Gotanda
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Gotanda is a busy but unfashionable neighborhood in the Shinagawa ward of Tokyo, Japan. The name "Gotanda" can be literally translated as "a (rice) paddy of half-hectare's size". The district straddles the Meguro river, and is located between the Meguro and Osaki stations on the important JR Yamanote line.
The neighbourhood is centered on the Gotanda station, which is served by the Toei Asakusa subway line and the elevated Tokyu Ikegami train line in addition to the Yamanote line.
The JR loop severs the neighbourhood into two districts. Higashi (East) Gotanda lies inside the Yamanote loop, while Nishi (West) Gotanda is outside the loop. Nishi-Gotanda is largely residential, with moderately-sized apartment buildings close to the JR station and quiet leafy streets in the outlying reaches. Higashi-Gotanda is home to Seisen University, NTT East Kanto Hospital, several temples and shrines and as many office towers as a mid-sized North American city. Higashi-Gotanda also has a substantial number of hotels, including some of the famed capsule hotel style. Some of the buildings making up the sprawling world headquarters of Sony are found along the eastern edge of Higashi-Gotanda.
One of Tokyo's busy major avenues (Sakurada dori -- part of Japan's National Road #1) passes through both halves of Gotanda, carrying traffic between the inner business districts ringing the Imperial Palace grounds and the outlying areas of Shinagawa-ku, Ota-ku and beyond that the enormous city of Yokohama.
Gotanda station therefore sees far more commuter traffic than the size and unremarkable nature of the neighbourhood would otherwise suggest.
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[edit] A Japanese neighbourhood
In most ways, Gotanda stands out from neighbouring regions in remaining very Japanese. Most businesses deal only in Japanese. Traditional Tokyo bars that are big enough for only a half-dozen (Japanese-speaking) guests still exist in Gotanda while they have mostly vanished from other neighbourhoods. While Gotanda shopping lacks name brand attractions, it does feature very Japanese businesses selling Miso paste, and others that sell obscure Japanese brands of knives. Some businesses in Gotanda would be unimaginable in other countries, such as the "puppy rental" stores that will rent you a young dog to walk for an hour or two.
Gotanda's lasting Japanese character may have something to do with its scarcity of big attractions. Though favourably situated in western Tokyo, Gotanda is without the flashy shopping and cinemas of nearby Shibuya or Osaki, and lacks the variety and colour of the fashionable restaurants of Ebisu. It therefore remains little visited by tourists, and its attractions exist mostly to serve locals.
Local festivities include the spring-time hanami festivities along the Meguro river's straight trajectory through Nishi-Gotanda. Locals emerge in great numbers to set up small picnics among the flowering cherry trees that line the river's banks. In the Autumn, modest street festivals serve amusements and treats along the crowded avenues and in limited public spaces.
[edit] Services
Gotanda is served by a post office and a number of banks. It has a large Tsutaya (a large movie-rental chain). The area around the station is served by a Tokyu Store (grocery and department store) and the Tokyo Outlet Center. Kanto Medical Center is a large hospital to the north. Smaller clinics -- including a dental clinic -- are near the University.
[edit] Specialty services
Throughout Tokyo, Gotanda is known for two things.
The first of Gotanda's specialities is the Korean Barbeque restaurant. These are found in abundance around Gotanda station. They are generally quite good, and can be cheap as well, and are worth a visit for those who don't require service in English.
Gotanda's second speciality is prostitution. When anyone in Tokyo mentions Gotanda, it is usually in connotation with prostitution. Whether legal or simply tolerated, prostitution in Gotanda takes the form of bricks-and-mortar businesses boldly operating among retail and residential buildings. Large signs (in Japanese) advertising the euphemistic "soap" are clearly visible from passing trains.
The prostitution is accompanied by an over-abundance of large pachinko parlors, and near the station small side streets are lined with hostess bars, and drinking establishments of all descriptions. The Gotanda station Koban (police box) is manned with an unusually large complement of officers.
[edit] Embassies
Gotanda is home to the embassy of Indonesia. Peru maintains an office near the train station, as well -- the latter being busy enough to attract a Peruvian restaurant.
