Article

13112 ／せたがやく

Setagaya Ward

Hikone domain's lands lay in Setagaya.

Setagaya Daikan Yashiki

Photo by 小池隆 (CC BY 3.0)

01 ／ Valley

The roar of a waterfall is also saidto have given Todoroki its name.

Todoroki Valley was formed by the Yazawa River, and its cliffs show layers including Kanto loam. The ward writes that the name Todoroki is also said to have arisen because a waterfall roared here. Tomb niches of the late Kofun period line the cliff; Tunnel Tomb No. 3 is a Tokyo Metropolitan Historic Site.

1999: Tokyo Metropolitan Place of Scenic Beauty (Todoroki Valley)
Feb 6, 1975: Tokyo Metropolitan Historic Site (Tunnel Tomb No. 3)
Tunnel tombs date to the late Kofun period, 7th century (ward)

02 ／ Building

Nine Amida Buddhas, the origin of the name Kuhonbutsu,sit three each in three identical halls.

At Joshinji (Kuhonbutsu), three halls stand west of the main hall: Jobon-do in the center, Chubon-do to the north and Gebon-do to the south. All three are built alike and each holds three Amida Nyorai statues, a layout the ward calls rare in Japan.

Mar 17, 1989: Setagaya Ward Designated Tangible Cultural Property
Ridge tablet records the raising of the frame in October of Genroku 11 (1698)
Each hall: 7 bays by 5 bays, hip roof (ward)

03 ／ Historic site

A mound for a fictional princess is preservedas a site tied to a literary legend.

Historic site in Setagaya Ward — Photo by 小池隆 (CC BY 3.0)

Tokiwazuka is a Setagaya Ward Designated Historic Site. Princess Tokiwa, enshrined here, is the heroine of the legend Nagori Tokiwaki, known from Sagikusa Monogatari; the ward writes that she is a fictional figure. Because many temples, shrines and places in the tale really exist, it has been passed down as if true.

Nov 12, 1983: Setagaya Ward Designated Historic Site
Located in Kamiuma 5-chome
Area: 52.89 m2 (ward)

Setagaya 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

4 minutes from Shibuya to Sangenjaya.

about 940,000 people
30 min to a city centre

To Sangenjaya Station, the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line takes 4 minutes from Shibuya Station (Tokyu timetable, October 2026; fastest on weekends and holidays). The ward says City Hall is a 5-minute walk from Shoin-jinja-mae Station or Setagaya Station on the Tokyu Setagaya Line.

People living here: 943,664people
Area: 58.05km²
Households: 492,065households
Rent (average for rentals): 100,331yen
Healthcare: 27 hospitals ／ 952 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —151 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.

Setagaya Ward in Japan35.647°N 139.653°E

to ShibuyaTokyu Den-en-toshi Line4min

Travel times follow 東急電鉄の列車別停車駅（NAVITIME配信 transfer.navitime.biz/tokyu。渋谷駅下り 2026-10-22〜26 の716本のうち484本）の渋谷発・三軒茶屋着を1本ずつ数えた。作業は $SP/setagaya/tk/（cnt.py・c.json） (checked 2026-10-22). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 8 municipalities across 1 prefectures.

Territory of Setagaya Ward

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

North to south

10.3km

Tokyo: Meguro Ward, Suginami Ward, Ota Ward, Mitaka City, Komae City, Chofu City, Shibuya Ward
Kanagawa Prefecture: Kawasaki City

Setagaya Ward isthis kind of town.

01Setagaya Daikan Yashiki was the office of the Oba family, who held the post of magistrate for the Hikone domain's Setagaya lands for generations; its main house and front gate are National Important Cultural Properties. The Agency for Cultural Affairs database records the main house as a hip-roofed, thatched building of Horeki 3 (1753). The grounds are a Tokyo Metropolitan Historic Site and the Oba family documents are a Tokyo Metropolitan Tangible Cultural Property
02At Joshinji, the Sanbutsudo is a ward-designated property and houses Metropolitan-designated Kuhon Amida Nyorai statues; the Kuhonbutsu Torreya tree in the grounds is a Metropolitan Natural Monument. Setagaya Castle Site is a Metropolitan Historic Site (kyuseki), and the Setagaya Boroichi has a Metropolitan designation
03Setagaya Ward is one of Tokyo's 23 special wards and is treated here as a single town. Noge Otsuka Kofun is a Tokyo Metropolitan Historic Site. Sangenjaya Station is 4 minutes from Shibuya on the Tokyu Den-en-toshi Line

See the town as it is now.

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

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Setagaya Ward official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes