Sumida ward, Tokyo東京都墨田区

Living in Sumida ward, Tokyo

We have Summarized the livability of Sumida ward, Tokyo.

What kind of place is Sumida ward, Tokyo?

Sumida Ward: A city with popular spots, including Tokyo Skytree

Sumida Ward is located slightly east of Tokyo’s 23 wards, and has an area of approximately 13.77 square kilometers.
It is characterized by a flat terrain surrounded by many bodies of water, including the Sumida River and the Arakawa River.
It borders Adachi Ward and Katsushika Ward to the north, Koto Ward to the east, Edogawa Ward to the south, and Chuo Ward, Taito Ward, and Arakawa Ward to the west.
It has a population of approximately 280,000 and approximately 162,000 households. (As of February 2023)

In 1947, Kitamukojima Ward and Honjo Ward were merged to form Sumida Ward.
The name “Sumida Ward” is derived from the two characters “sumi” (sumiko) from the nickname of the Sumida River bank, “Sumi-tei” (sumidake), and “ta” (rice field) from the name of the Sumida River.
The area has long been a thriving manufacturing area for small and medium-sized products, and is also home to the Ryogoku Kokugikan Sumo Hall, famous for its sumo wrestling, and many sumo stables.
Sumida Ward has a strong image of a downtown area, but in recent years, Tokyo’s newest landmark, “Tokyo Skytree,” has been built in the Oshiage area, and the area around Kinshicho Station has become a bustling downtown area lined with station buildings and other commercial facilities, making it a popular tourist destination.
The ward’s famous event is the Sumida River Fireworks Festival, the oldest fireworks festival in Japan, held every July. Along with the Edogawa Fireworks Festival, held every August, it is known as one of Tokyo’s two major fireworks festivals and is a huge event that draws many tourists.

PR video of Sumida ward, Tokyo

Sumida Living Guide 1 Tokyo Skytree Area Azumabashi and Oshiage

Sumida Living Guide 2 Yahiro and Kyojima

Sumida Living Guide 3: Mukojima and Kanegafuchi

Sumida Living Guide 4: Around Kinshicho Station

Sumida Living Guide 5 Ryogoku

How is the traffic situation in Sumida ward?

Sumida Ward is a city with a rich transportation network including trains, buses, and water buses.

There are 10 lines and 14 stations that pass through Sumida Ward.

he bus routes that run through Sumida Ward are Toei Bus, Keisei Bus, Keisei Town Bus, and Tobu Bus.
There is also a community bus called “Sumida 100 Views: Sumimaru-kun and Sumirin-chan” that can be used to travel to major facilities and stations in Sumida Ward for a flat rate of 100 yen.
Taking advantage of the surrounding rivers, water buses are also in operation, and are popular as perfect vehicles for sightseeing, such as the “Asakusa-Odaiba Cruise” operated by Tokyo Waterfront Line that departs from Ryogoku Station, and the Tokyo Tourist Cruise Line that departs from Asakusa to Hama-rikyu Hinode Pier.
The expressway that can be accessed from Sumida Ward is the Metropolitan Expressway Route 6 Mukojima Line, and there are three entrances available: Higashi-Mukojima IC, Komagata IC, and Tsutsumi-dori IC.
The main roads in Sumida Ward are National Route 6, which runs from Tokyo to Chiba Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Fukushima Prefecture, and Sendai City, and National Route 14, which runs from Tokyo to Chiba Prefecture.

How are the rent and land prices in Sumida ward?

Sumida Ward: A city where new and old residential environments mix

According to information from a real estate information website, the average rent in the ward for a newly built apartment within a 10-minute walk from the station is around 98,000 yen for a 1K and 155,000 yen for a 2DK.
The average land price per tsubo is around 2,080,000 yen per tsubo.
The average price of a newly built apartment is 41,620,000 yen, the average area is 42.41 m2, and the average price per tsubo is 3,245,000 yen per tsubo. (As of 2018-2022)

How is childcare and education in Sumida ward?

