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| {{nihongo|'''Yamanote'''|山の手||literally "towards the mountain"}}, is the traditional name for the affluent, upper-class areas of ] west of the Imperial Palace, especially ] and ]. The area's name, which in Japanese means "towards the mountain", comes from the fact that it lies on the slopes of the ] ending after ] and the ]. The modern Japanese word {{nihongo|''yamanote kotoba''|山の手言葉}} meaning "the refined speech of the uptown residents of Tokyo", takes its name from the region. | |||
| ]''This article is about the geographical area called Yamanote. For the ] (JR East) commuter line, see ].'' | |||
| Today, the ], named after the historical term, is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important ] lines, servicing areas such as ], ], ], ], and ]. | |||
| The traditional name for the affluent, upper-class areas of ] west of the Imperial Palace, especially ]-ku and ]-ku.<ref name="Kōjien Japanese dictionary">] Japanese dictionary</ref><ref name="ja.wikipedia.org">, Japanese Misplaced Pages</ref>. The area's name, which in Japanese means ''an elevated ground or plateau''<ref name="Kōjien Japanese dictionary"/> comes from the fact that it lies on the slopes of the ], a relief that from inner Honshu goes down towards the sea, ending after ] and the ]<ref>, Japanese Misplaced Pages</ref>. Both the ] and ] (or ]) take their name from the region because they cross it <ref name="ja.wikipedia.org"/>. | |||
| ==See also== | |||
| ==History of the term Yamanote== | |||
| *] | |||
| By their very nature, the two terms Shitamachi and Yamanote 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|]|]: 下町 (したまち) |Shita machi}}, literally ''low town'' or ''low city'' located next to the ], and the aristocratic {{nihongo|]|]: 山の手 (やまのて) |Yama no te}} located on the hills of the Musashino Plateau.<ref></ref> Although neither of the two was ever an official name, both stuck and are still in some use. Both words are used with the same meaning in other parts of the country too. The term Yamanote is also used for example in Hokkaido, Oita and Osaka<ref name="ja.wikipedia.org"/>. The term Yamanote has a connotation of classiness, whereas Shitamachi has one of liveliness and human warmth<ref name="Kōjien Japanese dictionary"/>. | |||
| ==The Yamanote 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>. | |||
| ==References== | ==References== | ||
| {{No footnotes|date=June 2009}} | |||
| <references/> | |||
| * 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)] | |||
| * Iwanami {{nihongo|]|広辞苑}} Japanese dictionary, 6th Edition (2008), DVD version | |||
| {{tokyo-geo-stub}} | |||
| ] | |||
| {{ja-lang-stub}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 01:55, 15 June 2009
Yamanote (山の手, literally "towards the mountain"), is the traditional name for the affluent, upper-class areas of Tokyo west of the Imperial Palace, especially Bunkyo and Shinjuku. The area's name, which in Japanese means "towards the mountain", comes from the fact that it lies on the slopes of the Musashino Terrace ending after Edo Castle and the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The modern Japanese word yamanote kotoba (山の手言葉) meaning "the refined speech of the uptown residents of Tokyo", takes its name from the region.
Today, the Yamanote Line, named after the historical term, is one of Tokyo's busiest and most important commuter rail lines, servicing areas such as Shinagawa, Shibuya, Ikebukuro, Ueno, and Akihabara.
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
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