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 on the story. The kabuki play, "Sumida-gawa — Gonichi no Omokage", is perhaps better known by the title "Hokaibo", which is the name of the central character. This stage drama was written by Nakawa Shimesuke, and it was first produced in Osaka in 1784. The play continues to be included in kabuki repertoire in Japan; and it is also performed in the West. It was recreated by the Heisei Nakamura-za in the Lincoln Center Festival in New York in the summer of 2007, with Nakamura Kanzaburō XVIII leading the cast. The Sumida River Fireworks, which are recognized as one of