Toranomon
Toranomon
Station is
a subway station on the Tokyo Metro
Ginza Line located between the Toranomon
district of Minato Ward and the
Kasumigaseki area of Chiyoda Ward.
It is one of the originating stations
for Ginza Line – two trains originating
each morning, one going in each
direction.
Toranomon
in Minato is located next to Kasumigaseki
in Chiyoda, home to Japan's cabinet
ministries. It is actually from
Toranomon that government offices
and buildings begin and multiply
as one gets closer to Kasumigaseki.
The streets of Toranomon are set
neatly at right angles making it
easy for people to get around. There
are also quite a few restaurants
in the area which cater mainly to
the government employees working
in the area.
Konpira
Shrine
Located
among the buildings of Toranomon,
a short walk from Toranomon Station
is the Konpira Shrine. Dedicated
to Konpira, the guardian deity of
seafarers and fishermen, the shrine
is believed to have been built in
the seventeenth century. The shrine
is constructed in typical Edo taste
with carved pillars and copper torii
. A large garden surrounds
the shrine. As Konpira Shrine is
located in a busy office district,
few people visit it, except for
the workers of the nearby offices
who are often seen relaxing on the
shrine grounds.
Citizens'
International Plaza
The
Citizens' International Plaza was
opened in 1999 “ to
promote international cooperation
based on unique regional features
and to encourage cooperation between
non-governmental organizations (NGOs)
and local authorities”. Besides
being involved in various international
activities, it also provides services
like providing resource materials
and knowhow to NGOs and interested
individuals. Located 5 minutes from
Toranomon
Station, the Citizens' International
Plaza also has a large collection
of material on display that include
local and international government
and NGO pamphlets and newsletters;
material related international cooperation
promotion plans; photo displays;
and videos. The Plaza is jointly
managed and operated by CLAIR and
the Japan NGO Center for International
Cooperation (JANIC).
