Ushigome

A district in the northern part of Shinjuku Ward, Tokyo. Ushigome Ward was established in 1878 (Meiji 11), but in 1947 (Showa 22) it merged with Yotsuya Ward and Yodobashi Ward to become Shinjuku Ward, and the administrative name disappeared. Its area stretched from Ichigaya and Kagurazaka in the east to Waseda and Okubo in the west. It is located in Ushigomedai, part of the Yamanote Plateau, and has many slopes. It is said that the area was named after the Musashino ranch where many cattle were raised in the past. In the Middle Ages, the Ushigome clan (descendants of the Ogo clan of Gunma Prefecture) lived here, and the ruins of their castle are called the Koshoji area in Fukuro-cho. It is a residential area, but there are many commercial establishments such as restaurants and publishing and printing businesses, and it is home to Waseda University, Tokyo Women's Medical University, and the National Center for Global Health and Medicine. It is still a common name for the area, and many elementary and junior high schools, post offices, police stations, intersections, and roads have the name "Ushigome" in front of them. The Tokyo Metro Tozai Line runs through the area. In 2000, the Toei Oedo Line opened, and two stations, Ushigome Kagurazaka and Ushigome Yanagicho, were established.

[Kiyoshi Sawada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京都新宿区北部の地区。1878年（明治11）牛込区が成立したが、1947年（昭和22）四谷(よつや)区、淀橋(よどばし)区と合併し新宿区となったため、行政上の地名は消失した。その範囲は東は市谷(いちがや)、神楽坂(かぐらざか)から西は早稲田(わせだ)、大久保に及んでいた。山手(やまのて)台地の一部の牛込台にあり、坂が多い。昔このあたりに武蔵野(むさしの)の牧場があり、多くの牛を飼育したことが地名の由来という。中世、牛込氏（群馬県大胡(おおご)氏の子孫）が居住したが、その城跡は袋(ふくろ)町の光照(こうしょう)寺域という。住宅地であるが、飲食店などの商業や出版印刷業も多く、早稲田大学、東京女子医科大学、国立国際医療研究センターなどがある。現在も通称地名となっており、小・中学校、郵便局、警察署、交差点、道路などの名称に「牛込」を冠したものが多い。東京地下鉄東西線が通る。2000年（平成12）都営地下鉄大江戸線が開通、牛込神楽坂、牛込柳町の2駅ができた。

［沢田　清］

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