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| {{nihongo|'''Shitamachi'''|下町||literally "low city"}} is the traditional name for the area of ] going from ] to ] and ], the physically low part of the city next to, and particularly east of, the Sumida river. The term is used in phrases such as {{nihongo|''shitamachi kotoba''|下町言葉}} meaning "working-class accent", {{nihongo|''shitamachifū''|下町風}} meaning "downtown (Shitamachi) style", and {{nihongo|''shitamachi jōcho''|下町情緒}} meaning the "friendly atmosphere of working-class neighborhoods". | |||
| ] | |||
| The traditional name for the area of ] going from ]-ku to ]-ku and ]-ku, the physically low part of the city next to, and particularly east of, the Sumida river.<br />Although superficially similar to the English term ''downtown'' and often thought to be analogous or even related to it, the term has in fact a different etymology and a very different set of meanings. | |||
| == |
==See also== | ||
| *] | |||
| By their very nature, the two terms Shitamachi and ] should be explained together. From the beginning of its existence, Tokyo (the former ]) has been culturally and economically divided in two parts: the plebeian {{nihongo|Shitamachi|]: 下町 (したまち) |Shita machi}}, literally ''low town'' or ''low city'', where artisans and merchants lived, and the aristocratic {{nihongo|Yamanote|]: 山の手 (やまのて) |Yama no te}}, term loosely translatable as "towards the mountains". (For a better explanation of the meaning of the rather complex term Yamanote, see ].) Although neither of the two ever was an official name, both stuck and are still in use. Both words are used with the same meaning in other parts of the country too. The term Yamanote has a high-class connotation, whereas Shitamachi has one of liveliness, high cultural level and human warmth. | |||
| ==The Shitamachi today== | |||
| Because the terms are centuries-old, their meaning and the physical they define have changed several times. In an interview with magazine ], noted translator and Shitamachi scholar ] claims that nowadays the dividing line between today's equivalents of Shitamachi and Yamanote goes from Ginza to ], and he prefers to call the two "north" and "south" because the old names are not longer appropriate. | |||
| He claims that a century ago Shitamachi's ] and ] were the center of Tokyo insofar as shopping and entertainment were concerned. Today, those centers are in ], ], ] and ].<ref>, Metropolis Magazine</ref>.<br /> | |||
| The important center of ] lies at the heart of the old Shitamachi and still has several museums and a concert hall. Today the immediate area, due to its close proximity to a major transportation hub, retains high land value but just a short walk away to the east or north reveals some of the less glitzy architecture of Tokyo. | |||
| The ] in Ueno is dedicated to the area's way of life and culture, with models of old environments and buildings. | |||
| ==Use of the term in idiomatic expressions== | |||
| {{nihongo|'''Shitamachifū'''|]: 下町風（したまちふう)|shita machi fū}} - Dashing, full of bravado, "cool", sexy <br /> | |||
| {{nihongo|'''Shitamachi jōcho'''|]: 下町情緒（したまちじょうちょ)|shita machi jō cho}} - The cordial atmosphere of a city's Shitamachi | |||
| {{nihongo|'''Shitamachi no hito'''|]: 下町の人（したまちの人)|shita machi no hito}} - A man or woman who has the typical outgoing and friendly personality of a Shitamachi person | |||
| The terms are only applied to real Shitamachi places or people. | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{No footnotes|date=June 2009}} | |||
| * New York: ]. 10-ISBN 0-394-50730-4; 13-ISBN 978-0-394-50730-9 (cloth) ], Tokyo, 1984. 10-ISBN 4-805-30494-4; 13-ISBN 978-4-805-30494-5 (paper)] ], Cambridge, 1991. 10-ISBN 0-674-53939-7; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-53939-6 (paper)] | |||
| {{reflist}} | |||
| * Iwanami {{nihongo|]|広辞苑}} Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version | |||
| * , Metropolis Magazine | |||
| * | |||
| * from Japanese Misplaced Pages | |||
| * ] Japanese dictionary | |||
| == External links== | == External links== | ||
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| * site in Japanese | * site in Japanese | ||
| ] | |||
| {{tokyo-geo-stub}} | |||
| {{ja-lang-stub}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 01:40, 15 June 2009
Shitamachi (下町, literally "low city") is the traditional name for the area of Tokyo going from Taitō to Chiyoda and Chuō, the physically low part of the city next to, and particularly east of, the Sumida river. The term is used in phrases such as shitamachi kotoba (下町言葉) meaning "working-class accent", shitamachifū (下町風) meaning "downtown (Shitamachi) style", and shitamachi jōcho (下町情緒) meaning the "friendly atmosphere of working-class neighborhoods".
See also
References
 | This article includes a list of references, related reading, or external links, but its sources remain unclear because it lacks inline citations. Please help improve this article by introducing more precise citations. (June 2009) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
- Low City, High City: Tokyo from Edo to the Earthquake: How the Shogun's Ancient Capital Became a Great Modern City, 1867-1923. New York: Alfred A. Knopf. 10-ISBN 0-394-50730-4; 13-ISBN 978-0-394-50730-9 (cloth) Harvard University Press, Cambridge, 1991. 10-ISBN 0-674-53939-7; 13-ISBN 978-0-674-53939-6 (paper)]
- Iwanami Kōjien (広辞苑) Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version
External links
- The Shitamachi Museum site in English
- The Shitamachi Museum site in Japanese
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 | This article about a Japonic language or related topic is a stub. You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it. |