History Fridays: Remembering The Washington Heights Of Japan

WASHINGTON HEIGHTS, NY — How long does one have to stay on the "1" train to make it to Japan?

While the question is obviously nonsensical, the little-known connection between the Washington Heights name and Japan is very real.

You just have to go back a handful of decades.

During the Allied forces' occupation of Japan after World War II, the U.S. Armed Forces in 1946 finished building a residential complex in Shibuya, Tokyo, to house U.S. Air Force personnel and families.

It was called none other than Washington Heights.

The area covered around three million square feet, contained 827 housing units and included American schools, churches, theaters, shops and clubs, according to OldTokyo.com. Additionally, Japanese citizens were not allowed within the gated off area.

Soldiers stayed in Japan's Washington Heights long after the war ended, until 1964, when the land was deemed necessary for the construction of fields and arenas for the 1964 Summer Olympics, according to the OldTokyo website.

The Japanese government was forced to pay the full amount of relocation expenses for the U.S. military families still there.

After the Olympics ended, the area was turned into a park.