Ochanomizu - Ochanomizu

This district stretches from Kanda Surugadai in Chiyoda Ward to Yushima in Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo. It is also written as Ochanomizu. It is centered on JR Ochanomizu Station, located south of the old outer moat (Kanda River) that borders the wards, with Ochanomizu Station on the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line to the north and Shin-Ochanomizu Station on the Chiyoda Line to the south. In the early Edo period, while Kandayama (plateau) was being cut down to dig the outer moat, clear water gushed out from within the grounds of Korinji Temple, which was presented to the Tokugawa Shogunate as water for making tea, and this is where the name of the area comes from. It was also called Meikei, another name for Ochanomizu. In 1874 (Meiji 7), Tokyo Normal School (now Tsukuba University) and Women's Normal School (now Ochanomizu University) were established in part of this grounds. The area is currently the site of Tokyo Medical and Dental University. To the east of this is Yushima Seido, built in 1690 (Genroku 3), and the bridge to the south of it is named after this, Hijiribashi (Holy Bridge). On the south side of the outer moat are various schools, including the private universities of Japan and Meiji, and Athénée Français. Also on the south side is Nikolai Cathedral, a Byzantine-style building built in 1891. It has long been an educational district, with many book and publishing companies, and is a thriving student town.

[Kiyoshi Sawada]

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

東京都千代田区神田駿河台(かんだするがだい)から文京区湯島(ゆしま)にまたがる地区。お茶の水とも書く。区境の旧外堀（神田川）の南側のJR御茶ノ水駅を中心とし、その北に東京地下鉄丸ノ内線御茶ノ水駅、南に同千代田線新御茶ノ水駅がある。江戸初期、外堀を掘るための神田山（台地）切り崩し中、高林寺の境内から清水が湧(わ)き出し、それを徳川将軍家のお茶をたてる水として献上したことが地名の由来。御茶ノ水の別名、茗渓(めいけい)の名でもよばれた。この境内の一部に1874年（明治7）東京師範学校（現在の筑波大学(つくばだいがく)）、女子師範学校（現在のお茶の水女子大学）が設立された。現在は東京医科歯科大学の敷地となる。その東側が1690年（元禄3）建設の湯島聖堂で、その南側の橋はそれにちなんで聖橋(ひじりばし)とよぶ。外堀の南側には私学の日本、明治の各大学、アテネ・フランセなど各種の学校がある。なお、南側に1891年設立のビザンティン式建築のニコライ堂がある。古くから文教地区で、書籍・出版関係の会社も多く、学生の街として繁栄している。

［沢田　清］

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