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Tokyo

Worlds biggest cities

officially Metropolis , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan and located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū. The twenty-three special wards of , each governed as a , cover the area that was once the of in the eastern part of the prefecture, and total over 8 million people. The population of the prefecture exceeds 12 million.

is the seat of the and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family.
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was originally known as Edo, meaning estuary.[2] Its name was changed to (Tōkyō: tō (east) + kyō (capital)) when it became the imperial capital in 1868.[2] During the early Meiji period, the was also called “Tōkei”, an alternative pronunciation for the same Chinese characters representing “”. Some surviving official use the spelling “Tokei”.[3] This pronunciation is now obsolete.[4]
History

Main article: History of

Tokugawa Ieyasu
Tokugawa Ieyasu

was originally a small named Edo. In 1457, Ōta Dōkan built Edo Castle. In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo his base and when he became shogun in 1603, the town became the center of his nationwide . During the subsequent , Edo grew into one of the with a population topping one million by the 18th century.[5] It became the de facto capital of Japan[6] even while the emperor lived in Kyoto, the imperial capital. After about 263 years, the shogunate was overthrown under the banner of restoring imperial rule. In 1869, the 17-year-old moved to Edo. was already the nation’s political and cultural center,[7] and the emperor’s residence made it a de facto imperial capital as well with the former Edo Castle becoming the Imperial Palace. The of was established, and continued to be the capital until it was abolished as a municipality in 1943 and merged with the “Metropolitan Prefecture” of .

Central , like , has been designed since about the turn of the century (1900) to be centered around major train stations in a high-density fashion[citation needed], so suburban railways were built relatively cheaply at street level and with their own right-of-way. This differs from cities in the United States, such as Los Angeles, that are low-density and automobile-centric. Though expressways have been built in , the basic design has not changed.

went on to suffer two major catastrophes in the 20th century, but it recovered from both. One was the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, and the other was World War II. The firebombings in 1945, with 75,000 to 200,000 killed and half of the destroyed, were almost as devastating as the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.[8] After the war, was completely rebuilt, and showcased to the world during the 1964 Summer Olympics. The 1970s brought new high-rise developments such as Sunshine 60, a new and controversial[9] airport at Narita in 1978 (some distance outside limits), and a population increase to about 11 million (in the metropolitan area).

’s subway and commuter rail network became one of the busiest in the world,[10] as more and more people moved to the area. In the 1980s, real estate prices skyrocketed during an economic bubble. The bubble burst in the early 1990s and many companies, banks, and individuals were caught with real estate shrinking in value. A major recession followed, making the 1990s Japan’s “lost decade”[11] from which it is slowly recovering. still sees new urban developments on large lots of less profitable land. Recent projects include Ebisu Garden Place, Tennozu Isle, Shiodome, Roppongi Hills, Shinagawa (now also a ), and the Marunouchi side of . Buildings of significance are demolished for more up-to-date shopping facilities such as Omotesando Hills. Land reclamation projects in have also been going on for centuries. The most prominent is the Odaiba area, now a major shopping and entertainment center. Various plans have been proposed[12] for transferring national government functions from to secondary capitals in other regions of Japan, in order to slow down rapid development in and revitalize economically lagging areas of the country. These plans have been controversial[13] within Japan and have yet to be realized.

[edit] Geography and administrative divisions

Main article: Politics of
Main article: List of mergers in

From top left: Shinjuku, the Tower, Rainbow Bridge, Shibuya, and National Diet Building
From top left: Shinjuku, the Tower, Rainbow Bridge, Shibuya, and National Diet Building

The mainland portion of lies northwest of Bay and measures about 90 km east to west and 25 km north to south. Chiba Prefecture borders it to the east, Yamanashi to the west, Kanagawa to the south, and Saitama to the north. Mainland is further subdivided into the special wards (occupying the eastern half) and the Tama area (多摩地域) stretching westwards.

Also within the administrative boundaries of Metropolis are two island chains in the Pacific Ocean directly south: the Izu Islands, and the Ogasawara Islands, which stretch more than 1,000 km away from mainland Japan. Because of these islands and mountainous regions to the west, ’s overall population density figures far underrepresent the real figures for urban and suburban regions of .

