Sendagaya
Sendagaya (千駄ヶ谷) is an area (neighborhood, quarter) within Shibuya ward 渋谷区), one of Tokyo (東京都), Japan's (日本) special 23 wards.
Introduction
Sendagaya is nestled in an urban green area in Shibuya ward between Shinjuku ward(新宿区) and Shinjuku Gyoen (新宿御苑) (Shinjuku Imperial Gardens) to the north (an area in Sendagaya, 6-chome, or 千駄ヶ谷6丁目, is actually located within the gardens). The National Stadium (国立競技場), also known as Olympic Stadium, Tokyo is located to the east. Meiji Shrine (明治神宮) and Yoyogi Station (代々木駅)are found to the west. Jingumae (神宮前) and Harajuku (原宿) are directly south. Many important cultural and sporting venues are located in and around Sendagaya.
Sendagaya is a mix of old, new, and incredibly futuristic designs. From Sendagaya Station (千駄ヶ谷駅), the main station in Sendagaya, bustling Shinjuku is a tranquil 10 minute walk away along the Imperial Gardens' western wall. Sendagaya Entrance to the gardens is 2 minutes away from Sendagaya Station.
Sendagaya, particularly 3-chome, is home to dozens of clothing and accessory design workshops, studios, offices, and fashion related agencies, including the mega-brand Bape. The narrow streets are filled daily with the hustle and bustle of courier companies picking up next season's designs and delivering the finished product.
Places of interest
Cultural
Theatre
Sendagaya includes several theaters and organizations related to the arts, such as the National Noh Theatre, designed by Hiroshi Oe and completed in 1983. Also, the Kinokuniya Southern Theater, the classical music Tsuda Hall (津田ホール), the Japan Federation of Composers, the Japan Theatre Arts Association, the Japan Association of Music Enterprises, the Tokyo Nikikai Opera Foundation, a troupe of opera singers dedicated to promoting and developing the western music movement, and the Japanese Centre of the International Theatre Institute are located in Sendagaya.
Shrines
A few minutes walk from the station, is the Hato Mori Hachiman Shrine (鳩森八幡神社), an oasis of calm with its 300-year old pine trees. This small shrine is a place of historical importance in Shibuya. Within the shrine, there is a stage for Japanese arts' performances and a fujizuka (富士塚), a replica of Mount Fuji made from stones carried from Mt. Fuji. Fuji-tsuka were common in Japan during the Edo Period and were constructed to allow people to make a symbolic pilgrimage to the sacred Mt. Fuji when travel between domains (han) was not permitted for commoners under most circumstances. This fuji-tsuka is one of the few that survives in Tokyo.
Sports
A number of sports' complex are found nearby Sendgaya Station including the Olympic Stadium, Tokyo (which actually sits in Shinjuku-ku) built for the 1958 Asian Games and subsequently used for the 1964 Summer Olympics. Near the stadium, are other important venues, such as Meiji Jingu Skate and Curling Rink and Futsal Courts, the Meiji-Jingu Stadium used by the Yakult Swallows baseball team, Jingu Secondary Stadium, Chichibunomiya rugby stadium, and the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium (東京体育館).
Modern Japanese architecture is on display directly in front of Sendagaya Station at the metro gymnasium, which houses an Olympic size swimming pool, as well as a shorter 25m pool; an outdoor oval running track; a weight training room; and large indoor arena (photo opposite). The futuristic designed main arena, half built below ground, which seems to hover over the surrounding area, is used for a number of national and international sporting events, including the WTA Toray Pan Pacific Tennis Championships. The Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, built in 1991, was designed by Japanese architect and Pritzker Prize winner Fumihiko Maki.
Embassies
- Embassy of the Congo, Democratic Republic of (Sendagaya 3-chome)
- Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco (2-chome)
Schools
- Tokyo Design Academy (東京デザイン専門学校) (Sendagaya 3-chome)
- Nippon Design College (日本デザイン専門学校) (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- Tsuda School of Business (津田スクールオヴビズネス) (Sendagaya 1-chome)
Other
- Cystem Gallery with its giant Darth Vader like statue, "Nagoya", out front (Sendagaya 3-chome)
- G A Gallery, designed by Makoto Suzuki, is the gallery of Yukio Futagawa (Sendagaya 3-chome)
- NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building which resembles New York's Empire State Building (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- Takashimya Times Square, located at the southern exit of Shinjuku Station (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- Kinokuniya Book Store (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Headquarters (Sendagaya 4-chome)
- Glaxo Smith Kline (Pharmaceuticals) Japan Head Office (Sendagaya 4-chome)
- Shiseido (Tokyo Head Office) (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- Fujita (Construction) (Sendagaya 4-chome)
- NIPPN Flour Mills Co, Ltd. Head Office (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- GAP Japan Head Office (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- Japan Shogi (Japanese chess) Hall. This is the location for the recording of NHK's exciting shogi show.
- Sazaby/Afternoon Tea (Sendagaya 2-chome)
- Sendagaya Intes, a delicate, thin and narrow glass office building (Sendagaya 1-chome)
- Tel Well Japan (NTT Group) (Sendagaya 5-chome)
- The Fujita Vente Museum used to be found here, but has been closed. The building now belongs to GlaxoSmithKline.
Transportation
Rail and Subway Stations
JR Sendagaya Station on the Chūō-Sobu Line (中央総武線) is the main station. Yoyogi Station (JR Yamanote Line (山手線) and Chūō-Sobu) and Shinanomachi Station (信濃町駅)are the JR Chūō-Sobu Line stations on either side of Sendagaya.
Kokuritsu Kyogijo Station (E-25), on the Toei Oedo Line (都営大江戸線), sits in front of Sendagaya Station.
Kitasando Station (北参道駅), nearby on Meiji Dori (明治道り), on the new Fukutoshin Line (副都心線), is run by the Tokyo Metro.
A little further on foot are the stations of Gaienmae (外苑前) in Minato-ku (港区) on the Ginza Line(銀座線), Omotesandō on the Ginza Line, Chiyoda Line (千代田線) and Hanzomon Line (半蔵門線) and Meiji Jingu (明治神宮) on the (Chiyoda Line).
Also, JR Harajuku on the Yamanote Line can be found nearby.
The Royal Platform (宮廷ホーム), used by the Japanese Imperial Family during special occasions, is located along the Yamanote Line in Sendagaya 3-chome.
Roads
The Shuto Expressway (首都高速道路 Shuto-kōsoku-dōro ) passes above Sendagaya running beside the Sobu Line tracks. On/Off ramps for the expressway are in Sendagaya and the neighbouring Shinanomachi area.
Two major urban routes - Meiji Avenue (明治通り (Rt. 305) and Gaien Nishi Avenue (外延西道り) (Rt 418) - run through Sendagaya.
External links
- Metropolis Travel, Sendagaya (en)
- Shibuya City Hall (en)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium Architect Report (en)
- Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium (jp)
- National Noh Theatre (en)
- Japan Shogi Association (jp)
- Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco (en)
- Tokyo Design Academy (en)
- Nippon Design College (jp)
- Japanese Communist Party (en)
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Coordinates: 35°40′36″N 139°42′29″E / 35.67659°N 139.70793°E