Takadanobaba - Definition and Overview

Lines

• Japan Railway:
  • JR Yamanote Line
• Private:
  • Seibu Shinjuku Line
• Underground (subway):
  • Tokyo Metro Tozai Line

Adjacent Stations

Surroundings

The area is oftened referred to as "Baba". It lacks the history of nearby Waseda and Mejiro, often conjuring up images of a student spot with its many cheap bars and izakayas serving the needs of students at nearby Waseda and Gakushuin universities. Numerous prep schools and colleges reinforce this image in the eyes of many Japanese.

The symbol of Takadanobaba is the monolithic and appropriately named Big Box building next to the station. Big Box houses a sports gym, some cheap clothing stores and a fast food restaurant. It is considered past its prime by popular Japanese standards.

The Japanese Language school "Sendagaya" together with the New York style "Ben's Café" and the English pub "The Fiddler" have placed Takadanobaba on most foreigners' map of Tokyo.

Osamu Tezuka's fictional character Astro Boy was born in Takadanobaba on April 7, 2003. In commemoration, starting in 2003 the JR platform has used the theme music from the TV series to signal that a train is about to leave.