Tokyo

Tokyo 東京
—  Metropolis  —
東京都 · Tokyo Metropolis
From top left: Nishi Shinjuku, Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, Shibuya, National Diet Building
Seal Seal
Location of Tokyo within Japan
Satellite photo of Tokyo's 23 Special wards taken by NASA's Landsat 7
Tokyo Location of Tokyo within Japan
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Island	Honshū
Divisions	23 special wards, 26 cities, 1 district, & 4 subprefectures
Government
- Type	Metropolis
- Governor	Shintarō Ishihara
- Capital	Shinjuku
Area(ranked 45th)
- Total	2,187.08 km2 (844.4 sq mi)
Population (1st)[1]
- Total	13,010,279 (April 1st, 2,010)
- Density	5,847/km2 (15,143.7/sq mi)
- 23 Wards	8,653,000
	(April 1, 2010)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
ISO 3166-2	JP-13
Flower	Somei-Yoshino cherry blossom
Tree	Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba)
Bird	Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
Website	metro.tokyo.jp(English)

Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō; "Eastern Capital"^?), officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to^?),^[2] is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. It is located on the eastern side of the main island Honshū and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (Tokyo-fu) and the city of Tokyo. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family.

The Tokyo Metropolitan government administers the twenty-three special wards of Tokyo, each governed as a city, that cover the area that was the city of Tokyo as well as 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains. The population of the special wards is over 8 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area with 35 to 39 million people (depending on definition) and the world's largest metropolitan economy with a GDP of US$1.479 trillion at purchasing power parity in 2008.^[3]

Tokyo was described by Saskia Sassen as one of the three "command centers" for the world economy, along with New York City and London.^[4] This city is considered an alpha+ world city, listed by the GaWC's 2008 inventory^[5] and ranked third among global cities by Foreign Policy's 2010 Global Cities Index.^[6] In 2009 Tokyo was named the world's most expensive city for expatriate employees, according to the Mercer and Economist Intelligence Unit cost-of-living surveys ^[7] and named the third Most Liveable City and the World’s Most Livable Megalopolis by the magazine Monocle.^[8]

Etymology

Tokyo was originally known as Edo, meaning "estuary".^[9] Its name was changed to Tokyo (Tōkyō: tō (east) + kyō (capital)) when it became the imperial capital in 1868, in line with the East Asian tradition of including the word capital ('京') in the name of the capital city.^[9] During the early Meiji period, the city was also called "Tōkei", an alternative pronunciation for the same Chinese characters representing "Tokyo". Some surviving official English documents use the spelling "Tokei".^[10] However, this pronunciation is now obsolete.^[11]

History

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokyo was originally a small fishing village named Edo.

It was first fortified by the Edo clan, in the late 12th century.

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 military government. During the subsequent Edo period, Edo grew into one of the largest cities in the world with a population topping one million by the 18th century.^[12]

It became the de facto capital of Japan^[13] 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 Emperor Meiji moved to Edo. Tokyo was already the nation's political and cultural center,^[14] and the emperor's residence made it a de facto imperial capital as well with the former Edo Castle becoming the Imperial Palace. The city of Tokyo was established, and continued to be the capital until it was abolished as a municipality in 1943 and merged with the "Metropolitan Prefecture" of Tokyo.

Central Tokyo, like Osaka, has been designed since about 1900 to be centered around major train stations in a high-density fashion, so suburban railways were built relatively cheaply at street level and with their own right-of-way. This differs from many cities in the United States that are low-density and automobile-centric. Though expressways have been built in Tokyo, the basic design has not changed.

Tokyo went on to suffer two major catastrophes in the 20th century, but it recovered from both. One was the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, which left 140,000 dead or missing,^[15] and the other was World War II. The bombing of Tokyo in 1944 and 1945, with 75,000 to 200,000 killed and half of the city destroyed, was almost as devastating as the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.^[16]

After the war, Tokyo was completely rebuilt, and was showcased to the world during the 1964 Summer Olympics. The 1970s brought new high-rise developments such as Sunshine 60, a new and controversial^[17] airport at Narita in 1978 (some distance outside city limits), and a population increase to about 11 million (in the metropolitan area).

