Tokyo, Japan - Districts

Districts

Huge and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometers to explore, Tokyo prefecture (東京都 Tōkyō-to) 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 (区 ku) near the bay, while the western cities and the islands are covered in a Tokyo (prefecture)|separate article.

The geography of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote Line (see #Get around|Get around). The center of Tokyo — the former area reserved for the Shogun and his samurai — lies within the loop, while the Edo-era downtown (下町 shitamachi) 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 621Km2 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.

Central Tokyo

• Tokyo/Chiyoda | Chiyoda, the seat of Japanese power (both political and economical) that includes the Imperial Palace, the Ministries near Kasumigaseki, the Parliament in Nagatacaho, the corporate headquarters of Marunouchi, and the electronics mecca of Tokyo/Akihabara | Akihabara
• Tokyo/Chuo | Chuo district, including the famed department stores of the Tokyo/Ginza | Ginza and the fish markets of Tokyo/Tsukiji | Tsukiji
• Tokyo/Minato | Minato, including the business center of Tokyo/Akasaka|Akasaka and the neighbouring nightclub district of Tokyo/Roppongi | Roppongi, the port district (at least in name) which includes the artificial island of Tokyo/Odaiba|Odaiba, the skyscrapers of Tokyo/Shiodome|Shiodome
• Tokyo/Shinjuku | Shinjuku, home to luxury hotels, giant camera stores, futuristic skyscrapers, hundreds of shops and restaurants, and Kabukicho, Tokyo's wildest nightlife and red-light district
• Tokyo/Shibuya | Shibuya, the fashionable shopping district which also encompasses the teenybopper haven of Tokyo/Harajuku | Harajuku (also home to the Meiji Shrine) and the nightlife of Tokyo/Ebisu|Ebisu
• Tokyo/Shinagawa | Shinagawa, a major train hub and business center
• Tokyo/Toshima | Toshima including Tokyo/Ikebukuro | Ikebukuro, another giant train hub
• Tokyo/Meguro | Meguro, a residential area with a few nice parks and museums

Old Tokyo (Shitamachi)

• Tokyo/Sumida | Sumida by the river of the same name, including Tokyo/Ryogoku | Ryogoku, home of the Edo-Tokyo Museum and Tokyo's main sumo arena (Ryogoku Kokugikan).
• Tokyo/Taito | Taito and Tokyo/Bunkyo|Bunkyo, the heart of Old Tokyo featuring the temples of Tokyo/Asakusa | Asakusa and many museums of Tokyo/Ueno | Ueno
• Tokyo/Koto| Koto, between the two rivers Sumida and Arakawa, located on just the south of Sumida. It is famous for the former woodland in Kiba, and Kameido Tenjin the shrine worshiping Michizane Sugawara known as the father of study in Kameido.
• Tokyo/Arakawa|Arakawa
• The South part of Tokyo/Adachi| Adachi

Izu and Ogasawara Islands

The Izu islands lie southeast of the city in the Pacific Ocean, ranging in order from those closest to the Metropolitan Government Office: Oshima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima, Kouzushima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima, and Aogashima. Oshima island is 108 km away and Aogashima is 354 km away from the metropolitan office. Each island is unique in that it has its own character and all sorts of marine sports such as swimming, scuba diving, surfing, and fishing can be enjoyed. There are many places that offer scenic beauty, which are crowded with tourists during the summer.

Ogasawara Islands are about 1000 km away from Tokyo. They are made up of some 20 islands in the subtropical zone but only Chichijima and Hahajima are inhabited. Almost the whole area of the islands is included in the Ogasawara National Park, which is full of beautiful nature. You can visit the marine park as well. This is an area known for whale watching. Although the access to the islands is limited to ship, it is always highly popular among tourists.

Suburban wards

• Tokyo/Edogawa|Edogawa
• Tokyo/Itabashi | Itabashi
• Tokyo/Katsushika| Katsushika
• Tokyo/Kita|Kita
• Tokyo/Nakano | Nakano
• Tokyo/Nerima | Nerima
• Tokyo/Ota|Ota
• Tokyo/Setagaya | Setagaya, an upscale residential area that houses the student drinking spot of Tokyo/Shimokitazawa|Shimokitazawa
• Tokyo/Suginami | Suginami

--Webmaster 01:40, 18 July 2008 (UTC)