Sumida Ward: A city with a great environment and support for raising children

Sumida ward has 54 nurseries, 15 kindergartens, 26 elementary schools, 13 junior high schools, 8 high schools, 1 university, and 8 vocational schools.
The “Child Medical Expense Subsidy” covers children up to 18 years old (as of March 31 after they reach 18 years old) for both outpatient and inpatient care, and is fully subsidized.
Child allowances are provided: 15,000 yen for children under 3 years old, 10,000 yen for the first and second children aged 3 years old or older and not yet entering elementary school, 15,000 yen for the third child and onwards, and 10,000 yen for junior high school students.

Sumida Ward also offers a wide range of support for child-rearing.
There are systems in place to support child-rearing, which can be lonely, such as “Childcare Classes” where parents with babies of the same age can talk about child-rearing and exchange information, and “Together Childcare,” where childcare workers will visit your home and provide advice on child-rearing.
In addition, the “Home Education Support Course” is held regularly, where childcare experts are invited as lecturers and students can take various courses on childcare, such as daily rhythms and improving academic ability.
The “Childcare Family Service” also has a system where home helpers are dispatched to families with problems such as not being able to do housework due to childcare or pregnancy, to provide assistance with general housework.
There are also plenty of playgrounds where children and parents of the same age can interact, and there are two “Childcare Plazas” in the ward where children can play with toys and picture books and get parenting advice from specialized staff.
There are 12 “Childcare Centers” in Sumida Ward that offer playgrounds, classes, and learning tailored to children aged 0 to 18, and serve as a place for interaction with children of the same age.

How about shopping in Sumida ward?

Sumida Ward: A city with everything from fashionable shopping spots to great value supermarkets

Sumida Ward has an image of having many traditional shopping streets, but in recent years it has become home to a wealth of stylish complexes, especially in the Kinshicho and Oshiage areas.
Olinas Kinshicho is a complex located near Kinshicho Station, housing around 100 shops, restaurants, and a movie theater.
Arcakit Kinshicho is a shopping mall located just outside the north exit of Kinshicho Station, housing many relatively low-priced shops, including large supermarkets, clothing stores, and 100-yen shops.
Kinshicho TERMINA is a station building directly connected to Kinshicho Station, consisting of three buildings, TERMINA, TERMINA2, and TERMINA3. It is a popular complex with everything from restaurants and cafes to fashion and gourmet food.
The Oshiage area is a complex that families can enjoy, with Tokyo Skytree at its center, Tokyo Solamachi where you can enjoy shopping and gourmet food, and Sumida Aquarium.
The area is home to many fashionable shopping facilities, but it also has several relatively inexpensive supermarkets and drugstores, and prices are stable within Tokyo’s 23 wards, making it a convenient area for families to live in.

How about jobs and recruitment in Sumida ward?

Sumida Ward: a city with a strong manufacturing industry and many long-established companies

The average annual salary in Sumida Ward is 4.05 million yen.
When you think of Sumida Ward, many people probably think of the golden monument that stands at the headquarters of Asahi Group Holdings in the Asakusa area.
This area has developed as a manufacturing town since the Meiji era. Soap making is particularly popular, and soap manufacturers line the ward, and future major companies such as Kao Corporation and Lion Corporation also developed here. In addition, many companies have grown in this area, making knit products, metal pressed products, leather products, and more, and the number of factories in the ward exceeds 2,000, making it one of the top in the 23 wards. Another characteristic of this area is the large number of small businesses, with many companies that specialize in small-lot production of a wide variety of products and short delivery times.
This area can be said to have many manufacturing and manufacturer job openings.

Sumida ward, Tokyo’s unique subsidy/subsidy system

Sumida ward, Tokyo’s unique housing assistance and subsidy system

Sumida ward, Tokyo’s unique childcare support system

Sumida ward, Tokyo’s unique system for further education and tuition assistance/subsidies