Arakawa, Tokyo Arakawa, Tokyo Arakawa has sister-city relationships with Donaustadt in Vienna, Austria, and with Corvallis, Oregon, U.S. Domestically, it has similar relationships with nine cities, towns and villages. As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 208,763, and a population density of about 20,550 persons per km². The total area is 10.16 km². Arakawa is in the northeastern part of Tokyo. The shape is long and narrow, stretching from west to east. The Sumida River forms the northern boundary. The ward is surrounded by five other special wards. To the north lies Adachi; to the west, Kita;
Japanese gunboat Sumida (1903) Japanese gunboat Sumida (1903) "Sumida" was the first gunboat in the Imperial Japanese Navy inventory designed specifically for inland river service. The need for such a vessel to operate on the rivers of the Asian mainland to protect Japanese commercial interests at various treaty ports had been perceived even before the Boxer Rebellion. The Japanese government turned to the United Kingdom, and placed an order for such two such vessels in 1903: one the "Sumida" to John I. Thornycroft & Company and the other to Yarrow Shipbuilders in Scotland. "Sumida", was slightly larger than "Fushimi" and easily distinguishable by having