Tokyo's subway and commuter rail network became one of the busiest in the world^[18] as more and more people moved to the area. In the 1980s, real estate prices skyrocketed during a real estate and debt bubble. The bubble burst in the early 1990s, and many companies, banks, and individuals were caught with mortgage backed debts while real estate was shrinking in value. A major recession followed, making the 1990s Japan's "lost decade"^[19] from which it is now slowly recovering.

Tokyo 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 Shinkansen station), and the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station. Buildings of significance are demolished for more up-to-date shopping facilities such as Omotesando Hills.

Land reclamation projects in Tokyo 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^[20] for transferring national government functions from Tokyo to secondary capitals in other regions of Japan, in order to slow down rapid development in Tokyo and revitalize economically lagging areas of the country. These plans have been controversial^[21] within Japan and have yet to be realized.

Geography and administrative divisions

The mainland portion of Tokyo lies northwest of Tokyo 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 Tokyo is further subdivided into the special wards (occupying the eastern half) and the Tama area (多摩地域) stretching westwards.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Also within the administrative boundaries of Tokyo 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 the mainland. Because of these islands and mountainous regions to the west, Tokyo's overall population density figures far underrepresent the real figures for urban and suburban regions of Tokyo.

Under Japanese law, Tokyo is designated as a to (都), translated as metropolis.^[22] Its administrative structure is similar to that of Japan's other prefectures. Within Tokyo lie dozens of smaller entities, including many cities, the twenty-three special wards, districts, towns, villages, a quasi-national park, and a national park. The twenty-three special wards (特別区 -ku), which until 1943 constituted the city of Tokyo, are now separate, self-governing municipalities, each having a mayor, a council, and the status of a city.

In addition to these 23 special wards, Tokyo also includes 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 Tokyo Metropolitan Government is headed by a publicly elected governor and metropolitan assembly. Its headquarters are in the ward of Shinjuku. They govern all of Tokyo, including lakes, rivers, dams, farms, remote islands, and national parks in addition to its neon jungles, skyscrapers and crowded subways.

Special wards

A map of Tokyo's 23 Special wards

The special wards (tokubetsu-ku) of Tokyo comprise the area formerly incorporated as Tokyo City. On July 1, 1943, Tokyo City was merged with Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu^?) forming the current "metropolitan prefecture". As a result, unlike other city wards in Japan, these wards are not part of any larger incorporated city. 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 Tokyo Metropolitan Government. To pay for the added administrative costs, the prefecture collects municipal taxes, which would usually be levied by the city.^[23]

The special wards of Tokyo are:

The "three core wards" of Tokyo are Chiyoda, Chūō and Minato.^[24]

Western Tokyo

A map of cities in western part of Tokyo

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

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

Cities

Twenty-six cities lie within the western part of Tokyo:

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has designated Hachiōji, Tachikawa, Machida, Ōme and Tama New Town as regional centers of the Tama area,^[25] as part of their plans to disperse urban functions away from central Tokyo.

Nishitama District

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 Tokyo, Mount Kumotori, is 2,017 m high; other mountains in Tokyo include Takasu (1737 m), Odake (1266 m), and Mitake (929 m). Lake Okutama, on the Tama River near Yamanashi Prefecture, is Tokyo's largest lake. The district is composed of three towns and one village.

Towns

• Hinode
• Mizuho
• Okutama

Village

• Hinohara

Islands

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

Tokyo has numerous outlying islands, which extend as far as 1850 km from central Tokyo. 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 Tokyo are Izu Ōshima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima, Kozushima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima, and Aogashima. The Izu Islands are grouped into three subprefectures. 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 Tokyo, 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 both the subprefecture of Ogasawara and the village of Ogasawara.

National parks

There are several national parks within Tokyo, 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.
• Ueno Park, well known for its museums: Tokyo National Museum, National Science Museum, Shitamachi Museum and National Museum for Western Art, among others. There are also art works and statues at several places in the park.

Seismology

Tokyo was hit by powerful earthquakes in 1703, 1782, 1812, 1855 and 1923.^[26][27] The 1923 earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 8.3, killed 142,000 people. Tokyo is located near the boundary of three plates that have been relatively quiet since 1923, it is thought that this shows that the seismic activity is building up and will surely release in a devastating earthquake some time in the future. Even if this was not as powerful as the 1923 earthquake, it's damage would be far greater because of the massive expansion after World War II.

Climate

Tokyo lies in the humid subtropical climate zone (Koppen climate classification Cfa),^[28] with hot humid summers and generally mild winters with cool spells. The region, like much of Japan, experiences a one-month seasonal lag, with the warmest month being August, which averages 27.5 °C (81.5 °F), and the coolest month being January, averaging 6.0 °C (42.8 °F). Annual rainfall averages nearly 1,470 millimetres (57.9 in), with a wetter summer and a drier winter. Snowfall is sporadic, but does occur almost annually.^[29] Tokyo also often sees typhoons each year, though few are strong. The last one to hit was Fitow in 2007.^[30]

Environment

Tokyo 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% by 2020 from the 2000 level.^[32]

Tokyo is an example of an urban heat island, and the phenomenon is especially serious in its special wards.^[30][33] According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government,^[34] the annual mean temperature has increased by about 3°C over the past 100 years. Tokyo has been cited as a "convincing example of the relationship between urban growth and climate."^[35]

Demographics

As of October 2007, the official intercensal estimate showed 12.79 million people in Tokyo with 8.653 million living within Tokyo's 23 wards.^[1] During the daytime, the population swells by over 2.5 million as workers and students commute from adjacent areas. This effect is even more pronounced in the three central wards of Chiyoda, Chūō, and Minato, whose collective population as of the 2005 National Census was 326,000 at night, but 2.4 million during the day.^[1]

The entire prefecture had 12,790,000 residents in October 2007 (8,653,000 in 23 wards), with an increase of over 3 million in the day. Tokyo is at its highest population ever, while that of the 23 wards peak official count was 8,893,094 in the 1965 Census, with the count dipping below 8 million in the 1995 Census. People continue to move back into the core city as land prices have fallen dramatically.

As of 2005, the most common foreign nationalities found in Tokyo are Chinese (123,661), Korean (106,697), Filipino (31,077), American (18,848), British (7,696), Brazilian (5,300) and French (3,000).^[36]

The 1889 Census recorded 1,389,600 people in Tokyo City, Japan's largest city at the time.

Economy

Tokyo Stock Exchange, the second largest in the world by market capitalization

Bank of Japan

Shiodome City Center in Minato, headquarters of All Nippon Airways and Fujitsu

Japan Airlines headquarters in Shinagawa

Tokyo is one of the three world finance "command centers", along with New York City and London. Tokyo has the largest metropolitan economy in the world. According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Tokyo urban area (35.2 million people) had a total GDP of US$1.479 trillion in 2008 (at purchasing power parity), which topped the list.^[3] As of 2009, 51 of the companies listed on the Global 500 are based in Tokyo, almost twice that of the second-placed city (Paris).^[37]

Tokyo is a major international finance center,^[38] houses the headquarters of several of the world's largest investment banks and insurance companies, and serves as a hub for Japan's transportation, publishing, and broadcasting industries. During the centralized growth of Japan's economy following World War II, many large firms moved their headquarters from cities such as Osaka (the historical commercial capital) to Tokyo, in an attempt to take advantage of better access to the government. This trend has begun to slow due to ongoing population growth in Tokyo and the high cost of living there.

Tokyo was rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the most expensive (highest cost-of-living) city in the world for 14 years in a row ending in 2006.^[39] This analysis is for living a corporate executive lifestyle, with items like a detached house and several automobiles.

The Tokyo 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.^[40] Tokyo had 8,460 ha (20,900 acres) of agricultural land as of 2003,^[41] according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, placing it last among the nation's prefectures. The farmland is concentrated in Western Tokyo. 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, Tokyo supplied 32.5% of the Japanese leaf spinach sold at its central produce market.

With 36% of its area covered by forest, Tokyo 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 Tokyo's output. In addition, pollen, especially from cryptomeria, is a major allergen for the nearby population centers.

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

Tourism in Tokyo is also a contributor to the economy.

Transportation

Map of Tokyo Subway system

Tokyo, as the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, is Japan's largest domestic and international hub for rail, ground, and air transportation. Public transportation within Tokyo is dominated by an extensive network of clean and efficient^[42] 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, Tokyo International Airport ("Haneda") offers mainly domestic flights. Outside Tokyo, Narita International Airport, in Chiba Prefecture, is the major gateway for international travelers to Japan and Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Air Japan and Delta Air Lines all have a hub at this airport.

Various islands governed by Tokyo have their own airports. Hachijōjima (Hachijojima Airport), Miyakejima (Miyakejima Airport), and Izu Ōshima (Oshima Airport) have service to Tokyo International and other airports.

Rail is the primary mode of transportation in Tokyo, which has the most extensive urban railway network in the world and an equally extensive network of surface lines. JR East operates Tokyo's largest railway network, including the Yamanote Line loop that circles the center of downtown Tokyo. Two organizations operate the subway network: the private Tokyo Metro and the governmental Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. 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 Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Shinjuku.

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

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

Education

University of Tokyo, Yasuda Auditorium

Waseda University

Keio University

Tokyo has many universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools. Many of Japan's most prestigious universities are in Tokyo, including University of Tokyo, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Waseda University, and Keio University.^[43] Some of the biggest national universities located in Tokyo are:

• Ochanomizu University
• University of Electro-Communications
• National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
• University of Tokyo
• Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Tokyo Gakugei University
• Tokyo University of the Arts
• Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Hitotsubashi University.

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

There are also a few universities well-known for classes conducted in English and for the teaching of the Japanese language. They include:

• International Christian University
• Sophia University
• Waseda University
• Temple University Japan

For an extensive list, see List of universities in Tokyo.

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 Tokyo are run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education and are called "Metropolitan High Schools". Regardless, Tokyo has many private schools from kindergarten through high school.^[44]

Culture

Tokyo National Museum, Ueno

Tokyo has many museums. In Ueno Park, there are four national museums: Tokyo National Museum, the country's largest museum and specializing in traditional Japanese art; the National Museum of Western Art; and the Tokyo National Museum of Modern Art, with its collections of Japanese modern art as well as over 40,000 Japanese and foreign films.^[45] 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-Tokyo Museum in Sumida across the Sumida River from the center of Tokyo; and the National Diet Library, National Archives, and the National Museum of Modern Art, which are located near the Imperial Palace.

Tokyo 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 modern and traditional music. Tokyo also hosts modern Japanese and international 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 Tokyo. 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, a neighborhood in Shibuya, is known internationally for its youth style and fashion.^[46]

Cuisine in Tokyo is internationally acclaimed. In November 2007, Michelin released their guide for fine dining in Tokyo, 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 and three serve French cuisine.^[47]

Sports

Tokyo Dome, the home stadium for the Yomiuri Giants

Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo wrestling arena

Tokyo, with a diverse array of sports, is home to two professional baseball clubs, the Yomiuri Giants who play at the Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Meiji-Jingu Stadium. The Japan Sumo Association is also headquartered in Tokyo at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo arena where three official sumo tournaments are held annually (in January, May, and September). Football (soccer) clubs in Tokyo include F.C. Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy 1969, both of which play at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chōfu.

Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics. National Stadium, also known as Olympic Stadium, Tokyo is host to a number of international sporting events. With a number of world-class sports venues, Tokyo often hosts national and international sporting events such as tennis tournaments, swim meets, marathons, American football exhibition games, judo, karate, etc. Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, in Sendagaya, Shibuya, is a large sports complex that includes swimming pools, training rooms, and a large indoor arena.

In popular culture

Fuji TV headquarters

As the largest population center in Japan and the location of the country's largest broadcasters and studios, Tokyo is frequently the setting for many Japanese movies, television shows, animated series (anime), web comics, and comic books (manga). In the kaiju (monster movie) genre, landmarks of Tokyo are routinely destroyed by giant monsters such as Godzilla.

Some Hollywood directors have turned to Tokyo as a filming location for movies set in Tokyo. 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, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift and Lost in Translation.

Cityscape

Architecture in Tokyo has largely been shaped by Tokyo's history. Twice in recent history has the metropolis been left in ruins: first in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and later after extensive firebombing in World War II.^[48] Because of this, Tokyo's current urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture, and older buildings are scarce.^[48]

Tokyo also contains numerous parks and gardens.

Panoramic view of Shinjuku and Mount Fuji taken from Bunkyo Civic Center.

Panoramic view of Tokyo Imperial Palace as seen from Marunouchi.

Sakura in Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Portion of city from the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

Sister relationships

Tokyo has eleven sister cities/states:^[49]

In addition, Tokyo has a "partnership" agreement with:

• London, United Kingdom.^[49]

See also

• Capital of Japan — for discussion of the de jure or de facto status of Tokyo as capital
• 1703 Genroku earthquake

References

External links

• Official Tokyo Metropolitan Government homepage
• Tokyo travel guide from Wikitravel

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(Shinjuku) Regions and administrative divisions of  Japan Regions Hokkaidō · Tōhoku · Kantō · Chūbu (Hokuriku · Kōshin'etsu · Shin'etsu · Tōkai) · Kansai · Chūgoku (San'in • San'yō) · Shikoku · Kyūshū (Ryūkyū  · Northern Kyushu) Prefectures Hokkaidō Hokkaidō Tōhoku Akita · Aomori · Fukushima · Iwate · Miyagi · Yamagata Kantō Chiba · Gunma · Ibaraki · Kanagawa · Saitama · Tochigi · Tokyo Chūbu Aichi · Fukui · Gifu · Ishikawa · Nagano · Niigata · Shizuoka · Toyama · Yamanashi Kansai Hyōgo · Kyoto · Mie · Nara · Osaka · Shiga · Wakayama Chūgoku Hiroshima · Okayama · Shimane · Tottori · Yamaguchi Shikoku Ehime · Kagawa · Kōchi · Tokushima Kyūshū Kyūshū (Mainland): Fukuoka · Kagoshima · Kumamoto · Miyazaki · Nagasaki · Ōita · Saga Ryūkyū Islands: Okinawa Metropolitan cities of Japan Tokyo Metropolis Special wards of Tokyo (Adachi · Arakawa · Bunkyō · Chiyoda · Chūō · Edogawa · Itabashi · Katsushika · Kita · Kōtō · Meguro · Minato · Nakano · Nerima · Ōta · Setagaya · Shibuya · Shinagawa · Shinjuku · Suginami · Sumida · Toshima · Taitō) Designated cities Chiba · Fukuoka · Hamamatsu · Hiroshima · Kawasaki · Kitakyūshū · Kobe · Kyoto · Nagoya · Niigata · Okayama · Osaka · Sagamihara · Saitama · Sakai · Sapporo · Sendai · Shizuoka · Yokohama Core cities Akita · Amagasaki · Aomori · Asahikawa · Fukuyama · Funabashi · Gifu · Hakodate · Higashiōsaka · Himeji · Iwaki · Kagoshima · Kanazawa · Kashiwa · Kawagoe · Kōchi · Kōriyama · Kumamoto · Kurashiki · Kurume · Maebashi · Matsuyama · Miyazaki · Morioka · Nagano · Nagasaki · Nara · Nishinomiya · Ōita · Okazaki · Ōtsu · Shimonoseki · Takamatsu · Takatsuki · Toyama · Toyohashi · Toyota · Utsunomiya · Wakayama · Yokosuka Special cities Akashi · Atsugi · Chigasaki · Fuji · Fukui · Hachinohe · Hirakata · Hiratsuka · Ibaraki · Ichinomiya · Isesaki · Jōetsu · Kakogawa · Kasugai · Kasukabe · Kawaguchi · Kishiwada · Kōfu · Koshigaya · Kumagaya · Kure · Matsumoto · Mito · Nagaoka · Neyagawa · Numazu · Odawara · Ōta  · Sasebo  · Sōka  · Suita  · Takarazuka  · Takasaki  · Tokorozawa  · Tottori  · Toyonaka  · Tsukuba  · Yamagata  · Yamato  · Yao  · Yokkaichi Prefectural capitals (not included above) Fukushima · Tsu · Naha · Saga · Matsue · Tokushima · Yamaguchi Capitals of Asia West and Southwest Asia Central Asia East Asia Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Amman, Jordan Ankara, Turkey 7 Baghdad, Iraq Baku, Azerbaijan 7 Beirut, Lebanon Damascus, Syria Doha, Qatar Jerusalem, Israel and Proclaimed for Palestinian Authority 6 8 Kuwait City, Kuwait Manama, Bahrain Muscat, Oman Nicosia, Cyprus 8 Ramallah, Palestinian Authority de facto Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sana'a, Yemen Tbilisi, Georgia 7 Tehran, Iran Yerevan, Armenia 8 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Astana, Kazakhstan 7 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Dushanbe, Tajikistan Tashkent, Uzbekistan  South Asia Dhaka, Bangladesh Islamabad, Pakistan Kabul, Afghanistan 1 Kathmandu, Nepal Kotte, Sri Lanka 3 Malé, Maldives New Delhi, India Thimphu, Bhutan Beijing, People's Republic of China (PRC) Pyongyang, North Korea Seoul, South Korea Taipei, Republic of China (ROC) 2 Tokyo, Japan Ulan Bator, Mongolia 1  Southeast Asia Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Bangkok, Thailand Dili, East Timor Hanoi, Vietnam Jakarta, Indonesia Kuala Lumpur 4 and Putrajaya,5 Malaysia Manila, Philippines Naypyidaw, Burma Phnom Penh, Cambodia Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 9 Singapore, Singapore Vientiane, Laos 1 Often considered part of Central Asia  2 Commonly known as Taiwan  3 Full name is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte  4 Formal   5 Administrative  6 See Positions on Jerusalem for details on Jerusalem's status  7 Transcontinental country  8 Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe  9 Entirely in Melanesia but having socio-political connections with Southeast Asia Summer Olympic Games host cities 1896: Athens • 1900: Paris • 1904: St. Louis • 1908: London • 1912: Stockholm • 1920: Antwerp • 1924: Paris • 1928: Amsterdam • 1932: Los Angeles • 1936: Berlin • 1948: London • 1952: Helsinki • 1956: Melbourne • 1960: Rome • 1964: Tokyo • 1968: Mexico City • 1972: Munich • 1976: Montreal • 1980: Moscow • 1984: Los Angeles • 1988: Seoul • 1992: Barcelona • 1996: Atlanta • 2000: Sydney • 2004: Athens • 2008: Beijing • 2012: London • 2016: Rio de Janeiro World's twenty most populous metropolitan areas     1 Tokyo-Yokohama 2 Seoul-Incheon 3 Mexico City 4 New York (Tri-State Region) 5 Mumbai  6 Jakarta  7 São Paulo  8 Delhi  9 Keihanshin 10 Shanghai 11 Manila 12 Hong Kong-Shenzhen 13 Los Angeles 14 Kolkata 15 Moscow 16 Cairo 17 Buenos Aires 18 London 19 Beijing 20 Karachi World's fifty most-populous urban areas Tokyo –Yokohama Jakarta Mumbai Delhi Manila New York São Paulo Seoul –Incheon Mexico City Shanghai Cairo Osaka –Kobe –Kyoto Kolkata Los Angeles Shenzhen Beijing Moscow Guangzhou Istanbul Karachi Buenos Aires Rio de Janeiro Dongguan Paris Dhaka Nagoya Lagos Chicago London Kinshasa Bangkok Tehran Lima Bogotá Ho Chi Minh City Chennai Johannesburg –East Rand Ruhr Area  (Essen–Düsseldorf) Bangalore Lahore Hong Kong Hyderabad Tianjin Taipei Toronto –Hamilton Baghdad Kuala Lumpur Santiago Dallas –Fort Worth San Francisco –San Jose Mass transit in the Greater Tokyo Area JR lines (Tokyo Urban/Suburban Area) ■Akabane · ■Chūō (■Rapid · ■Local) · ■Hachikō · ■Itsukaichi · ■Jōban · ■Karasuyama  · ■Kawagoe · ■Keihin-Tōhoku · ■Keiyō · ■Mito · ■Musashino · ■Nambu · ■Narita · ■Negishi · ■Nikkō · ■Ōme · ■Ryōmō · ■Sagami · ■Saikyō · ■■Shōnan-Shinjuku · ■Sōbu (■Rapid · ■Local) · ■Sotobō · ■Takasaki · ■Tōgane · ■Tōhoku (Utsunomiya) · ■Tōkaidō · ■Tsurumi · ■Uchibō · ■Yamanote · ■Yokohama · ■Yokosuka Tokyo Metro lines ○Chiyoda (C) · ○Fukutoshin (F) · ○Ginza (G) · ○Hibiya (H) · ○Marunouchi (M) · ○Namboku (N) · ○Tōzai (T) · ○Yūrakuchō (Y) · ○Hanzōmon (Z) Toei Subway lines ○Asakusa (A) · ○Ōedo (E) · ○Mita (I) · ○Shinjuku (S) Major private lines Keikyu (Keikyū Main · Airport · Daishi · Kurihama · Zushi) · Keiō (Keiō · Keiō New · Dōbutsuen · Inokashira · Keibajō · Sagamihara · Takao) · Keisei (Keisei Main · Chiba · Chihara · Higashi-Narita · Kanamachi · Narita Sky Access · Oshiage) · Odakyū (Enoshima · Odawara · Tama) · Seibu (Ikebukuro Lines: ■Ikebukuro · ■Sayama · ■Seibu Chichibu · ■Seibu Yūrakucho · ■Toshima · Shinjuku Lines: ■Shinjuku · ■Haijima · ■Kokubunji · ■Seibu-en · ■Tamagawa · ■Tamako) · Sōtetsu (Sōtetsu Main · Izumino) · Tōbu (Tōbu Main lines: Daishi · Isesaki · Kameido · Kinugawa · Kiryū · Koizumi · Nikkō · Noda · Sano · Utsunomiya · Tōjō Lines: Tōjō · Ogose) · Tōkyū (■Den-en-toshi · ■Ikegami · ■Meguro · ■Ōimachi · ■Tōkyū Tamagawa · ■Tōyoko) Other commuter rail lines Hokusō · Kantō (Jōsō · Ryūgasaki) · Nagareyama · Rinkai · Saitama Rapid · Shibayama · Shin-Keisei · Tōyō Rapid · Tsukuba Express · Minatomirai (Kodomonokuni · Minatomirai 21) · Yokohama Subway (■Blue · ■Green) Other lines Monorails: Chiba Monorail · Disney Resort · Shōnan Monorail · Tama Monorail · Tokyo Monorail · People movers: New Shuttle · Seaside · Nippori-Toneri · Yamaguchi · Yūkarigaoka · Yurikamome · Streetcars: ■Enoden · ■Setagaya · ■Toden Arakawa Cable Cars/Aerial tramways Ōyama Cable Car · Hodosan Ropeway · Takaotozan Railway · Nokogiriyama Ropeway · Mount Tsukuba Cable Car · Mount Tsukuba Ropeway · Akechidaira Ropeway · Ikaho Ropeway · Mitake Tozan Cable Car · Fuji-Hakone-Izu subregion (3 cable, 5 ropeways, 5 rail lines) Major Terminals Rail: Akihabara · Chiba · Ikebukuro · Kawasaki · Kita-Senju · Ōmiya · Ōtemachi · Shibuya · Shinagawa · Shinjuku · Tachikawa · Tōkyō · Ueno · Yokohama · Airports: Haneda Int'l · Narita Int'l · Chofu · Ibaraki · Ports: Yokohama · Tokyo Miscellaneous Shinkansen · PASMO · Suica · Transportation in Greater Tokyo · Rail transport in Japan