Article

13109 ／しながわく

Shinagawa Ward

Checkerboard-blocked windows on a vault.

Former Mitsui Bunko Second Vault

Photo by Zakinco (CC0)

01 ／ Whale monument

In Kansei 10, a great whale was caught off Shinagawa.After Ienari viewed it, a memorial stone was raised.

In Kansei 10 (1798), a great whale was found off Shinagawa and caught by the fishermen of the Shinagawa fishing quarter. After the 11th shogun, Tokugawa Ienari, viewed it, a stone monument was erected to mourn the whale and pass the event on to later generations. It stands at Kagata Shrine in Higashi-Shinagawa and is designated by the ward as a historical material.

1798 (Kansei 10): a great whale found off Shinagawa
Ward-designated Tangible Cultural Property (historical material) No. 4
Designated on November 28, 2006 (Heisei 18)

02 ／ Temple bell

A bell of 1657 was confirmed to be in useat a Geneva museum and returned in 1930.

The ward's materials record that the Honsenji Temple bell was donated in Meireki 3 (1657) by Tokugawa Ietsuna for memorial services for Ieyasu, Hidetada and Iemitsu. In 1919 it was confirmed to be in use at the Ariana Museum in Geneva, and in 1930 the city of Geneva returned it to Honsenji.

1657 (Meireki 3): cast and donated (ward materials)
1919 (Taisho 8): confirmed in Geneva
1930 (Showa 5): returned by the city of Geneva

03 ／ Historic site

Moso bamboo that the Satsuma domain obtained from the Ryukyusis said to have been moved from Shiba to Togoshi.

In Genbun 1 (1736), the Shimazu family of the Satsuma domain obtained moso bamboo from the Ryukyus. In Kansei 1 (1789), a merchant is said to have taken a few stems from the Satsuma residence in Shiba, planted them near his home in Togoshi Village, and let them spread over the whole garden. The bamboo groves then spread to villages from Togoshi to Meguro.

1736 (Genbun 1): the Satsuma domain obtained it from the Ryukyus
1806 (Bunka 3): the monument was erected
Ward-designated Historic Site No. 17 (March 11, 1980)

Shinagawa 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

14 minutes from Tokyo to Oimachi, with no transfer.

about 420,000 people
30 min to a city centre

On the JR Keihin-Tohoku Line rapid, it takes 13 minutes at the fastest from Tokyo Station to Oimachi Station (JR East timetable, October 2026). The ward's guide gives the walk from Oimachi Station to the ward office as 8 minutes.

People living here: 422,488people
Area: 22.85km²
Households: 237,641households
Rent (average for rentals): 102,811yen
Healthcare: 15 hospitals ／ 498 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —87 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.

Shinagawa Ward in Japan35.609°N 139.730°E

to TokyoJR Keihin-Tohoku Line13min

Travel times follow JR東日本駅の時刻表（timetables.jreast.co.jp 2610版）の東京駅「京浜東北線・根岸線南行」と新宿駅「埼京線・川越線大崎方面（上り）」の各列車ページの停車駅の時刻（平日・土曜休日） (checked 2026-10-23). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 4 municipalities.

Territory of Shinagawa Ward

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

North to south

6.3km

Ota Ward, Meguro Ward, Minato Ward, Shibuya Ward

Shinagawa Ward isthis kind of town.

01The Former Mitsui Bunko Second Book Vault stands in Bunko no Mori Park. Built in Taisho 11 (1922) to hold the Mitsui family's records, this wall-bearing reinforced-concrete building had half of its windows painted over and other fireproofing added, and the park is named after it. It is a National Registered Tangible Cultural Property
02The ward's materials record that the Honsenji Temple bell was donated in Meireki 3 (1657). The ward writes that the Moso Bamboo Cultivation Monument in Koyama honors the first grower of the bamboo; it was erected in Bunka 3 (1806) and is a ward historic site
03The ward writes that Shinagawa consists of a bay-front area on Tokyo Bay and an upland plateau, and that in the Edo period it thrived as the first post station of the Tokaido. The stone seawall of Tokaido Shinagawa-juku is a ward historic site. Oimachi Station is 14 minutes from Tokyo on the Keihin-Tohoku Line

See the town as it is now.

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

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Shinagawa Ward official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes