Ōta (大田区, Ōta-ku; Japanese pronunciation: [oːta, oːtaꜜkɯ]) is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself in English as Ōta City. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Ōmori and Kamata following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The southernmost of the 23 special wards, Ōta borders the special wards of Shinagawa, Meguro and Setagaya to the north, and Kōtō to the east. Across the Tama River in Kanagawa Prefecture is the city of Kawasaki, forming the boundaries to the south and west.
Ōta is the largest special ward in Tokyo by area, spanning 59.46 square kilometres (22.96 sq mi). As of 2024, the ward has an estimated population of 744,849, making it the third largest special ward by population, with a population density of 12,041 inhabitants per square kilometre (31,190/sq mi).
Notable neighborhoods and districts of Ōta include Kamata, the administrative center of the ward where the Ward Office and central Post Office is located, and Den-en-chōfu (田園調布), known for its wealthy residents and luxury homes. Haneda Airport, the busiest airport in Japan by passenger traffic is located in the ward.
Contents
History
The ward was founded on March 15, 1947, merging the old wards of Ōmori and Kamata. The ward's name originates from the combination of letters of the two merging wards, Ōmori (大森) and Kamata (蒲田), combined into Ōta (大田). The ward was previously second behind Setagaya in terms of being the largest special ward in Tokyo by area, but due to land reclamation in the Tokyo Bay for the expansion of the Haneda Airport (羽田空港), Ōta overtook Setagaya for first place.
Haneda Airport, now one of the two main domestic and international airports serving the Greater Tokyo Area (the other one being Narita Airport in Narita, Chiba) was first established as Haneda Airfield in 1931 in the town of Haneda, Ebara District of Tokyo Prefecture. Following Japan's surrender in 1945, the airfield was turned into the Haneda Army Air Base under the control of the United States Army. In the same year, Allied occupational authorities ordered the expansion of the airport, evicting people from the surroundings on 48 hours' notice. With the end of the occupation, the Americans returned part of the facility to Japanese control in 1952, completing the return in 1958. Haneda Airport first handled international traffic for Tokyo for the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics. Following the opening of Narita Airport in 1978, almost all international flights (with the exception of Taiwanese airlines) moved its operations to Narita Airport. International flights resumed in 2010 following the construction of a new International terminal.
Geography
Districts and neighborhoods
Former Ōmori Ward
Former Kamata Ward
Politics and government
Ōta is run by a city assembly of 50 elected members. The current mayor is Akimasa Suzuki since 2023, an independent affiliated with the Liberal Democratic Party.
Ōta is represented in the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly by the Ōta district with seven representatives, while it is represented in the House of Representatives by the Tokyo 3rd and Tokyo 4th single-member districts.
Ōta Ward Assembly
As of April 2024, the current composition of the assembly is:
Governing parties: (30 seats)
Liberal Democratic Party (15 seats)
Komeito (11 seats)
Tomin First no Kai (2 seats)
Democratic Party for the People (1 seat)
Independent (1 seat)
Opposition parties: (11 seats)
Japanese Communist Party (5 seats)
Constitutional Democratic Party (4 seats)
Reiwa Shinsengumi (1 seat)
Fair Democracy (1 seat)
Non-aligned parties (9 seats)
Ishin no Kai (5 seats)
Sanseito (1 seat)
Rise up Japan (1 seat)
Independent (2 seats)
Elections
2007 Ōta local election
International relations
Sister city
Salem City, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, the United States of America (since 1991)
Friendship city
Chaoyang District, Beijing City, the People's Republic of China (since 1998)
Friendly cooperation city
Dalian City, Liaoning Province, the People's Republic of China (since 2009)
Diplomatioc missions in Ōta
Embassy of the Republic of the Congo
Honorary Consulate of Antigua and Barbuda in Tokyo
Landmarks
Parks and scenic spots
Den-en-chōfu, one of Japan's most exclusive residential areas
Haneda Airport observation decks
Heiwajima Park, site of a former World War II Allied prisoner of war camp
Ikegami Honmon-ji, the head Buddhist temple of the Nichiren Shū
Honmon-ji Reihōden Museum
Graves of Kawakami Gensai, Kōda Rohan, Aya Kōda, Banboku Ōno, Rikidōzan
Nishi-rokugō Park, a children's playground known as "Tire Park"
Senzokuike Park, the park surrounding Senzoku Pond
Grave of Katsu Kaishū
Cenotaph for Saigō Takamori built by Katsu
Tamagawadai Park
Tamagawadai Park Kofun Exhibition Room
Tokyo Port Wild Bird Park
Cultural institutions
Katsu Kaishū Memorial Museum
Omori Nori Museum
Ota City Local History Museum
Ozaki Shirō Memorial Museum, a literary museum dedicated to Ozaki Shirō
Ryūshi Memorial Hall, an art museum dedicated to the Nihonga paintings of Kawabata Ryūshi
Sannō Sōdō Memorial Museum, a literary museum dedicated to Tokutomi Sohō
Shōwa Era Lifestyle Museum, a folk museum housed in a renovated private residence originally built in 1951
Transportation
Air
Haneda Airport
Rail
JR East
Keihin-Tōhoku Line: Ōmori, Kamata Stations
Keikyū Corporation
Main Line: Heiwajima, Ōmorimachi, Umeyashiki, Keikyū-Kamata, Zōshiki, Rokugōdote Stations
Airport Line: Keikyū-Kamata, Kojiya, Ōtorii, Anamori-inari, Tenkūbashi, Haneda Airport Terminal 3, Haneda Airport Terminal 1·2 Stations
Tokyu Corporation
Tamagawa Line: Tamagawa, Numabe, Unoki, Shimomaruko, Musashi-nitta, Yaguchinowatashi, Kamata Stations
Ikegami Line: Nagahara, Senzoku-ike, Ishikawa-dai, Yukigaya-ōtsuka, Ontakesan, Kugahara, Chidorichō, Ikegami, Hasunuma, Kamata Stations
Ōimachi Line: Kita-Senzoku, Ookayama Stations
Tōyoko Line: Den-en-chōfu, Tamagawa Stations
Meguro Line: Ookayama, Den-en-chōfu, Tamagawa Stations
Toei Subway
Asakusa Line: Magome, Nishi-magome Stations
Tokyo Monorail
Haneda Airport Line: Ryutsu Center, Shōwajima, Seibijō, Tenkūbashi, Haneda Airport Terminal 3, Shin Seibijō, Haneda Airport Terminal 1, Haneda Airport Terminal 2 Stations
Highways
Shuto Expressway
No. 1 Haneda Route (Edobashi JCT - Iriya)
B Bayshore Route (Namiki - Kawasaki-ukishima JCT)
National highways
Route 1
Route 15
Route 133
Route 357
Economy
The following companies have their headquarters in Ōta.
ANA Wings (subsidiary of All Nippon Airways)
Alps Electric
Canon
Disco Corporation, manufacturer of semiconductor production equipment
Ebara
Ikegami Tsushinki, manufacturer of broadcast equipment
Skymark Airlines
Takasago International Corporation, a flavours and fragrances company
Toyoko Inn
Former operations
Namco, best known for video game franchises such as Pac-Man, Galaxian, and Ace Combat, were headquartered in Ota. The company moved its operations there in 1985, using the funds generated from the successful Family Computer port of Xevious to fund the construction of its office. The building was taken over by Namco Bandai Games after it absorbed Namco in 2006, and later by an unrelated Namco company that focused on video arcades and theme parks. The newer Namco company moved out of the building in 2014 and it was demolished two years later.
Prior to the merger with Japan Airlines, Japan Air System had its headquarters at Haneda Airport in Ōta.
In 2000 All Nippon Airways was headquartered by Tokyo International Airport in Ōta. In 2002 Air Nippon was headquartered on the fifth floor of the Utility Center Building (ユーティリティセンタービル, Yūtiriti Sentā Biru) at Haneda Airport in Ōta. The ANA subsidiary Air Nippon Network was also based at the airport.
Before its dissolution, Galaxy Airlines was headquartered in the ARC Building on the airport grounds.
Sega and its parent company Sega Sammy Holdings, best known for its Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, was originally headquartered in Ōta. However, Sega Sammy Holdings announced in April 2017 that it would relocate its head office functions and domestic subsidiaries to Shinagawa-ku by January 2018. This was to consolidate scattered head office functions including Sega Sammy Holdings, Sammy Corporation, Sega Holdings, Sega Games, Atlus, Sammy Network, and Dartslive. After the relocation to Shinagawa was complete, Sega's previous headquarters in Ōta was later sold in February 2019 and will likely be torn down.
Gakken was headquartered in Ōta from 1962 until 2008 when they moved their headquarters to Shinagawa.
Education
Colleges and universities
Toho University Ōmori Campus
Tokyo Institute of Technology Ōokayama Campus
Showa University Senzoku Campus
Tokyo University of Technology Kamata Campus
Public high schools
The following public high schools are located in Ōta, operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.
Den Enchofu High School (東京都立田園調布高等学校)
Kamata High School (東京都立蒲田高等学校)
Mihara High School (東京都立美原高等学校)
Omori High School (東京都立大森高等学校)
Ota Sakuradai High School (東京都立大田桜台高等学校)
Rokugoh Technical High School (東京都立六郷工科高等学校)
Tsubasa Sogo High School (東京都立つばさ総合高等学校)
Yukigaya High School (東京都立雪谷高等学校)
Private high schools
Tokyo High School (東京高等学校)
Tokyo Jitsugyo High School (東京実業高等学校)
Elementary and junior high schools
Public elementary and junior high schools are operated by Ōta City Board of Education (大田区教育委員会).
International schools
Tokyo Korean 6th Elementary School (東京朝鮮第六初級学校) - North Korean school
The Deutsche Schule Tokyo was previously located in Ōta before relocating to Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1970.
Public libraries
Ōta operates several public libraries, including:
Notable people
Tetsuya Fujimori, professional shogi player.
Aya Fujita, professional shogi player.
Hiroko Maruyama, voice actress.
Urara Matsubayashi, actress.
Aemu Oyama, football player
Kintaro Usuda, boxer.
Marina Watanabe, actress, singer, TV-personality.