Where the name Takanawa comes from, what stood here before the station, and what you can still spot on a walk today. Then the events near the station that we have checked on the official pages.
One leading theory traces the name Takanawa to Takanawate, meaning a straight road on elevated ground. Walk west from Takanawa Gateway Station and the land begins to rise toward a long ridge. The road now called Nihon-enoki-dori follows this higher ground. In earlier centuries, the shoreline lay much closer to the foot of the slope. According to local historical accounts, the road on the ridge appeared like a long line when viewed from the sea.
The name has deep roots. A historical war narrative mentions Takanawahara in connection with fighting in 1524. Another theory links the name to a medieval figure called Takanawa Tarō, mentioned in the chronicle Azuma Kagami. Neither origin has been conclusively established. During the Edo period, the written form 高輪 became established, while the Tokaido highway followed the lower ground near the shore.
Gateway also has a historical meaning. In 1710, the Takanawa Okido gate was established on the highway, marking an entrance to Edo. Walk from the modern station toward the old gate, then climb into the hillside neighborhood. The difference between the coastal road and the ridge-top route reveals why this district developed around both a gateway and an elevated path.
→ Walk from the station toward Sengakuji to find the surviving stonework of Takanawa Okido beside Daiichi Keihin. Then climb west to Nihon-enoki-dori. Comparing the low coastal highway with the old ridge-top route gives the name Takanawa a geographical meaning.
Sources (in Japanese): 港区「地名の歴史（高輪地区）」, 国立国会図書館「錦絵と写真でめぐる日本の名所 高輪」
The land around Takanawa Gateway Station was once part of Tokyo Bay. During the Edo period, the shoreline ran close to the present-day Daiichi Keihin road. Travelers on the Tokaido highway walked beside the water, passing teahouses near Takanawa Okido, the southern gateway to Edo. Climb the slope to the west and you enter a different landscape, where temples and samurai residences once occupied the higher ground.
In 1872, Japan's first railway opened between Shimbashi and Yokohama. Engineers needed a route through the coastal district, so they constructed the approximately 2.7-kilometer Takanawa Embankment out in the sea. Stone walls supported the railway, allowing steam locomotives to run above the water. The remarkable construction became one of the most memorable sights of early modern Tokyo.
Over time, the shoreline was reclaimed and the area became an extensive railway yard. During construction work in April 2019, sections of the original stone embankment were rediscovered underground. Takanawa Gateway Station opened in 2020, and the surrounding district has since undergone major redevelopment. Beneath the new streets lies physical evidence of a time when trains crossed the waters of Tokyo Bay.
→ Explore the Takanawa Gateway development and look for information about the preserved railway embankment remains. Continue toward the old Takanawa Okido gate on Daiichi Keihin. Looking east from the historic road helps reconstruct the lost shoreline and the railway that once crossed the sea.
Sources (in Japanese): 港区「高輪築堤跡」, JR東日本「高輪築堤跡整備基本計画」
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We list events we could confirm on the official page or official Instagram of the venue or organiser. Details can change, tickets sell out and venues close, so check the official page before you go. Distances are straight-line and travel times are rough estimates. Photos show the venue or its surroundings, not the event itself. Titles and descriptions are our own translations from Japanese. This site contains affiliate links (ads).