Azabu-Jūban

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Azabu-jūban (麻布十番) is a district of Minato, Tokyo, Japan. It consists of 1 to 4-chōme. Azabu-Jūban Station is located in this district.

Azabu-Juban is a residential area in central Tokyo with a mixture of Japanese shops, restaurants and bars. The convenience of several supermarkets in a central location and the proximity of Hiroo and Roppongi make it one of the most trendy and sought after residential areas of Tokyo. The main street, a block away from a busy road junction, has a village-like feel with cobbled stoned paving in some places. This atmosphere is created by the narrow streets, slow moving traffic, and a mixture of stores operated by older owners. Even the McDonald's has been carefully designed to be architecturally sympathetic.

Azabu-Juban is known for being the main setting of the famous magical girls manga/anime series, Sailor Moon.

Azabu-Juban matsuri

In the middle of August (usually at the beginning or end of the Japanese Obon holiday), Azabu-Juban holds one of the most famous local summer festivals (matsuri) in Tokyo; The event takes place over two days on Saturday and Sunday with the streets being lined with local stalls and food vendors. Traffic is typically blocked from 3:00 to 9:00 pm on both days. During this time, large crowds of festival goers make the main streets largely impassable.

In 2011, this festival was cancelled, due to the practice of jishuku (自粛) - voluntary self-restraint - implemented after the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake.

Azabu-Juban hot spring

Until 2008, Azabu-juban had one of several natural onsen (ja:麻布十番温泉) in Tokyo. Every Sunday from 3:00 pm visitors could enjoy traditional Japanese songs (enka) and dancing. The site of the hot spring has since become a car park.

Education

Minato City Board of Education (港区教育委員会). operates public elementary and junior high schools. Azabu-Jūban 1-chōme, and 1-8 ban of 2-chōme, are zoned to Nanzan Elementary School (南山小学校). 9-21 ban of Azabu-Jūban 2-chōme and Azabu-Jūban 3-4-chōme are zoned to Higashimachi Elementary School (東町小学校). All of Azabu-Jūban is zoned to Roppongi Junior High School (六本木中学校).^[1]

Area high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Board of Education.

In popular culture

The protagonists of the manga and anime series Sailor Moon reside in this district.^[2]^[3]

The Ginger Root song Juban District refers to the district.^[4]

References

^ "港区立小・中学校通学区域一覧表（令和4年4月以降）" (PDF). City of Minato. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
^ Patrick Drazen (1 April 2014). Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? and Wow! of Japanese Animation, Revised and Updated Edition. Stone Bridge Press. p. 279. ISBN 978-1-61172-013-6.
^ Jolyon Baraka Thomas (2012). Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime, and Religion in Contemporary Japan. University of Hawaiʻi Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-8248-3654-2.
^ "Juban District, by Ginger Root". Ginger Root. Retrieved 13 May 2024.

35°39′17″N 139°44′07″E / 35.65459°N 139.73523°E / 35.65459; 139.73523

[1] "港区立小・中学校通学区域一覧表（令和4年4月以降）" (PDF). City of Minato. Retrieved 8 October 2022.

[Drazen2014-2] Patrick Drazen (1 April 2014). Anime Explosion!: The What? Why? and Wow! of Japanese Animation, Revised and Updated Edition. Stone Bridge Press. p. 279. ISBN 978-1-61172-013-6.

[Thomas2012-3] Jolyon Baraka Thomas (2012). Drawing on Tradition: Manga, Anime, and Religion in Contemporary Japan. University of Hawaiʻi Press. p. 31. ISBN 978-0-8248-3654-2.

[4] "Juban District, by Ginger Root". Ginger Root. Retrieved 13 May 2024.

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