Introduction to Geography of Tokyo
Tokyo, Japan, the nation's capital and largest city and one of the largest cities in the world. It lies on the east coast of the island of Honshu at the head of Tokyo Bay, some 50 miles (80 km) from the Pacific Ocean. Officially it is called Tokyo Metropolis and consists of 23 wards (the city proper), several counties, numerous satellite cities and towns, and rural areas. Tokyo is one of the 47 major administrative divisions of Japan.
General Description
The part of Tokyo near Tokyo Bay lies on the Kanto Plain, the nation's largest lowland. Crossing it are several rivers, largest of which are the Ara and the Sumida. Just west of the Sumida's mouth, in the heart of the city, is the Imperial Palace. In this core area are government and office buildings, department stores, hotels, and theaters.
Marunouchi, a district just east of the palace, is the main business area and the home of many multinational companies. In the Kasumigaseki district, south of the palace, are numerous ministries, courts, and offices of the Japanese government. Nearby is Tokyo's most famous district, the Ginza. Here are the nation's most fashionable department stores and shops and many theaters and nightclubs. Shinjuku, Akasaka, and Roppongi districts are also notable for their theaters and nightclubs. Shinjuku, in addition, is a major business district, with many of the city's high-rise office and hotel buildings. Located here is the Metropolitan Government Office; at 802 feet (244 m), it is the tallest building in Japan. North of the Imperial Palace, especially in the Kanda and Kongo districts, are many universities, colleges, and bookstores. At the mouth of the Sumida River are the harbor and the port of Tokyo. Five wards on the east side of the river form the principal industrial district.
Except for some thoroughfares, Tokyo's streets are unnamed. Addresses are based on block area (chome), precinct (cho), and ward (ku).
Economy
Tokyo is the leading commercial and financial city of Japan. In the downtown section, especially in the wards of Chiyoda and Chuo, are the headquarters of many of the nation's largest corporations, stockbrokerage firms, and insurance companies. The stock exchange and many of the world's largest banks are also here. Because of its large number of inhabitants and their relative prosperity, Tokyo is the largest consumer market in Japan. It also leads all other Japanese cities in foreign trade.
Few cities in the world rival Tokyo as a manufacturing center. It is part of a vast industrial and urban belt, called Keihin, that extends along the bay from Tokyo to Yokohama. Much heavy industry, such as steelmaking, is concentrated in this belt. Within the city are thousands of smaller-scale enterprises, which produce such items as processed foods, furniture, printed matter, chemicals, metalwares, precision machinery, photographic equipment, and electric and electronic devices.
Public transportation in Tokyo is excellent, but facilities are usually crowded. Serving the city are many commuter and elevated trains, an extensive subway system, thousands of buses, and a network of expressways. Tokyo is the principal terminal of Japanese National Railways, which provides fast, efficient service throughout Japan. The city's seaport, though overshadowed by the one at nearby Yokohama, handles a large volume of trade. New Tokyo International Airport, at Narita, is the busiest of Japan's international airports. Tokyo International Airport, at Haneda, is the principal terminal for domestic flights.
Places of Interest
The Imperial Palace, surrounded by spacious grounds, gardens, and a series of moats, is the home of the emperor. On the southeast it is adjoined by a large plaza—the Imperial Palace Plaza. The National Diet Building, where the Japanese legislature meets, is an imposing three-story granite structure with a massive central tower. The city's most prominent landmark is the Tokyo Tower, completed in 1958 as a replica of Paris' Eiffel Tower.
Temples and shrines, both new and old, are among Tokyo's most notable features. The Meiji Shrine, which lies in the exquisitely planted Inner Garden, is dedicated to the Emperor Meiji; it is one of the most frequently visited places in Japan. In the nearby Outer Garden are the Meiji Memorial Picture Gallery and the National Stadium and numerous other sports facilities. It is sometimes called Meiji Olympic Park, since it was the site of many events of the 1964 Olympic Games.
There are many other parks and gardens in the city. Some, such as Rikugien Garden, Korakuen Garden, and Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden, are classic examples of Japanese landscaping. Ueno Park, one of the largest of the city's parks, features museums, a concert hall, a zoo, an aquarium, and several shrines and pagodas.
Near the Korakuen Garden is the Korakuen Sports Center, with stadiums for baseball and bicycle racing, a gymnasium, a swimming pool, and other facilities. Kokugikan, with an arena and a museum, features sumo (Japanese wrestling). The Kodokan Judo Hall is a school and practice hall for judo. Tokyo Disneyland, modeled after its American counterpart, is a popular attraction.
Education and Culture
About 100 universities and colleges are in Tokyo. The University of Tokyo is Japan's leading institution of higher learning. The Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music and its museum are centers for art and music research. Prestigious private schools include Waseda and Keio universities. The Tokyo metropolitan government administers the Metropolitan University and several junior colleges.
A number of Japan's leading museums are located in Ueno Park. The Tokyo National Museum exhibits Japan's largest collection of antiquities and art objects. The Tokyo Metropolitan Fine Art Gallery, the National Museum of Western Art, and the National Science Museum are all nearby. The National Diet Library, near the National Diet Building, is the state library of Japan.
Tokyo has several symphony orchestras. Western opera, ballet, and theatrical performances can often be seen in the capital. Many theaters in Tokyo are devoted to classical Japanese types of drama known as no and kabuki.
Government
The metropolitan government of Tokyo administers the 23 wards of the city and also several nearby cities, counties, and islands. The chief executive is the governor, elected for a four-year term. He is assisted by several administrative commissions, either appointed by him with the approval of the city legislature or elected by the legislature. Members of the legislature, the Metropolitan Assembly, are elected for four-year terms. The president of the legislature is equal in status to the governor. The local governments of the wards and other units have a large degree of independent authority.
History
A small settlement called Edo existed, probably for centuries before it appeared in Japanese history, in the area that is now Tokyo. However, the founding date of the city of Tokyo is generally considered to be 1457 A.D., when a castle and fortifications were completed at Edo. From 1603 to 1868 Edo was the residence of the shoguns, the military governors who were the real rulers of Japan. After the Emperor Mutsuhito regained political power for the monarchy, he established his capital at Edo in 1868, renaming it Tokyo (“eastern capital”).
As the national capital, Tokyo was the center of the movement to modernize and westernize Japan. Railroads, telephone and telegraph communication, and electric lighting were all introduced into Tokyo before 1880. In 1923 a disastrous earthquake, followed by a fire, destroyed more than half of the city. (One of the few buildings to be undamaged was the Imperial Hotel, designed by Frank Lloyd Wright to withstand earthquakes.) During World War II American and British bombing raids caused even greater destruction than the 1923 earthquake, although the modern business district sustained little damage.
After the Japanese surrender, Tokyo became the headquarters for the Allied occupation government in Japan (1945–52). In the postwar period Tokyo was rapidly rebuilt. In 1964 Tokyo was host to the Summer Olympic Games.
A development since 1965 has been the construction of a number of high-rise buildings, the most notable of which is the 60-story, 792-foot (240-m) Sunshine City (completed in 1978) and the 48-story, 802-foot (244-m) city hall (completed in 1991). A new airport at Narita, 38 miles (60 km) east of the city, was opened in 1978. Tokyo Disneyland theme park was opened in 1983.
In 1995 terrorists belonging to a fanatical religious sect released poison gas on a Tokyo subway train. Twelve persons were killed and hundreds had to be hospitalized.
Population: 8,130,408.