Suginami 杉並区 |
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Special ward | ||
Suginami City | ||
A street in Suginami
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Location of Suginami in Tokyo |
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Location in Japan | ||
Coordinates: 35°41′N 139°37′E / 35.683°N 139.617°ECoordinates: 35°41′N 139°37′E / 35.683°N 139.617°E | ||
Country | Japan | |
Region | Kantō | |
Prefecture | Tokyo | |
Government | ||
• Mayor | Ryo Tanaka (since June 2010) | |
Area | ||
• Total | 34.06 km2 (13.15 sq mi) | |
Population (May 1, 2015) | ||
• Total | 561,700 | |
• Density | 16,490/km2 (42,700/sq mi) | |
Symbols | ||
• Tree | Pine, Dawn Redwood, Sasanqua | |
Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | |
City hall address | 1-15-1 Asagaya Minami, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 165-8570 |
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Website | www |
Suginami (杉並区 Suginami-ku?) is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. In English, The English translation of its Japanese self-designation is Suginami City.
As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 561,700 and a population density of 16,490 persons per km². The total area is 34.06 km².
Suginami occupies the western part of the ward area of Tokyo. Its neighbors include these special wards: to the east, Shibuya and Nakano; to the north, Nerima; and to the south, Setagaya. Its western neighbors are the cities of Mitaka and Musashino.
The Kanda river passes through Suginami. The Zenpukuji river originates from Zenpukuji Park in western Suginami, and the Myoshoji river originates in Myoshoji Park, to the north of Ogikubo station.
The name Suginami dates back to the early Edo period and is a shortened version of "Suginamiki," or "avenue of cedars." This name came about when an early land baron, Lord Tadayoshi Okabe, planted a row of cedar trees to mark the border of his property.
The ward was founded on March 15, 1947.
In 1970, 40 high school students were exposed to and required hospitalization. The incident attracted national attention and increased awareness of the dangers of pollution.
The following neighborhoods make up Suginami-ku.
Historically, Suginami has leaned toward liberal activism. In 1954, local housewives launched the "Suginami Appeal" against nuclear weapons, a petition that spread nationwide and ultimately collected 20 million signatures. More recently in 2005, Suginami became part of Japan's fight against nationalist textbook revisionism when residents petitioned Tokyo's courts to prevent the adoption of a controversial textbook published by Fusosha Publishing which claimed to justify Japanese actions during World War II. The ward has also passed an ordinance placing limits on the installation of security cameras.