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TokyoTokyo (東京; Tōkyō , lit. eastern capital) is the capital of Japan as well as the most populous conurbation in Japan, and the world's largest metropolitan area by population with 33,750,000 people living within its urban influence. A little more than 12 million people live in Tokyo while millions of others commute everyday from surrounding areas to work and do business in Tokyo. Tokyo is the central place of politics, economy, culture and academics in Japan as well as the home of the Japanese emperor and the seat of the national government, as well as a major business and financial centre for all of East Asia. Tokyo is generally pronounced in English as three syllables (ie like the words toe-key-oh). The Japanese pronounciation is two syllables, four morae: tō-kyō. Administration Tokyo has an administrative structure unique among the prefectures of Japan. It is officially designated as a "metropolis" (都 to). Although it generally resembles a prefecture, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government also offers partial city government functions to the 23 special wards included in the heart of Tokyo, with a combined population of 8,134,688 and an area of 621.3 km². In addition to the special wards, Tokyo administers twenty-six suburban cities to the west, and a number of small islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Metropolitan Government's main offices (tochō) are located in the ward of Shinjuku. According to the Population Census in 2000, Tokyo has a population of 12,064,101 and area of 2186.9 km². Tokyo is also part of the Greater Tokyo Area, which consists of Tokyo itself and the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba. History Establishment Tokyo was initially constructed in 1457; the city was known as Edo (江戸, sometimes spelled in European languages as "Yedo"). The Tokugawa shogunate was established in 1603 with Edo as its seat of government (de facto capital). (The emperor's residence, and formal capital, remained in Kyoto — that city had been the actual capital of Japan until that time.) In September of 1868, when the shogunate came to an end, Emperor Meiji ordered Edo to be renamed "Tokyo," meaning "Eastern Capital." (The name was spelled Tokio in English until the latter half of the 20th century; while now thoroughly obsolete, this usage persists in a few rare cases like the Tokio Marine & Fire Insurance company.) The new name was meant to emphasize Tokyo's status as the new capital of Japan, both temporally and spiritually. Kyoto was renamed "Saikyo" (西京 Saikyō), meaning "western capital", for a brief period of time afterwards. Tokyo has been generally accepted as the sole capital of Japan since 1869, when the Emperor took up permanent residence there. However, the capital was never legally "transferred" to Tokyo, leading some to question whether Kyoto may still be the capital, or a co-capital. See: Capital of Japan debate Prewar history The Great Kanto earthquake struck Tokyo in 1923, killing approximately 70,000 people; a massive reconstruction plan was drawn up, but was too expensive to carry out except in part. Despite this, the city grew until the beginning of World War II. Also, in 1943, Tokyo City merged with the larger Tokyo Prefecture, and since that time, no city in Japan has had the name "Tokyo." In 1936, in an attempted coup (the February 26 Incident), nearly 1500 junior officers of Japan's army occupied the National Diet Building, the Kantei (Prime Minister's Residence) and other key locations in Tokyo. The coup was suppressed by the Army and Navy within three days. During the war, Tokyo was heavily bombed, and much of the city was burned to the ground. The Doolittle Raid, an early mission, was followed in subsequent years by heavy bombardment by B-29 and other aircraft. Extensive tracts of land were leveled both by the explosions and by the subsequent fires. The damage was not limited to the former Tokyo City, but extended to Hachioji and other cities in western Tokyo, as the bombers targeted air bases, transportation facilities, and strategically important manufacturing plants. Due to the heavy death toll and populace fleeing to the countryside, the population in 1945 was only half that of 1940. Postwar history Following the war, Tokyo was under military occupation and governed by the allied forces. General Douglas MacArthur established the occupation headquarters in what is now the DN Tower 21 (formerly the Dai-Ichi Seimei building) overlooking the Imperial Palace. The American presence in Tokyo made it an important command and logistics center during the Korean War. Tokyo still hosts a number of U.S. military bases, including Yokota Air Base. During the 1950s and mid-1960s, Japan