Yotsuya 

 

Yotsuya Station is located in the district of Yotsuya in Shinjuku Ward bordering Chiyoda Ward.

 

The station is one of the older stations of Tokyo, having opened in 1894 as a station for Kobu Railways, now Chuo Line. It then had just one track. By 1929, the number of tracks had quadrupled. In 1959, the Marunouchi Line station was opened, and in 1996, the Namboku Line station. Today, Yotsuya Station serves all the four lines – JR Chuo Main, JR Chuo-Sobu, Tokyo Metro Marunouchi, and Tokyo Metro Namboku.

All these lines run north-south, but the two Chuo Lines and Marunouchi Line also run east-west.

 

Yotsuya is a neighborhood in Shinjuku, adjacent to the Kojimachi area of Chiyoda. Till 1634, Yotsuya was a small farming village. When the outer moat of the Edo Castle was being built in 1634, the temples and shrines of the area were moved to Yotsuya. A watch tower was also built on the moat wall (at the same location where Yotsuya Station stands today). With the watch tower and temples in the area, Yotsuya began to grow as people started moving in to settle down. Soon it became part of the city of Edo.

 

After the opening of the Station at Yotsuya in 1894, several industries moved in as the transport of raw materials became easy. Yotsuya was now an important area of Tokyo and continues to be so till today.

 

Places of Interest:

 

Akasaka Palace ( State Guest House )

 

Akasaka Palace, a former imperial residence, today serves as the State Guest House, where guests of the Japanese Government and other state dignitaries are accommodated. It also serves as the venue for Government conferences and events. Designed by Katayama Tokuma, this beautiful monumental neo-baroque structure was built between 1899 and 1909 during the Meiji era as the official residence of the crown prince.

 

The main building of the palace covers a floor area of 15,000 m?, out of the total sprawling area of 117,000 m?. A long path lined with trees leads from the gate to the building. On either side of the path are huge well-kept lawns with beautiful flower beds. Located just at the main gate is the Sentry Box, an attraction in itself. The Sentry Box is a dome-shaped structure that serves as a shelter for the security guards.

 

This popular tourist attraction is located about 7 minutes on foot from Yotsuya Station.

 

Sainenji Temple

 

Sainenji Temple is a Buddhist temple of the Jodo sect. Located just 5 minutes' walk west of Yotsuya Station, this small temple is mainly known for the tomb of Hattori Hanzo (1542-1596).

 

Hattori Hanzo was the head of a clan from Iga region, but more than that he was a famous samurai. He was known for his ferocious fighting skills, being particularly adept at the spear. He served Tokugawa Ieyasu loyally and earned his trust by saving his life in a battle in 1572. Hanzo accompanied Ieyasu to Edo in 1590 and was asked to lead a band of Iga ninja and live immediately outside the castle's rear gate.

 

Hanzo's remains lie in a tomb on the right side of the main temple building. His battle spears and ceremonial helmet are also on display at the temple site. Hanzo's legacy remains today with one of the main gates to the Imperial Palace being named Hanzo Gate, and a subway line, Hanzo-mon Line that runs between central Tokyo to the western suburbs.

 

Sophia University (Main Campus)

 

Sophia University is one of the most prestigious universities of Japan. It was established in 1913 by the Society of Jesus, taking its name Sophia from the Greek word meaning “wisdom”. Sophia was officially recognized as a university in 1932. Since then, Sophia continues to grow and today it has over 10,000 undergraduates and over 100 graduate students spread over 4 campuses – at Yotsuya, Ichigaya, Shakujii, and Hadano.

 

The main campus of Sophia University is at Yotsuya, located just 5 minutes on foot from Yotsuya Station. Despite being located in the bustling center of Tokyo, the campus has a peaceful and serene atmosphere with a lot of greenery. The Yotsuya campus houses the Faculties of Humanities, Law, Foreign Studies, Economics, Liberal Arts, and Science and Technology. There are 25 buildings on the campus. The main building is the oldest building. Built of red brick in 1932, it is also the symbol of Sophia University. Besides the classrooms, the buildings have offices, halls, a gymnasium, a library, Computer Center, Research Institutes, a bookstore, a chapel, and a cafeteria.