Factfile on Tokyo
Factfile on Tokyo
Over 126 million people live in Japan, and the population is largely homogenous: 99.4 percent of the population is of Japanese descent. The Japanese economy is one of the strongest in the world. Only the USA has a higher GNP. Tokyo is Japan's capital and the country's largest city. Tokyo is also one of Japan's 47 prefectures, albeit that it is referred to as a metropolis, and consists of 23 city wards, 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages, including the Izu and Ogasawara Islands, and several small Pacific Islands in the south of Japan's main island Honshu. The 23 city wards comprise the centre of Tokyo and make up about one third of the metropolis' area, while housing roughly eight of Tokyo's approximately twelve million residents.
Status: capital and Japan's biggest city
Population: 13,282,271 (estimate as of August 1, 2013). Greater Tokyo, a megalopolis that includes the city of Yokohama, as well as other urban areas, is home to around 35 million people.
Size: 2,188.67 square kilometers (845 square miles)
Geographical situation: Tokyo is located on the Pacific coast of Japan's main island, Honshu, in the Kanto region. The weather in summer is generally humid and hot.
History: Tokyo, a former fishing village, was the seat of the Tokugawa clan's military "Shogunate", which ruled over Japan for more than 270 years from a city then called "Edo". The military government was replaced in 1868 when the emperor's authority was restored. It became the nation's capital with the emperor moving his palace from Kyoto. Renamed Tokyo (Eastern Capital), it has grown into the world's largest megalopolis, despite devastation in World War II.
Logo courtesy Tokyo 2020 Bid CommitteeOlympics already hosted in Tokyo: One, in 1964
Number of Olympic bids: Five (for 1940, 1960, 1964, 2016 and 2020)
Note -- They were awarded the 1940 Games but were then stripped of the right to host them. Helsinki replaced them but in the event because of World War II the Games were cancelled.
Olympics already hosted in the country: One in summer (Tokyo, 1964), two in winter (Sapporo, 1972; Nagano, 1998)
Projected budget for 2020: The total budget is set at $8.5 billion with $3.8 billion earmarked for construction of venues and other Olympic-related facilities.
Composition of Buenos Aires delegation: A 100-plus delegation led by Tokyo 2020 president Tsunekazu Takeda, who is also president of the Japanese Olympic Committee. Other key members include Tokyo Governor Naoki Inose, Tokyo 2020 CEO and JOC vice president Masato Mizuno. Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will also be in attendance.
Slogan: "Discover Tomorrow"
The 2020 candidature file: Tokyo claims to be the "safe pair of hands" that can be trusted in uncertain times. It also offers unmatched personal safety and financial security as well as world-class infrastructure for a compact Games, with 85% of the Olympic venues located within eight kilometers (five miles) of the athletes' village. Organisers say strict anti-quake measures mean the city is safe and insists there is no danger from radiation from the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant.
Tokyo Metropolis is located in the southern Kanto region, positioned in approximately the center of the Japanese archipelago. It is bordered to the east by the Edogawa River and Chiba Prefecture, to the west by mountains and Yamanashi Prefecture, to the south by the Tamagawa River and Kanagawa Prefecture, and to the north by Saitama Prefecture.
The Tokyo Megalopolis Region, or Greater Tokyo Area, is made up of Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Kanagawa, and Chiba. This area is home to around 28% of Japan’s total population. The National Capital Region is made up of Tokyo and the seven surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, and Yamanashi.
Tokyo Metropolis is a metropolitan prefecture comprising administrative entities of special wards and municipalities. The “central” area is divided into 23 special wards (ku in Japanese), and the Tama area is made up of 26 cities (shi), 3 towns (machi), and 1 village (mura). The 23 special-ward area and the Tama area together form a long, narrow stretch of land, running about 90 kilometers east to west and 25 kilometers north to south. The Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands, two island groups in the Pacific Ocean, are also administratively part of Tokyo, despite being geographically separated from the metropolis. The islands have between them two towns and seven villages. In addition, islands comprising the most southern and most eastern lands of Japan also fall under the administrative district of Ogasawara-mura; these are, respectively, the Okinotorishima Islands, which have an exclusive economic zone of about 400,000 square kilometers, and Minamitorishima Island.
The overall population of Tokyo is about 13.19 million (as of October 1, 2011), and the area is about 2,188 square kilometers. The climate is generally mild. Map of Japan | Tokyo Metropolis and Surrounding Prefectures | | |

The 23 Special-ward Area
The total area covers about 622 square kilometers. The population has been showing an upward trend, with 8.97 million residents — a population density of about 14,422 persons per square kilometer — as of October 1, 2011.
The 23 special-ward area is the political, economic, and cultural hub of Japan. Government offices, corporations, and commercial facilities are concentrated in the heart of Tokyo, and the transportation network is well developed. The bay area is a transportation and logistics hub, with an international transportation infrastructure, including an airport and port. Cultural facilities such as museums and art galleries, as well as sightseeing and entertainment facilities, are located in the 23 special-ward area, making it an area bustling with large numbers of visitors.
The Tama Area
The Tama Area covers about 1,160 square kilometers. Its population, like that of the ward area, has been showing a slight increase, reaching 4.18 million — a population density of about 3,613 persons per square kilometer — as of October 1, 2011.
This area is urbanized as it is adjacent to the ward area, but also has a beautiful natural environment including lakes, rivers, and green areas. Moreover, strong industrial capability and rich human resources made available through the concentration of universities, high-tech industries, and research institutes, make this area a region with high potential for an array of developments. The Tama area is taking on an increasingly important position within not only Tokyo Metropolis, but the entire Greater Tokyo Area as well.
The Islands
The Islands have a total area of about 406 square kilometers. The island population is continuing to fall and currently stands at 28,000 (as of October 1, 2011), with a population density of 68 persons per square kilometer.
This region has a rich natural environment abundant with marine resources, and the islands also play an important national role in securing a vast exclusive economic zone. They have a diverse and remarkable natural environment, as well as a unique historical and cultural background, and are precious assets providing valuable “healing” spaces for visitors. On the other hand, the islands face challenges such as improving living conditions through development of the marine and air transportation network and medical care, a declining and aging population, and sluggish agriculture, fisheries, and tourism industries. Administrative Areas of Tokyo | |