Ogikubo, Tokyo

Ogikubo (荻窪) is an outlying area of Tokyo in Suginami ward, approximately 8 km west of Shinjuku. Ogikubo has the Ogikubo Station on the JR Chūō Line (Rapid), the JR Chūō-Sōbu Line, the Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (terminus) and the Tokyo Metro Tōzai Line extension (which runs on the Chūō-Sōbu Line tracks). The Japanese headquarters for American Express and Hewlett-Packard are located near the station.^[1]

Ogikubo is commonly referred to as the birthplace of Tokyo ramen. More specifically, Ogikubo ramen is known for ramen cooked with fish bones instead of pork bones. Exiting from the North side of the station (Kitaguchi) and heading towards the Amanuma neighborhood one comes across many of the famous Ogikubo-ramen-tens.

Two busy main roads, Kanpachi-dori and Ōme-kaido, run through Ogikubo and cross at four corners called Shimendō (四面道) which is actually where Kamiogi Ichome (上荻一丁目), Kamiogi Nichōme(上荻二丁目), Shimizu Ichōme (清水一丁目), Momoi Ichōme (桃井1丁目) come together. This is to the northwest of Ogikubo and Ogikubo Station.

"Ogi" (荻) is the name of a kind of reed in Japanese, and "kubo" (窪) means "hollow".

References

1. ^ "Akiki in 3D!! (Madhouse Tour Report". Akibanana.com. 2008-07-29. http://akibanana.com/?q=node/1036. Retrieved 2009-06-11.