Uptown Girl — 山の手

"Uptown Girl" (山の手, Yamanote) depicts a girl from the elevated western districts of Tokyo — the "uptown" Yamanote area associated with the samurai class, new middle class, and urban sophistication — characterized by the specific manner, dress, and bearing that distinguished the Yamanote girl from her Shitamachi (downtown) counterpart. Shuntei's use of the district name as a character descriptor reflects the period's keen awareness of social geography: the neighborhood of one's upbringing was a significant component of social identity in Meiji Tokyo.