Sumida, Tokyo southeast; Taitō to the west; Chūō to the southwest; and Kōtō to the south. The ward was founded on March 15, 1947. It was previously the (ordinary) wards Honjo and Mukojima. Mukojima, formed in 1932, contained the former town of Sumida, which along with the river gave the ward its name. As of 2005, the mayor is Noboru Yamazaki. The council consists of 34 members. Public elementary and middle schools are operated by Sumida. Public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. In addition, the metropolitan school district also operates a metropolitan junior high school:
Sumida River being manufactured by Korean prisoners of war. Sandra Andacht wrote in 1987, "Sumida gawa wares have found great popularity with collectors, dealers and investors. The motifs conform to the general Western concepts of what Oriental designs are expected to depict; writhing dragons, Buddhist disciples, mythological and legendary beings and creatures. Thus these wares are sought after and prices (here in the States) are quite high, even for pieces in less than perfect condition." The "Noh" play "Sumida-gawa", which the British composer Benjamin Britten saw while visiting Japan in 1956, inspired him to compose "Curlew River" (1964), a dramatic work based