Under Japanese law, is designated as a to (都), translated as metropolis.[14] Its administrative structure is similar to that of Japan’s other prefectures. Within lie dozens of smaller entities, most of them conventionally[citation needed] referred to as cities. It includes twenty-three special wards (特別区 -ku) which until 1943 comprised the of but are now separate, self-governing municipalities, each with a mayor and a council, and having the status of a . In addition to these 23 municipalities, also encompasses 26 more cities (市 -shi), five towns (町 -chō or machi), and eight villages (村 -son or -mura), each of which has a local government. The Metropolitan Government is headed by a publicly elected governor and metropolitan assembly. Its headquarters are in the ward of Shinjuku. They govern all of , including lakes, rivers, dams, farms, remote islands, and national parks in addition to its famous neon jungle, skyscrapers and crowded subways.

[edit] The twenty-three special wards

The special wards (tokubetsu-ku) of comprise the area formerly incorporated as . On July 1, 1943, was merged with Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu) forming the current “metropolitan prefecture”. As a result of this merger, unlike other wards in Japan, these wards are not part of any larger incorporated . Each ward is a municipality with its own elected mayor and assembly like the other cities of Japan. The wards differ from other cities in having a unique administrative relationship with the prefectural government. Certain municipal functions, such as waterworks, sewerage, and fire-fighting, are handled by the Metropolitan Government. To pay for the added administrative costs, the prefecture collects municipal taxes, which would usually be levied by the .[15]
Northwest of Bay at night
Northwest of Bay at night

The special wards of are as follows:

* Adachi
* Arakawa
* Bunkyō
* Chiyoda
* Chūō
* Edogawa
* Itabashi
* Katsushika

* Kita
* Kōtō
* Meguro
* Minato
* Nakano
* Nerima
* Ōta
* Setagaya

* Shibuya
* Shinagawa
* Shinjuku
* Suginami
* Sumida
* Taitō
* Toshima

The term “central ” today may refer to all of the 23 special wards, to all but the outermost special wards, or only to the three centrally located wards of Chiyoda, Chūō and Minato.

[edit] Western
Satellite photo of taken by NASA’s Landsat 7
Satellite photo of taken by NASA’s Landsat 7
Mainland portion of
Mainland portion of

To the west of the special wards, Metropolis consists of cities, towns and villages that enjoy the same legal status as those elsewhere in Japan.

While serving a role as “bed towns” for those working in central , some of these also have a local commercial and industrial base. Collectively, these are often known as the Tama Area or Western .

[edit] Cities

Twenty-six cities lie within the western part of :

* Akiruno
* Akishima
* Chōfu
* Fuchū
* Fussa
* Hachiōji
* Hamura
* Higashikurume
* Higashimurayama

* Higashiyamato
* Hino
* Inagi
* Kiyose
* Kodaira
* Koganei
* Kokubunji
* Komae
* Kunitachi

* Machida
* Mitaka
* Musashimurayama
* Musashino
* Nishitōkyō
* Ōme
* Tachikawa
* Tama

The Metropolitan Government has designated Hachiōji, Tachikawa, Machida, Ōme and Tama New Town as regional centres of the Tama area,[16] as part of their plans to disperse urban functions away from central .

[edit] Districts, towns and villages

The far west is occupied by the district (gun) of Nishitama. Much of this area is mountainous and unsuitable for urbanization. The highest mountain in , Mount Kumotori, is 2,017 m high; other mountains in include Takasu (1737 m), Odake (1266 m), and Mitake (929 m). Lake Okutama, on the Tama River near Yamanashi Prefecture, is ’s largest lake.

* Hinode
* Mizuho
* Okutama
* Hinohara

[edit] Islands
Shikinejima
Shikinejima
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park
Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

has numerous outlying islands, which extend as far as 1850 km from central . Because of the islands’ distance from the administrative headquarters of the metropolitan government in Shinjuku, local offices administer them.