experienced what is widely described as the "economic miracle", which transformed the nation from wartime devastation to the world's second-largest economy by 1966. During this period, Japanese government policy placed priority on the development of infrastructure and manufacturing industries over social welfare. As a result, Japan came to dominate a range of industries including steel, ship-building, automobiles, semiconductors, and consumer electronics. Tokyo's re-emergence from wartime trauma was complete at the 1964 Summer Olympics, which publicized the city on an international stage and brought global attention to the "economic miracle". Beginning in the 1970s, Japanese cities experienced a massive wave of expansion as laborers began migrating from rural areas, and Tokyo was one of the most dramatic examples. As it grew steadily into the economic bubble of the late 1980s, Tokyo became one of the most dynamic cities on Earth, with a tremendous range of social and economic activities, myriad restaurants and clubs, a major financial district, tremendous industrial strength, a wealth of shops, and world-class entertainment opportunities. The construction boom of the bubble years was one of the greatest in world history (as judged by the level of building expenditures in relation to the size of the economy), leading Tokyo to have an enormously more modern capital stock of buildings than similar metropolises such as London and New York City. Although the recession following the bursting of the "bubble economy" in the early 1990s hurt the city, Tokyo remains the predominant economic center of East Asia, rivaled only by Hong Kong and Singapore. On March 20, 1995, Tokyo became the focus of international media attention in the wake of the Aum Shinrikyo cult terrorist organisation attack with Sarin nerve gas on the Tokyo subway system (in the tunnels beneath the political district of central Tokyo) in which 12 people were killed and thousands affected (see Sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway). Geography Tokyo is divided into mainland and island areas. The mainland is located to the northwest of Tokyo Bay, about 90 km east to west and 25 km north to south. It borders Chiba Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the west, Kanagawa Prefecture to the south, and Saitama Prefecture to the north. The islands are made up of Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands, stretching 1,000 km into the Pacific Ocean. The urban core of Tokyo is unusual in that it has far fewer skyscrapers than other cities of its size, mostly due to earthquake construction codes; rather, it mostly consists of low-rise apartments of six to ten floors and densely-packed family homes. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building is the tallest building in Tokyo proper. Tokyo has also developed the world's most complex mass transit system, famous for its crowded rush hours. Central Tokyo Tokyo has 23 special wards (ku) in an area of about 621 square kilometers, which form the densely-populated center of Tokyo. Each ward is a local municipality with its own elected mayors and assemblies but differs from ordinary cities in that certain governmental functions are handled by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. As of September 1, 2002 the total population of the 23 wards was about 8.28 million, with a population density of 13,333 persons per square kilometer. The present-day wards were created during the post-WWII administrative reforms, by combining 35 wards that had existed prior to the war (15 of them dating to the establishment of the modern municipal administration in the 1880s, and an additional 20 wards created during the expansion of the city after the 1923 earthquake). | align="top"| | valign="top"| | valign="top"| | Tokyo's business districts are concentrated around Tokyo Station, to the east of the Imperial Palace. Marunouchi, Nihombashi, and Otemachi house the city's banks and law firms. Ginza, just to the south, is Tokyo's most famous shopping district; the nearby Tsukiji district is famous for its large fish market. Akihabara, to the north of the finance area, is the city's premier electronics district. Farther north, Ueno houses the city's best-known park, as well as its zoo. Nagatacho and Kasumigaseki, to the southwest of the Imperial Palace, house national government offices. Nearby Roppongi is a popular entertainment district, especially among Tokyo's expatriate population. The surrounding districts of Aoyama, Azabu, and Akasaka are upscale residential neighborhoods. Shinjuku, on the west side of the center city, houses the government of Tokyo as well as many corporate offices. The neighboring Kabuki-cho houses many bars and nightclubs, and is