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The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is headed by a publicly elected governor and metropolitan assembly. Its administrative structure is similar to that of Japan's other prefectures. The headquarters building is in the ward of Shinjuku. They govern all of Tokyo prefecture, including lakes, rivers, dams, farms, remote islands, and national parks in addition to its famous neon jungle, skyscrapers and crowded subways. The governor of Tokyo is one of most powerful political figures in Japan, second only to the prime minister.[1]
Under Japanese law, Tokyo is designated as a to (都), translated as metropolis.[2] Within Tokyo lie dozens of smaller entities, most of them conventionally referred to as cities. It includes twenty-three special wards (特別区 -ku) which until 1943 made up the city of Tokyo but are now separate, self-governing municipalities, each with a mayor and a council, and having the status of a city. In addition to these 23 municipalities, Tokyo also encompasses 26 cities (市 -shi), five towns (町 -chō or machi), and eight villages (村 -son or -mura), each of which has a local government.
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The Metropolitan Assembly is the legislative organ of the whole prefecture of Tokyo. It consists of 127 members elected each four years. Regular sessions are held four times each year, in February, June, September and December. These sessions typically lasts for 30 days. Between these are plenary sessions where discussions on bills are held.[3]
Shintaro Ishihara (April 23, 1999–) is the current governor of Tokyo.
Past governors include:
All major national political parties are represented in the Tokyo Assembly as well as a few local. The only exception to this is the Social Democratic Party which lost its seats in the latest election.
Tokyo prefecture held elections for the prefectural assembly on 12 July 2009. Next election will be in 2013.
| Parties | Candidates | Votes | % | Seats |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic Party of Japan (民主党, Minshutō) | 58 | 2,298,494 | 40.79 | 54 |
| Liberal Democratic Party of Japan (自由民主党, Jiyū Minshutō) | 58 | 1,458,108 | 25.88 | 38 |
| New Komeito Party (公明党, Kōmeitō) | 23 | 743,427 | 13.19 | 23 |
| Japanese Communist Party (日本共産党, Nihon Kyōsan-tō) | 40 | 707,602 | 12.56 | 8 |
| Tokyo Seikatsusha Network (東京・生活者ネットワーク) | 5 | 110,407 | 1.96 | 2 |
| Social Democratic Party (社民党 Shamin-tō) | 2 | 20,084 | 0.36 | 0 |
| Others | 13 | 45,329 | 0.80 | 0 |
| Independents | 22 | 250,869 | 4.45 | 2 |
| Total (turnout 54.49%) | 221 | 5,705,441 | 100.00 | 127 |
| Source: Tokyo electoral commission [1] | ||||
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