The Izu Islands are a group of volcanic islands and form part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The islands in order from closest to are Izu Ōshima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima, Kozushima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima, and Aogashima. Izu Ōshima and Hachijojima are towns. The remaining islands are six villages, with Niijima and Shikinejima forming one village.

The Ogasawara Islands include, from north to south, Chichi-jima, Nishinoshima, Haha-jima, Kita Iwo Jima, Iwo Jima, and Minami Iwo Jima. Ogasawara also administers two tiny outlying islands: Minami Torishima, the easternmost point in Japan and at 1,850 km the most distant island from central , and Okino Torishima, the southernmost point in Japan. The last island is contested by the People’s Republic of China as being only uninhabited rocks. The Iwo chain and the outlying islands have no permanent population, but host Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel. Local populations are only found on Chichi-jima and Haha-jima. The islands form the village of Ogasawara.

[edit] National parks

There are several national parks within , among them:

* Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park, around Mount Takao to the south of Hachiōji
* Ogasawara National Park. As of 2006, efforts were being made to make Ogasawara National Park a UNESCO natural World Heritage Site.

[edit] Demographics
Population of By area1


Special wards
Tama Area
Islands

12.6 million
8.64 million
4 million
27,000
By age²

Juveniles (age 0-14)
Working (age 15-64)
Retired (age 65+)

1.433 million (12%)
8.507 million (71.4%)
2.057 million (16.6%)
By hours³

Day
Night

14.667 million
12.017 million
By nationality

Foreign residents

353,8264

1 as of June 1, 2007.
² as of January 1, 2003.

³ as of 2000.
4 as of January 1, 2005.

Over eight million people live within ’s 23 wards. During the daytime, the population swells by over 2.5 million as workers and students commute from adjacent areas.[17] This effect is even more pronounced in the three central wards of Chiyoda, Chūō, and Minato, whose collective population is less than 300,000 at night, but over two million during the day. The entire prefecture has 12,790,000 residents in 2007 (8,657,000 in 23 wards), with an increase of over 3 million in the day. is at its highest population ever, while that of the 23 wards peak official count was 8,893,094 in the 1965 , with the count dipping below 8 million in the 1995 . People continue to move back into the core as land prices have fallen dramatically.

As of 2005, the five most common foreign nationalities found in are Chinese (123,661), South Korean (106,697), North Korean (62,000) Filipino (31,077), (18,848), British (7,696), Brazilian (5,300) & French (3,000).[18]

The 1889 [citation needed] recorded 1,389,600 people in , Japan’s largest at the .

[edit] and seismology
chart for
J F M A M J J A S O N D

45

10
1

60

10
2

100

13
4

125

18
10

138

23
15

185

25
19

126

29
22

148

31
24

180

26
20

164

21
14

89

17
9

46

12
4
temperatures in °C
totals in mm
: -Charts.com
Imperial conversion[show]

J F M A M J J A S O N D

1.8

50
34

2.4

50
36

3.9

55
39

4.9

64
50

5.4

73
59

7.3

77
66

5

84
72

5.8

88
75

7.1

79
68

6.5

70
57

3.5

63
48

1.8

54
39
temperatures in °F
totals in inches

lies in the humid subtropical zone (Koppen classification Cfa),[19] with hot humid summers and generally mild winters with cool spells. Annual rainfall averages 1,380 mm (55 inches), with a wetter summer and a drier winter. Snowfall is sporadic, but does occur almost annually.[20] is an example of an urban heat island; the ’s population is a significant contributor to its .[21][22] has been cited as a “convincing example of the relationship between urban and ”. also often sees typhoons each year, though few are strong. The last one to hit was Fitow in 2007.[21]

was hit by powerful earthquakes in 1703, 1782, 1812, 1855 and 1923.[23][24] The 1923 earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 8.3, killed 142,000 people.