also Tokyo's best-known red-light district. Takadanobaba and Yoyogi are residential neighborhoods; Harajuku and Shibuya to the south are known as the city's centers of youth culture. Land reclamation in Tokyo Bay has led to the development of Odaiba, a large waterfront area that has become one of Tokyo's most popular entertainment districts. Other well-known districts of central Tokyo include Asakusa, Ebisu, Hibiya, Ikebukuro, Kanda, and Shinagawa. West Tokyo West of the 23 wards, Tokyo consists of cities (shi), which enjoy a similar legal status to cities elsewhere in Japan. While serving a role as "sleeper towns" for those working in central Tokyo, some of these cities also have a local commercial and industrial base. Collectively, these cities are often known as "West Tokyo." The far west is occupied by the district (gun) of Nishitama, which contains the towns of Hinohara, Hinode, Mizuho, and Okutama. Much of this area is mountainous and unsuitable for urbanization. The highest mountain in Tokyo, Mount Kumotori, is 2,017 m high; other mountains in Tokyo include Mount Takasu (1737 m), Mount Odake (1266 m), and Mount Mitake (929 m). Lake Okutama, on the Tama River near Yamanashi Prefecture, is Tokyo's largest lake. There are two national parks in West Tokyo: Chichibu-Tama National Park, located in Nishitama and spilling over into Yamanashi and Saitama Prefectures, and Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park, located around Mount Takao to the south of Hachioji. Islands Some of Tokyo's outlying islands are over 1,000 km from central Tokyo. Because of the islands' distance from the city, they are locally run by branches of the metropolitan government, and often referred to as "subprefectures." Three of the four subprefectures are located in the Izu Islands adjacent to Shizuoka Prefecture. The closest to Honshu, Oshima Subprefecture, consists of the islands of Kozushima, Niijima, Oshima, and Toshima. Oshima is particularly famous for its active volcano, Mount Mihara. Miyake Subprefecture consists of the islands of Mikurajima and Miyakejima (main town: Miyake). Hachijo Subprefecture consists of the islands of Aogashima and Hachijojima (main town: Hachijo). These islands are part of the larger Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The Ogasawara Islands, farther south in the Pacific Ocean, are incorporated as Ogasawara Subprefecture and the town of Ogasawara. These islands include, from north to south, Chichjima, Nishinoshima, Hahajima, Kita Iwo Jima, Iwo Jima, and Minami Iwo Jima. Ogasawara Subprefecture also includes two tiny outlying islands: Minami Torishima, the easternmost point in Japan, and Oki no Torishima, the southernmost point in Japan. The Iwo chain and the outlying islands are mostly uninhabited, but there are small local populations on the three islands closer to Honshu. Economy Tokyo is home to an enormous number of companies in many sectors of the national and world economy. Internationally, Tokyo is an important center for banking, finance, and insurance. Tokyo is also the hub of Japan's publishing, machine manufacturing, and IT industries. During the 1980s, Tokyo was one of the fastest-growing real estate markets in the world: real estate and construction remain major industries in the city. Historically, Tokyo did not become a major commercial center until the 1800s, and did not achieve primacy in the Japanese economy until the mid-20th century. Since World War II, most of the largest Japanese corporations (and almost all multinationals) have been headquartered in Tokyo to benefit from proximity to government regulators, even if their operations are located elsewhere. For a partial list, see: List of companies headquartered in Tokyo. Demographics By age (2002): - Juveniles (0-14): 1.43 million (12%)
- Working population (15-64): 8.5 million (71.4%)
- Aged population (65+): 1.98 million (16.6%)
Foreign resident population: 327,000 (2001) Net population growth: +68,000 (2000 to 2001) Culture Religion Tokyo is known for its Japanese religous sites: Shinto shrines (Kanda Myojin, Meiji Shrine, Yasukuni Shrine) and Buddhist temples (Sensoji). The city also has a noticable international religious influence, ranging from Eastern Orthodoxy (St. Nikolai Cathedral) to the Roman Catholic Church (St. Mary's Cathedral) to Islam (Tokyo Mosque). Educational institutions Tokyo's "Big Six" (rokudai) universities are among the most widely-respected in Japan: the University of Tokyo, Keio University, Meiji University, Rikkyo University (St.Paul's University), and Waseda University. Other universities in Tokyo include: Sports Tokyo is home to two professional baseball clubs, the Yakult Swallows (Meiji Jingu Stadium) and Yomiuri Giants (Tokyo Dome). Other teams in the metropolitan area include the Seibu Lions in Saitama, the Yokohama BayStars in Yokohama, and the Chiba Lotte Marines in Chiba. Football clubs in Tokyo include FC Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy 1969, both of which play at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu. Sights Some famous places for sight-seeing include: - See also: Tourism in Japan
