Katsushika City is located in the eastern part of Tokyo’s special wards and borders several administrative districts and neighboring prefectures. To the west, it faces Sumida City across the Arakawa River; from the northwest to the north, it borders Adachi City; and to the south, it connects with Edogawa City. Across the river at the northeastern edge lies Misato City in Saitama Prefecture, while the northern boundary with Yashio City (also in Saitama Prefecture) is defined by the Oba River. On the eastern side, it faces Matsudo City in Chiba Prefecture across the Edogawa River. Geographically, it serves as one of the connecting points between Tokyo and its surrounding areas.
Katsushika is well known for its strong shitamachi (traditional downtown) atmosphere and has served as the setting for many popular works in Japanese mass culture. Notable landmarks include:
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Shibamata Taishakuten: Widely known due to Yoji Yamada’s film series “It’s Tough Being a Man” (Otoko wa Tsurai yo), it is a key cultural symbol of the area.
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Horikiri Iris Garden: Preserves and continues the tradition of iris cultivation dating back to the Edo period. It attracts many visitors each year during the blooming season.
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Kameari Area: Famous as the setting for the manga Kochira Katsushika-ku Kameari Kōen-mae Hashutsujo (often shortened to Kochikame), it is a popular pilgrimage site for manga fans.
Historically, Katsushika developed primarily as an industrial area, with small factories scattered throughout residential neighborhoods. Along the Arakawa River embankments, it was once common to see factory chimneys emitting black smoke, representing the typical industrial shitamachi landscape. However, with the passage of time, many of these factories have been replaced by apartment buildings or commercial facilities, and the streetscapes have gradually modernized to resemble those in other residential areas of Tokyo.
In addition, the Kosuge area of Katsushika is home to the Tokyo Detention House, giving the district a certain level of importance within the administrative and judicial systems.