[edit] Environment

[edit] Global warming

has enacted a measure to cut greenhouse gases. Governor Shintaro Ishihara created Japan’s first emissions cap system, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission by a total of 25 percent by 2020 from the 2000 level. [25]

[edit] Economy
of Japan
of Japan
Stock Exchange
Stock Exchange

is one of the three world finance “command centres”, along with New York and . has the largest metropolitan economy in the world. According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the urban area (35.2 million people) had a total of US$1,191 billion in 2005 (at purchasing power parity), ranking again as the largest urban agglomeration in the world.[26] 50 of the companies listed on the Global 500 are based in , almost twice that of the second-placed . See also List of cities by .

is a major international finance center,[27] houses the headquarters of several of the world’s largest investment banks and insurance companies, and serves as a hub for Japan’s , publishing, and broadcasting industries. During the centralized of Japan’s economy following World War II, many large firms moved their headquarters from cities such as (the historical commercial capital) to , in an attempt to take advantage of better access to the government. This trend has begun to slow due to ongoing population in and the high cost of living there.

was rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the most expensive (highest cost-of-living) in the world for 14 years in a row ending in 2006.[28] This analysis is for living a Western corporate executive lifestyle, with items like a detached house and several automobiles.

The Stock Exchange is Japan’s largest stock exchange, and second largest in the world by market capitalization and fourth largest by share turnover. In 1990 at the end of the Japanese asset price bubble, it accounted for more than 60% of the world stock market value.[29]

had 8,460 ha (20,900 acres) of agricultural land as of 2003,[30] according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, placing it last among the nation’s prefectures. The farmland is concentrated in Western . Perishables such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers can be conveniently shipped to the markets in the eastern part of the prefecture. Japanese leaf spinach and spinach are the most important vegetables; as of 2000, supplied 32.5% of the Japanese leaf spinach sold at its central produce market.

With 36% of its area covered by forest, has extensive growths of cryptomeria and Japanese cypress, especially in the mountainous western communities of Akiruno, Ōme, Okutama, Hachiōji, Hinode, and Hinohara. Decreases in the price of lumber, increases in the cost of production, and advancing old age among the forestry population have resulted in a decline in ’s output. In addition, pollen, especially from cryptomeria, is a major allergen for the nearby population centers.

Bay was once a major of . Presently, most of ’s production comes from the outer islands, such as Izu Ōshima and Hachijōjima. Skipjack tuna, nori, and aji are among the ocean products.

Tourism in is also a contributor to the economy.

[edit]

Main article: in Greater

at
at

, as the center of the Greater Area, is Japan’s largest domestic and international hub for rail, ground, and air . Public within is dominated by an extensive network of clean and efficient[31] trains and subways run by a variety of operators, with buses, monorails and trams playing a secondary feeder role.

Within Ōta, one of the 23 special wards, International Airport (”Haneda”) offers mainly domestic flights. Outside , Narita International Airport, in Chiba Prefecture, is the major gateway for international travelers.

Various islands governed by have their own airports. Hachijōjima (Hachijojima Airport), Miyakejima (Miyakejima Airport), and Izu Ōshima (Oshima Airport) have service to International and other airports.
Map of Subway system, with transfer stations labeled
Map of Subway system, with transfer stations labeled

Rail is the primary mode of in , which has the most extensive urban railway network in the world and an equally extensive network of surface lines. JR East operates ’s largest railway network, including the Yamanote Line loop that circles the center of downtown . Two organizations operate the subway network: the private Metro and the governmental Metropolitan Bureau of . The metropolitan government and private carriers operate bus routes. Local, regional, and national services are available, with major terminals at the giant railroad stations, including and Shinjuku.

Expressways link the capital to other points in the Greater area, the Kantō region, and the islands of Kyūshū and Shikoku.

Other includes taxis operating in the special wards and the cities and towns. Also long-distance ferries serve the islands of and carry passengers and cargo to domestic and foreign ports.

[edit] Education

Main article: Education in

University of , Yasuda Auditorium
University of , Yasuda Auditorium
Metropolitan University in Minami Osawa
Metropolitan University in Minami Osawa

has many universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools. Many of Japan’s most prestigious universities are in , including University of .[32] Some of the biggest national universities located in are:

* Hitotsubashi University
* Medical and Dental University
* University of Agriculture and Technology
* University of Electro-Communications
* Institute of Technology
* National University of Fine Arts and Music
* University of .

