Waseda area has special connection to a galaxy far, far away
Thu, Dec 17, 2015-
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Around Waseda Campus: January 12, 2015
Takadanobaba Station
Statue of Jizo, bodhisattva and guardian of children
Waseda Dori
There are three ways to get to Waseda Campus from Takadanobaba Station: by train (Tozai line), foot, or bus. Students who walk refer to the commute as the “Baba Walk.”
Used book stores, ramen shops, and restaurants have lined Waseda Dori for decades. Local residents cherish a Jizo statue that grants wishes and looks after the community, and people visit the statue to pray for fertility, easy childbirth, healing, and support on entrance exams.
Students do the “Baba Walk” even in cold weather. You will surely make new discoveries if you walk through and experience this student district for yourself.
The upcoming “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” film features a planet named after Takadanobaba called “Takodana.” Director JJ Abrams stayed at a hostel in Takadanobaba the first time he came to Tokyo and decided to name the planet after his “favorite city.” It seems the Waseda area has a special connection to a galaxy far, far away.
