Where is the capital of Japan?

The capital of Japan is Tokyo. . Population, area (as of August 1, 2008)

Population………………………………………… 12,698,487

Population density (person/ square kilometers)

…………………………………………………… Total: 5,679

………………………………………… …………… District 23: 13,531

…………………………………………………… City: 5,398

………… ………………………………………… Counties: 194

………………………………………… Islands: 66

Number of households………………………………………… 5,745,963 households

Area…………………………………………2,187.05 square kilometers

Tokyo's climate

Tokyo belongs to the temperate zone, with the average annual temperature in the central part being 15.6 degrees. The four seasons are distinct, and people can fully enjoy the joys of life in each season.

Seasonal Characteristics

Spring and Autumn... The weather is pleasant, but the weather changes cyclically during the seasonal changes.

Summer……………… continues to be hot, with temperatures exceeding 30 degrees during the day and exceeding 25 degrees at night.

Winter……………… northwest wind blowing, continuous low temperature and dry sunny days. There isn't much snow, but it can affect traffic at times.

Meiyu and Typhoons

The Meiyu period starts from early June to late July, and the humidity is very high. In addition, typhoons approach the islands from August to September, sometimes causing disasters due to wind and rain.

(Life during the Meiyu period)

During the Meiyu period, there is a lot of moisture indoors, making it easy for mold to form. Please use air conditioners and dehumidifiers effectively to maintain indoor ventilation.

Administrative Overview

Japan’s first-level administrative regions are divided into prefectures and prefectures, and one of them is Tokyo. In 1943, the original first-level administrative region Tokyo Prefecture and the Tokyo City Government under its jurisdiction were integrated into the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. However, in 1947, the Tokyo Metropolitan System was abolished due to the promulgation of the Local Autonomy Law. Therefore, today's Tokyo Metropolitan Government is actually a local self-government body, but it is still a local government. Just use the original name of Tokyo.

Usually, the place name Tokyo does not necessarily mean Tokyo, which is mainly introduced in this article. For various definitions of Tokyo and the precise administrative divisions of Tokyo, please see the definitions and administrative divisions section below. .

Tokyo, Nishi-Shinjuku high-rise buildings. Since the Japanese royal family moved from Kyoto to Edo in 1868 and changed its name to Tokyo, Tokyo has been the capital of Japan. It is also the center of Japanese politics, economy, culture, transportation, etc. The center of everything. The total area of ??Tokyo is 2,162 square kilometers, including 23 special districts, 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages. It forms the capital area with the surrounding three prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama. It currently has a population of approximately 12 million Population (equivalent to one-tenth of the entire Japan). About 20 million people come to work from surrounding cities every day, making the city center of Tokyo bustling with people during the day. At night, the flow of people moves to areas in the city including Ginza, Shibuya, Roppongi and other entertainment venues. The entire Tokyo metropolitan area (including other cities such as Yokohama) has a total population of 33.75 million, making it the largest metropolitan area in the world.

As we all know, Tokyo, an international metropolis, is the center of financial, trade and other exchange activities in Asia. It has recently become the birthplace of Asian pop culture. In the eyes of many young people in Asia, Tokyo is a city full of vitality and sense of the times. It is always at the forefront of fashion. Pop music, idol TV series, Walkman, MD, mobile phones, cosmetics, video games, platform shoes, and avant-garde makeup all start here.

Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean, and the Ogasawara Islands, which are administratively under the jurisdiction of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, extend to 1,000 kilometers south. To the west of Tokyo is the Tama area, a natural treasure trove of densely forested peaks and valleys. Take the Shinkansen bullet train from Tokyo and head southwest through Japan's largest plain, the Kanto Plain, and you'll soon reach Mount Fuji. Coming to Japan and experiencing the charm of shopping and entertainment in the metropolis while admiring the peaks, canyons, forests, waterfalls, and beaches is a dream that is not difficult to realize.

Definition

Tokyo, as it is commonly called, is a place name rather than an administrative area. The scope does not necessarily include only Tokyo City or Tokyo. There are several narrow definitions below. Different opinions are used to define the scope of the name Tokyo.

Tokyo area - It is customary to generally refer to Tokyo plus the surrounding Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba and other areas.

The Metropolitan Area - the above-mentioned administrative areas plus Ibaraki Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture, Tochigi Prefecture, and Yamanashi Prefecture.