There is only one non-national public university: Metropolitan University.

Also located in are Keio University and Waseda University; the top private universities in Japan.[33] There are also a few universities well-known for classes conducted in English. They include:

* International Christian University
* Sophia University
* Waseda University
* Temple University Japan

For an extensive list, see List of universities in .

Publicly run kindergartens, elementary schools (years 1 through 6), and junior high schools (7 through 9) are operated by local wards or municipal offices. Public high schools in are run by the Metropolitan Government Board of Education and are called “Metropolitan High Schools”. Regardless, has many private schools from kindergarten through high school.[34]

[edit] Culture and sports
National Museum, Ueno
National Museum, Ueno
Dome, the home stadium for the Yomiuri Giants
Dome, the home stadium for the Yomiuri Giants

has many museums. In Ueno Park are four national museums: National Museum, the country’s largest museum and specializing in traditional Japanese art; the National Museum of Western Art; and the National Museum of Modern Art, with its collections of Japanese modern art as well as over 40,000 Japanese and foreign films.[35] Also in Ueno Park are the National Museum of Science and the public zoo. Other museums include the Nezu Art Museum in Aoyama; the Edo- Museum in Sumida across the Sumida River from the center of ; and the National Diet Library, National Archives, and the National Museum of Modern Art, which are located near the Imperial Palace.

has many theaters for the performing arts as well. These include national and private theaters for traditional forms of Japanese drama (like noh and kabuki) as well as modern dramas. Symphony orchestras and other musical organizations perform Western and traditional music. also hosts modern Japanese and Western pop and rock music at venues ranging in size from intimate clubs to internationally known arenas like the Nippon Budokan. Many different festivals occur throughout . Major events include the Sannō at Hie Shrine, the Sanja at Asakusa Shrine, and the biennial Kanda Festivals. The last features a parade with elaborately decorated floats and thousands of people. Annually on the last Saturday of July, an enormous fireworks display over the Sumida River attracts over a million viewers. Once cherry blossoms, or sakura, bloom in spring, many residents gather in Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, and the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for picnics under the blossoms.

Harajuku on the Yamanote Line in the Shibuya ward of is known internationally for its youth style and fashion.[36]

Cuisine in is internationally acclaimed. In November 2007, Michelin released their guide for fine dining in , garnering 191 stars in total, or about twice as many as its nearest competitor, Paris. Eight establishments were awarded the maximum of three stars (Paris has 10), 25 received two stars, and 117 earned one star. Of the eight top-rated restaurants, three offer traditional Japanese fine dining, two are sushi houses, three serve French cuisine. [2] Sports in are diverse. is home to two professional baseball clubs, the Yomiuri Giants ( Dome) and Yakult Swallows (Meiji-Jingu Stadium) . The Japan Sumo Association is also headquartered in at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo arena where three official sumo tournaments are held annually (in January, May, and September). Football (soccer) clubs in include F.C. and Verdy, both of which play at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chōfu. hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics. National Stadium, also known as Olympic Stadium, is host to a number of international sporting events. With a number of world-class sports venues, often hosts national and international sporting events such as tennis tournaments, swim meets, marathons, football exhibition games, judo, karate, etc. Metropolitan Gymnasium, in Sendagaya, Shibuya, is a large sports complex that includes swimming pools, training rooms, and a large indoor arena. is one of the cities bidding to host the 2016 Summer Olympics

is Japan’s capital and the country’s largest .

is also one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, but is called a metropolis (to) rather than a prefecture (ken). The metropolis of consists of 23 wards (ku), 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages, including the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, several small Pacific Islands in the south of Japan’s main island Honshu.

The 23 wards (ku) are the center of and make up about one third of the metropolis’ area, while housing roughly eight of ’s approximately twelve million residents.

Prior to 1868, was known as Edo. A small castle town in the 16th century, Edo became Japan’s political center in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu established his feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo had grown into one of the world’s most populous cities.

With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor and capital were moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed (”Eastern Capital”). Large parts of were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and in the air raids of 1945.

