TOKYO
Calling Code: +
Tokyo is the capital of Japan. At over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area alone, Tokyo is the core of the most populated urban area in the world, Greater Tokyo (which has a population of 35 million people). This huge, wealthy and fascinating metropolis brings high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of old Japan, and has something for everyone.
Located geographically at about the center of the Japanese archipelago and in the southern part of the Kanto area, Tokyo shares borders with Chiba prefecture to the east along the Edogawa River, Yamanashi to the west along a mountain range, Kanagawa in the south along the Tamagawa River, and Saitama in the north. Being 2187 km� in area, the metropolis occupies only 0.6% of the national land, the third smallest of the 47 administrative divisions of the country. As the land unfolds from east to west, there are hills, plateaus, and mountains scattered around the city. Small as it is, Tokyo's geographical features are rich in variety, comprising low lands of only four meters above the sea-level and mountainous areas of over 2000 meters. In addition, it must be noted that certain volcanic islands in the Pacific such as the Izu and Ogasawara Islands also are part of Tokyo.
Huge and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometers
to explore, Tokyo prefecture spans not just the city, but rugged
mountains to the west and subtropical islands to the south. This
article concentrates on the 23 central wards near the bay, while
the western cities and the islands are covered in a separate article.
The geography of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote Line
(see Getting Around). The center of Tokyo � the former area reserved
for the Shogun and his samurai � lies within the loop, while the
Edo-era downtown is to the north and east. Sprawling around in
all directions and blending seamlessly into Yokohama, Kawasaki
and Chiba are Tokyo's suburbs.
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the largest cities of the world with a population of 12.64-million and the biggest of the 47 prefectures throughout Japan. Its long history of prosperity started with the establishment of the shogunate by Tokugawa Ieyasu in 1603. At that time, Tokyo was called Edo, which by the 18th century had grown to a huge city of over a million people. It is now Japan's center for political, economic, cultural, and various other activities as well as the origin for the dissemination of information.
The ward area in Tokyo is 621km� in area, where 8.53-million people
live. Tokyo attracts tourists not only from abroad, but from all
over the country as it provides many points of interest to visit,
well-developed traffic networks, and facilities for business enterprises
that are linked together. The Metropolitan Government Office which
runs the city, Tokyo Station constructed in 1914 as the largest
brick building in Japan, the Odaiba Marine Park commanding a wide
ocean view are just a few examples of the sightseeing spots of
this charming city full of history and tradition, that is continually
generating new points of interest. Cultural facilities such as
museums and art galleries are also abundant, making Tokyo, undoubtedly,
one of the most advanced cities of the world.
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