ishihama Shrine, a torii built in 1749 (Kan'en 2) stands further in, and one built in 1779 (An'ei 8) near the entrance. Both are in what is called the Shinmei style, and both are ward-designated tangible cultural properties (structures).

Torii of 1749 (Kan'en 2)
Torii of 1779 (An'ei 8)
Ward-designated tangible cultural properties (structures)

Arakawa Ward from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot June–November 2019)Shot 1974–78

Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

Tokyo to Nippori in 9 minutes on the Joban Line.

about 220,000 people
30 min to a city centre

On the JR Ueno-Tokyo Line and Joban Line, the fastest daily train takes 9 minutes from Tokyo Station to Nippori Station (October 2026 timetable). For the ward office, the ward guides visitors to take a Toei bus for about 15 minutes from the east exit of Nippori Station.

People living here: 217,475people
Area: 10.16km²
Households: 112,009households
Rent (average for rentals): 86,757yen
Healthcare: 12 hospitals ／ 194 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —44 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Arakawa Ward in Japan35.736°N 139.783°E

to TokyoJR Ueno-Tokyo Line and Joban Line9min

Travel times follow JR東日本の駅時刻表（timetables.jreast.co.jp・2610版）の東京駅『上野東京ライン（常磐線）上野・柏・取手方面』の平日表・土曜休日表を列車ごとに数えた値（docs/handoff/tools/jr_count.py を、絞りを『毎日』だけにして使った）。東京・上野の『発』と日暮里の『着』の差。毎日運転（平日と土休日の両方に同じ分数で載り、運転日の注記が無い）の最速 (checked 2026-10-23). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 5 municipalities.

Territory of Arakawa Ward

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.

North to south

3.4km

Adachi Ward, Kita Ward, Taito Ward, Sumida Ward, Bunkyo Ward

Arakawa Ward isthis kind of town.

01The former Mikawashima sewage disposal plant's pumping facility stands in Arakawa 8-chome. Its pump room, a steel-frame and reinforced-concrete building of 1921 with a red-brick exterior, was used about 80 years until the pumps were switched to another system in 1999. National Important Cultural Property
02The Mikawashima float doll Inada-hime has an ink inscription of 1861 on its head box. It is a ward-designated tangible folk cultural property, and its assembly technique is a ward-registered intangible folk cultural property
03In Nippori, Hongyo-ji was also called the "moon-viewing temple", Seiun-ji the "blossom-viewing temple" and Joko-ji the "snow-viewing temple". Ishihama Shrine's approach has torii of 1749 and 1779

See the town as it is now.

Source: Wikidata (P2002, P2003, P2013, P2397)

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Arakawa Ward official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes