Toshima

Toshima
豊島区
Toshima City
Ikebukuro at night in Toshima
Ikebukuro at night in Toshima
Flag of Toshima
Official seal of Toshima
Location of Toshima in Tokyo
Location of Toshima in Tokyo
Toshima is located in Japan
Toshima
Toshima
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 35°44′00″N 139°43′00″E / 35.73333°N 139.71667°E / 35.73333; 139.71667
CountryJapan
RegionKantō
PrefectureTokyo
Government
 • MayorMiyuki Takagiwa (from April 24, 2023)
Area
 • Total
13.01 km2 (5.02 sq mi)
Population
 (October 1, 2020[1])
 • Total
301,599
 • Density23,182/km2 (60,040/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address1-18-1 Higashi Ikebukuro
170-8422
Websitewww.city.toshima.lg.jp
Symbols
FlowerAzalea
TreePrunus × yedoensis

Toshima (豊島区, Toshima-ku) is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. It is one of the eight central wards of the Tokyo Metropolitan area. Located in the northern area of Tokyo, Toshima is bordered by the wards of Nerima, Itabashi, and Kita in the north and Nakano, Shinjuku, and Bunkyo in the south.

The ward was founded on March 15, 1947, and reached a peak resident population of 370,000 in 1965. The population has continued to decline and as of May 1, 2015, the ward had an estimated population of 298,250, with a population density of 22,920 persons per km2. During the day the population swells with commuters, resulting in a daytime population of around 378,475.

The total land area of Toshima is 13.01 km2, sitting on a moderate plateau with a difference of 28 m between the ward's highest and lowest points. Approximately 47% of Toshima's land is residential, and 20% is commercial and public areas.[2]

Although Toshima is a ward, it is referred to as a city. The ward offices are located in Ikebukuro, which is also the commercial and entertainment center of Toshima.[2]

With a non-Japanese population of 19,868, or 7.42% of the total, Toshima is one of the most international wards in Tokyo. Of the foreign population, 56% is of Chinese descent, 20% is of Korean descent, with the rest being of primarily Filipino and European descent.[2]

  1. ^ "Population by District". Tokyo Statistical Yearbook. Retrieved 2022-07-15.
  2. ^ a b c Ohnishi Hiroshi (February 13, 2017). "Briefing note for fiona hyslop, cabinet secretary for culture,tourism and external affairs" (PDF). Nagasaki University: 55.