Attractions
Districts and Shopping Areas
Shibuya (2) Popular district among younger generations.
Shinjuku (1) District around Japan’s busiest .
Asakusa (6) District with an atmosphere of old .
Harajuku (5) Center of teenage fashion and cosplay culture.
Odaiba (13) Futuristic architecture on a man made island.
Akihabara (4) District for electronic and otaku goods.
Ginza (3) Japan’s premier shopping district.
Roppongi (9) Site of Midtown and Roppongi Hills.
Kappabashi Street (28) Shopping street for restaurant owners.
Ameyoko (22) Colorful market street in Ueno.
Ikebukuro (10) Commercial district around busy train .
Yebisu Garden Place (23) Commercial complex with beer museum.
Shiodome (24) Recently redeveloped commercial district.
Akasaka Sacas (32) within the around TBS headquarter.
Nihonbashi (18) Commercial district in central .
Marunouchi (21) Business district in front of .
Temples and Shrines
Sensoji Temple (16) Large temple in the Asakusa district.
Meiji Shrine (11) Dedicated to the deity of .
Sengakuji Temple (26) Site of the 47 ronin’s graveyard.
Zojoji Temple (26) Buddhist temple at the base of Tower.
Yasukuni Shrine (24) Dedicated to the deities of Japan’s war dead.
Gardens, Parks and Nature
Mount Mitake (41) Wooded mountain with shrine.
Rikugien (39) Beautiful Japanese style landscape garden.
Takaosan (35) Temple mountain near central .
Koishikawa Korakuen (34) Landscape garden next to Dome.
Imperial East Gardens (15) Park on the former grounds of Edo Castle.
Ueno Park (8) park with multiple museums and a zoo.
Hama Rikyu (33) Landscape garden next to Shiodome.
Institute for Nature Study (45) Quiet nature reserve in the middle of .
Kyu Shiba Rikyu (40) Japanese landscape garden.
Todoroki Valley (43) Short wooded valley with temple.
Shinjuku Gyoen (17) Spacious park in Shinjuku.
Yoyogi Park (14) Spacious park in Shibuya.
Kiyosumi Garden (38) Japanese landscape garden.
Kasai Rinkai Koen (37) Large park at the shores of Bay.
Other Attractions
Tsukiji Market (19) Japan’s largest and busiest market.
Imperial Palace (12) Main residence of the Imperial Family.
Ghibli Museum (29) Museum of the Ghibli animation film studio.
Tsukishima (35) Man made island known for monjayaki.
Tower (7) 333 meter tall symbol of .
Ryogoku (30) Center of the sumo wrestling world.
Dome (20) Entertainment district around Dome.
NHK Studiopark (31) Visit Japan’s public television network.
Events
Motor Show (42) Large biennial auto show.
Game Show (43) Trade show of the computer gaming industry.
Marathon (46) Annual large scale marathon.
Side Trips from
Nikko Site of Nikko Toshogu, Ieyasu’s mausoleum.
Kamakura Small full of historic treasures.
Kusatsu Onsen One of Japan’s best hot spring resorts.
Hakone National park with views of Mount Fuji.
Izu Peninsula Hot springs and natural scenery.
Fuji Five Lakes Resort at the foot of Mount Fuji.
Yokohama Japan’s second largest .
Naritasan Temple Popular temple, not far from Narita Airport.
Kawagoe Former castle town known as the Little Edo.
Ikaho Onsen Hot spring resort famous for its stone stairs.

nless you’re based in a five-star hotel with its own facilities, most short-term visitors will probably have to make do without their favourite sporting activities. A lot of people and not much land means a high demand for recreational space - and high prices and long waiting lists.
martial arts, swimming, relaxation

*
martial arts

You can stay with the more familiar forms of martial arts - karate, kendō , jūdō , aikidō - or try something a little more exotic, such as kyūdō (Japanese archery).
*
swimming

Taking a swim in can be costly and bound by unexpected rules. In the summer months, it’s probably easier to head to the beaches of Miura-hantō and around Kamakura.
*
relaxation

There’s a very beautiful Japanese tradition of soaking your cares away: try a sento (public bath) or onsen (hot spring).

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