The Takadanobaba Station reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Apr-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

Takadanobaba Station

Takadanobaba is a station on the Yamanote Line circling central Tokyo. Takadanobaba is situated on the Western side of the city between the large shopping and office districts of Ikebukuro and Shinjuku. It is connected to the suburbs by the Tozai Line and the Seibu Shinjuku line, making the station a minor commuting hub.

The area is oftened referred to as "Baba". It lacks the history of nearby Waseda and Mejiro, often conjuring up images of a student spot with its many cheap bars and izakayas serving the needs of students at nearby Waseda and Gakushuin universities. Numerous prep schools and colleges reinforce this image in the eyes of many Japanese.

The symbol of Takadanobaba is the monolithic and appropriately named Big Box building next to the station. Big Box houses a sports gym, some cheap clothing stores and a fast food restaurant. It is considered past its prime by popular Japanese standards.

The Japanese Language school "Sendagaya" together with the New York style "Ben's Café" and the English pub "The Fiddler" have placed Takadanobaba on most foreigners' map of Tokyo.

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