Prefectural symbols Coat of arms: A sun, sending forth its radiance in six directions. Miscellaneous topics Transportation Airports Tokyo's international airport is Narita International Airport (formerly New Tokyo International Airport) in Narita, Chiba Prefecture. Although Narita handles almost all international flights to and from Tokyo, its distance from central Tokyo (an hour by the fastest express train) makes it unpopular for domestic travel. Most domestic flights, and a small number of flights to Seoul, use the older and more conveniently-located Tokyo International Airport (Haneda Airport) in Ota Ward. Haneda is the busiest airport in Asia by passenger throughput: the Haneda-Sapporo route is the busiest air route in the world. Smaller airfields in Tokyo include Chofu Airport in Chofu City, which handles some flights to the islands of Tokyo. These islands also have airfields: Oshima Airport, Hachijojima Airport, and Miyakejima Airport. Yokota Air Base, straddling several cities in western Tokyo, is a major base for the United States Air Force. The USAF also occupied nearby Tachikawa Air Base until its closure in 1977. The United States Navy maintains an airbase at NAF Atsugi in nearby Kanagawa Prefecture. Rail and metro Tokyo is heavily reliant on rail transportation for both intercity and local travel. Several independent railway companies offer frequent train service from early morning to midnight on a network covering most of the Greater Tokyo Area. While punctual, Tokyo's trains are also infamously overcrowded during peak hours: in some parts of the city, passengers can expect to be pushed into train cars by white-gloved employees during their commute to work. The severe overcrowding has led to a widespread problem of chikan or molesters, causing some lines to introduce special "ladies only" cars during peak hours and late at night. JR East, the world's largest private railway company, operates the largest single network of rail lines in and around Tokyo, including the Yamanote Line loop connecting the city's major terminals, the Keihin-Tohoku Line to Saitama and Yokohama, the Chuo Line to West Tokyo, and the Sobu Line to Chiba. JR also operates the Shinkansen network, which offers high-speed rail service to major cities across Japan, and the Tokyo Monorail, one of the world's most commercially successful monorail lines. The Tokyo Subway, consisting of the private Tokyo Metro and the parastatal Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei), is one of the world's largest metro systems. Several private commuter rail lines, such as the Keikyu, Keisei, Keio, Odakyu, Seibu, Tobu, and Tokyu lines, connect the outskirts of Tokyo to the subway network. There are also several light rail lines around Tokyo, such as the Arakawa streetcar line, and some more novel systems such as the automated Yurikamome line. Tokyo is home to the world's two busiest railway stations, Shinjuku Station and Ikebukuro Station. Other major stations include Akihabara Station, Shibuya Station, Shinagawa Station, Tokyo Station, and Ueno Station. Tokyo in popular media As the largest city in Japan and the location of the country's largest broadcasters and studios, Tokyo is frequently the setting for Japanese movies, television shows, animated series (anime), and comic books (manga). The most well-known outside Japan may be the kaiju (monster movie) genre, in which landmarks of Tokyo are routinely destroyed. Many comic books and animated series set in Tokyo, such as Sailor Moon, Ranma 1/2, and Yu-Gi-Oh!, have become popular across the world as well. Some Hollywood directors have turned to Tokyo as a filming location. Well-known examples from the postwar era include Tokyo Joe, My Geisha, and the James Bond film You Only Live Twice; well-known contemporary examples include Kill Bill and Lost in Translation. For a more complete list, see: List of movies, manga, anime, and television shows that take place in Tokyo Sister cities - Beijing, People's Republic of China
- Berlin, Germany
- Cairo, Egypt
- Jakarta, Indonesia
- Moscow, Russia
- New South Wales, Australia
- New York City, New York, United States
- Paris, France
- Rome, Italy
- So Paulo, Brazil
- Seoul, South Korea
In addition, many of the wards and cities within Tokyo maintain sister-city relationships with other foreign cities External links References
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