Hongo-Sanchome
Hongo-Sanchome
Station is
a subway station located in the
Hongo district of Bunkyo Ward of
Tokyo. It serves Tokyo Metro Marunouchi
Line and Toei Oedo Line.
Hongo
is
a district in Bunkyo Ward just north
of the Imperial Palace. Being one
of the oldest districts of Tokyo,
it still holds a unique historical
charm. Some of the houses, including
traditional Japanese-style inns,
and shops in Hongo are over a hundred
years old. The area is best known
for Tokyo University, which is located
here.
University
of Tokyo (Hongo Campus)
The
University of Tokyo is one of the
most prestigious and leading universities
of Japan. It was founded in 1877
by the Meiji government through
the merger of three older institutes
that taught Japanese and Chinese
Literature, Occidental Studies,
and Vaccinations. These institutes
were merged to form four departments
– Law, Literature, Science, and
Medicine. In 1886, the University
was renamed Imperial University.
In
1897, the name was again changed
to Tokyo Imperial University to
differentiate it from the Imperial
University of Kyoto. During the
period between 1886 and 1897, two
new departments were added. These
were Engineering College and Agriculture
College. With time the University
continued to grow and practically
all academic disciplines were added.
In
1947, the University was again renamed,
this time to The University of Tokyo.
The year 1949 saw the re-organization
of the University under the new
School Education Law, with various
new faculties and the undergraduate
courses being arranged into four
years. With time research institutes
of various disciplines were also
added.
Today
The University of Tokyo has over
30,000 students, with about 2,100
of them foreign, studying in its
5 campuses at Hongo, Komaba, Kashiwa,
Shirokane, and Nakano.
The
Hongo Campus is
the main University campus and serves
as the center of all the academic
disciplines. It holds classes for
the second two undergraduate years,
besides focusing on all the graduate
studies. The Hongo Campus is visited
not only for studies, but also by
travelers as a tourist spot.
The
Campus ground was once the residence
of the feudal lords of the Maeda
Family. Its main historic feature
is the Red Gate ,
or the Akamon .
It was built in 1827 to welcome
Yasuhime, the daughter of Shogun
Ienari Tokugawa, on her visit to
the Maeda Family. According to other
reports, Yasuhime was married into
the Maeda household in 1828, and
the gate was built to welcome the
bride. The Red Gate is beautifully
crafted and has the Maeda Family
crest engraved at the eaves. Renovated
in 1961, it is today the symbol
of the University and is registered
as an important national cultural
treasure.
At
the center of the Campus is the
Japanese garden Ikutoku-en
, or the Virtue Teaching
Garden. This beautiful traditional
garden was built in 1630 by the
wealthy Maeda Family, who owned
the grounds at the time. In the
middle of Ikutoku-en Garden is Sanshiro
Pond , shaped like the
Japanese character kokoro ,
which means ‘heart'. During the
Edo period this garden with its
pond was considered one of the most
beautiful gardens of Edo.
Japan
Football Museum
Located
just 3 minutes' walk from Hongo-Sanchome
Station is Japan Football Museum.
It was built to commemorate the
2002 FIFA World Cup, which was considered
an honor and Japan's first football
step into the new millennium. This
modern museum relates the history
Japanese football through artifacts
and videos.
On
the first floor of the museum building
is the ‘Virtual Stadium'. A large
audio-visual hall with a mega screen
is located here, which shows the
2002 World Cup football matches.
There is also an Information Center
where you can get all the information
on Japanese and world football.
‘Monument of Goals' is another feature
on this floor. This “monument” is
a real size goal with imprints of
memorable goals by the Japanese
team. The first basement level of
the museum has large television
relay monitors which show Japanese
football league matches, and displays
league related artifacts. There
is also a souvenir shop selling
real football merchandise, and a
Japan Football Hall of Fame. The
second basement level relates Japanese
football history through images
and reproductions of locker rooms.
All the football players, who have
helped make Japan one of the top
ten in world football, have also
been introduced. The Japan Football
Museum is a must for all football
(soccer) lovers.
Tokyo
Water History Museum
The
Tokyo Water History Museum is located
across the street from Japan
Football Museum. This 3-storey museum
traces the history of Tokyo water
system from the Edo period to present
day. Administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan
Government, it shows all the different
aspects of the water system, including
drainage and sewage.
