is a special ward located in Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. In English, it calls itself Itabashi City. Itabashi has sister-city relations with Burlington, Ontario, in Canada; Shijingshan District of Beijing in the People's Republic of China; and Bologna in Italy. As of May 1, 2015, the ward has an estimated population of 547,270, and a population density of 16,990 persons per km2. The total area is 32.22 km2. Geography Itabashi lies on the Kantō plain. The Arakawa River, a major river, forms part of the boundary with Saitama Prefecture. Surrounding the ward are, in Saitama, the cities of Wakō and Toda; and in Tokyo, the wards of Nerima, Toshima, and Kita. Districts and neighborhoods Akatsuka Area Akatsuka Akatsukashin Daimon Misono Narimasu Shingashi Takashimadairaa Tokumaru Yotsuba Itabashi Area Chūmaru Fujimi Futaba Hikawa Honchō Inaridai Itabashi Kaga Kumano Minami Nakaitabashi Nakajuku Naka Ōyamachō Ōyamahigashi Ōyamakanai Ōyamanishi Saiwai Sakae Yamato Kamiitabashi Area Higashishin Higashiyama Kamiitabashi Komone Minamitokiwadai Mukaihara Ōyaguchi Ōyaguchikami Ōyaguchikita Sakuragawa Tokiwadai Yayoi Shimura Area Aioi Azusawa Funado Hasune Hasunuma Izumi Maeno Miyamoto Nakadai Nishidai Ōhara Sakashita Sakogi Shimizu Shimura Shingashib Takashimadairab, c Wakaki Notes: a – (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8) b – (formerly part of Shimura Nishidai area) c – (1 & 9) History The name of the ward means "plank bridge" and derives from the wooden span over the Shakujii River that dates from the Heian period. Such a bridge was remarkable at the time, and the name has lasted since. The current bridge in that location is made of ferroconcrete. In the Edo period, the Nakasendō crossed the nearby Shimo Itabashi, and the name came to apply to that area as well. Itabashi was one of the Four Edo Post Towns, and travellers first lodged there after leaving the shogunal capital. Kaga Domain had a mansion there. The shogunate maintained the Itabashi execution grounds at Itabashi. On October 1, 1932, nine towns and villages of Kita-Toshima District were merged and became part of Tokyo City as Itabashi Ward. It became a special ward May 3, 1947. On August 1 of that year, the localities of Nerima, Kami-Nerima, Naka-Arai, Shakujii and Ōizumi were split off from Itabashi to create Nerima Ward. Education Universities Itabashi is home to four universities. Tokyo Kasei University has a campus in the Kaga neighborhood. Also in Kaga is the main campus of Teikyo University. Daito Bunka University has one campus in Takashima-daira, and