Tokyo - This is the definition closest to the actual administrative scope of Tokyo, which is equivalent to Tokyo after omitting the island area, which is the scope included in Tokyo in the past.

Tokyo Metropolitan Special District - commonly known as the 23 wards of Tokyo, is equivalent to the 35 wards included in the city of Tokyo in the past Tokyo Prefecture era, and is also the scope of the "Tokyo City" in a narrower sense.

Old Tokyo 15 wards - The above-mentioned 23 wards of Tokyo, excluding Nakano Ward and Shibuya Ward (Shibuya Ward), were the areas included when the administrative district of Tokyo was first established.

Administrative Districts

In terms of administrative divisions, Tokyo contains three main geographical divisions, namely the 23 special districts often called Tokyo 23 wards, and the 23 wards. To the west is the suburban area known as the Mitama area, as well as some islands in the Pacific that are administratively administered by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

Tokyo 23 wards

The eastern part of 23 wards includes the vast estuary plain lowlands formed by the Sumida River, Arakawa and Edogawa rivers, and is often called "Shitamachi".

To the west of the Kawakou Plain, some tongue-shaped platforms were formed after the eastern end of the Musashino Plateau was eroded, commonly known as "Mountain Hand" (やまのて). Today's famous Yamanote Line railway in downtown Tokyo was originally built for Designed to connect these small terraces.

A strip of lowland along the mouth of the Tama River in the south.

Reclamation projects continue to be carried out along the coast of Tokyo Bay, and the newly added land is naturally divided into the 23 wards, such as Odaiba at Sumida Kawaguchi (おdaiba, おだいば ) area is a new recreational area built on the new land of Haipu.

The Mitama area

A long and narrow suburban area centered on the lowlands along the Tama River, including the Musashino Plateau to the north and the Tama Hills to the south. This area came under the jurisdiction of Musashi Province's Tama County in the seventh century, and was divided into four counties in the Meiji Era. Later, Higashi Tama County was incorporated into Tokyo City and became part of Nakano and Suginami Wards, and became the current Northern Tama County, Minami Tama County and Nishi Tama County. There are many large satellite cities of Tokyo in Mitama District, such as Musashino City, Tachikawa City, Hachioji City and the famous Tama New Town (Tama Ni-ニュ-タウン, a new town project located in Tama City).

The western part of the Mitama region (Nishitama County) already includes part of the Kanto Mountains.

Island District

The islands in the Tokyo Metropolitan Island District including the Izu Islands (Izu Islands) and Ogasawara Islands (Ogasawara Islands). In terms of administrative divisions, this area has a special feature, that is, they are different from the independent villages and towns under the jurisdiction of administrative districts such as provinces, prefectures, and counties. There is no county-level administrative district between this area and Tokyo. Tokyo Island The islands in the district exist in the form of autonomous villages and autonomous towns directly under the metropolitan government.

The southernmost Okinotori Reef (おきのとりしま) and the easternmost Minamitori Reef (みなみとりしま) in Japan are both under the jurisdiction of Ogasawara Village, Tokyo.

Night view of high-rise buildings

History

Tokyo is a vibrant city with a dense population and a huge distribution center for materials and information. Like all international Like a big city, things are changing here every day. Urban development has also begun to move from the center of the city to the suburbs. The construction of seaside areas, river banks, civilian residential areas, high-end residential areas and satellite cities has made Tokyo's development as a metropolis increasingly perfect. Not only that, Tokyo also retains many historical relics and some traditional rituals and activities. The coexistence of modernity and tradition has become a major feature of this city. Perhaps we should start to understand this city from its more than 500 years of history.

The construction of Edo Castle in the second half of the 15th century

The construction of Edo Castle is said to have been carried out by Uesugi Sadamasa, the lord of Kawagoe, Musashi Province (now Saitama Prefecture), who consecrated Ashikaga, Kyoto. The order of the shogunate was ordered to be completed by the retainer Ota Michizan. When choosing a place, Dogan immediately took a fancy to the Kanto Plain, which was a humid area but surrounded by mountains and sea, so he built Edo Castle in the area where the Imperial Palace is today. After that, history entered the Warring States Period, where military generals from all over the country fought for years.

