Takadanobaba

Takadanobaba (Japanese: 高田馬場 Takada-no-baba) is a neighborhood in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan.

Originally, the area's name was read Takatanobaba and many Tokyo residents in their 50s or older pronounce it as such. However, younger Tokyoites and residents who have come from outside Tokyo, use the pronunciation Takadanobaba. The area is also often referred to simply as "Baba".

The area was previously and officially known as Totsuka (戸塚). In 1636, the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu built in the area a baba, a ground for horseback riding and horse racing. Takata was the family name of the mother of Matsudaira Tadateru (the sixth son of Iemitsu's grandfather, the previous shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu) who favored the area as a sightseeing spot. The name stuck to prevent confusion with nearby Totsuka town near Yokohama (now Totsuka-ku, Yokohama).

In 1694, Nakayama Yasubei (later Horibe Yasubei, one of the forty-seven ronin) took part in a battle (the Takadanobaba Kettō ) there.

The neighborhood is a transport hub for commuters traveling in from the west of Tokyo as it is home to three popular train lines: the Shinjuku Line, the JR Yamanote Line, and the Tozai Line. During the morning rush hour, Takadanobaba is one of the hot-points of the Tokyo transport network with all three stations bursting at the seams with local residents, students and commuters.

Like neighboring Waseda, the area is synonymous with students (albeit with a somewhat less salubrious image). In addition to serving students commuting to Waseda University, the area is home to many educational institutions including vocational colleges and preparatory schools. Gakushuin University is nearby, one station stop away in Mejiro.

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