The beginning of the Edo shogunate's rule of Japan in the early 17th century

Tokugawa Ieyasu won a crucial victory in the Battle of Sekigahara, and thus began the war based on Edo Castle. During the reign of the Edo shogunate, Edo also entered the stage of history as a political city. After that, Edo Castle attracted more and more people and gradually developed into a central city at that time. During the development process of Edo Castle, it gradually divided into two characteristic areas. One is the civilian area, also known as "Shitamachi", where many small merchants and craftsmen gather. They are mainly engaged in water transportation and river transportation of the Sumida River. The distribution of materials and various commercial activities in Toko Port; the other area is the upper-class area called "Yamano Hande", including the daimyo's residential area and the flagamoto's residential area. It is lined with trees and has a beautiful environment. It is the most popular place in Edo Castle. political center. The political and economic development of Edo Castle also brought cultural prosperity. The formation of Edo civilian culture marked the heyday of the cultural development of Edo City. To this day, the presence of civilian culture can still be felt in the alleys of Tokyo and in some traditional ceremonies.

The Meiji Restoration in the second half of the 19th century

With the final end of the shogunate, Japanese society entered the Meiji Restoration period and began to actively absorb and introduce Western culture to build its own nation-state. During this period, the imperial family moved from Kyoto to Edo and renamed it Tokyo, becoming the new capital of Japan. Edo Castle was successively renamed Tokyo Castle, Miyagi Castle and the Imperial Palace, and eventually became the residence of the emperor, a national symbol.

Since then, under the modernization policy implemented by the Meiji government, Tokyo has taken a critical step toward modernization and international urbanization.

After the 20th century

After experiencing the Great Kanto Earthquake and the defeat in World War II, although the center of Tokyo was devastated, it quickly embarked on the road to urban revitalization. And soon entered a period of rapid development of the city. Since the long-awaited Olympic Games across Japan were finally held in Tokyo in 1964, the Tokyo government carried out comprehensive construction of stadiums and other infrastructure to welcome athletes from all over the world. Since then, especially since the 1980s, Tokyo's image as an international metropolis has become increasingly popular.

Transportation

Tokyo transportation

The JR Yamanote Line, the lifeblood of Tokyo, includes the JR Yamanote Line that runs around the center of the city and the JR Chuo Line that runs across the center of the city? Sobu Line. Tokyo's railway lines are mainly JR lines. There are local tram lines on the inside of the JR Yamanote Line, and various private railway lines in a radial shape on the outside.

JR Line (Japan Railways)

In 1987, the original Japan Railways was divided into six companies and privatized, collectively known as JR (JAPAN RAILWAY).

JR trains are classified by color. The following are the color types of the main JR lines.

Yamanote Line = yellow-green Chuo Line = orange Sobu Rapid Line = milky white at the top and dark blue at the bottom Keihin Tohoku Line = sky blue Keiyo Line = red at the top and sky blue at the bottom Saikyo Line = dark green Central Sobu Slow Line (Chuo-Sobu Direct Local Train) = Yellow Tokaido Line = Orange

Private Railway (Private Railway)

Private railway company Tokyo corresponding to National Railways (JR) The main ones in the metropolitan area are:

Seibu Railway

Tobu Railway

Tokyo Express Railway

Keihin Express Railway

Keisei Electric Railway

Keio Electric Railway

Odakyu Electric Railway

New Urban Transportation

Yurigull (ゆりかもめ), The unmanned line starts from Shimbashi and goes to the Odaiba area

Single-operated railway

Tokyo Maritime Railway, connecting Haneda Airport and the city (Hamatsucho)

Tama モノレール, located in the Tama area west of Tokyo

Disney Resort Line, connecting Disneyland and DisneySea (Loop Line)

Subway

See details Tokyo Metro, Toei Subway, etc.

Tokyo's subway system is operated by two different companies (or organizations). Among them, the route operated by the "Teito Expressway Transportation Corporation" jointly established by the central government and the metropolitan government was originally called " However, on April 1, 2004, it was converted into a private company and renamed Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd. (Tokyo Metro Co., Ltd.), and the routes it operated were renamed "Tokyo Metro Line" (Tokyo Metro Line). The Tuan Line is still the customary old name); and the one operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Transportation Bureau is called the "Toei Line".

Each route has its own exclusive English letter code, which is mainly combined with numbers as a quick reference code for each route station (for example, Otemachi Station, a large underground transfer point near Tokyo Station, is The intersection point of the main trunk line Marunouchi Line and Tozai Line, it is the 18th station of the Marunouchi Main Line, M18, and the 9th station of the Tozai Line, so it has the code name T09). As for the exclusive route colors, they are matched with the guide markings in the stations and the colored decorative lines on the subway cars to make it easier for passengers to identify.