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Tokyo

2007 Schools Wikipedia Selection. Related subjects: Geography of Asia

   CAPTION: Tokyo Prefecture (東京都; Tōkyō-to)

   Map of Japan with Tokyo highlighted
   Capital        n/a
   Region         Kantō
   Island         Honshū
   Governor       Shintaro Ishihara
   Area           2,187.08 km² (45^th)
    - % water     1.0%
   Population  ( June 1, 2006)
    - Population  12,678,395
                  (8,520,000 in special wards) (1st)
    - Density     5796 /km²
   Districts      1
   Municipalities 62
   ISO 3166-2     JP-13
   Website        www.metro.tokyo.jp/
                  ENGLISH/
   Prefectural Symbols
    - Flower      Somei-Yoshino cherry blossom
    - Tree        Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba)
    - Bird        Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
   Tokyo Metropolitan Government symbol

   Adopted in June 1989, Tokyo's official symbol has three arcs forming
   the letter T for Tokyo in the shape of a vivid green ginkgo leaf. It
   symbolizes Tokyo's future growth and prosperity, charm, and
   tranquility.

   Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō, historically Tōkei^ ?, literally "Eastern capital")
   listen  is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace,
   the home of the Japanese Imperial Family, and the de facto capital of
   Japan.

   Tokyo as an administrative region, known as Tōkyō-to 東京都 or "Tokyo
   Metropolis", is one of 47 prefectures of Japan and is not administered
   as a single city. It consists of twenty-three central "special wards"
   (which were administered as Tokyo City until 1943, although no such
   city exists de jure) and many suburban cities. About 12 million people
   (10 percent of Japan's population) live within Tōkyō-to's prefectural
   boundaries.

   About 35 million people live in the Greater Tokyo Area which
   encompasses Tōkyō-to and surrounding prefectures, making it the world's
   most populous metropolitan area.

   It is considered one of the world's major global cities and a megacity.
   The word "Tokyo" may refer to Tōkyō-to as a whole, or only to the main
   urban mass under its jurisdiction (thus excluding west Tama and Izu /
   Ogasawara Islands), or even the whole of Greater Tokyo Area, depending
   on context. This article refers to Tōkyō-to unless otherwise stated.

History

   Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace.
   The general public is allowed to cross this bridge on two days of the
   year: New Year's Day and the Emperor's birthday on December 23 to greet
   the Imperial family appearing on a balcony.
   Enlarge
   Long a symbol of Tokyo, the Nijubashi Bridge at the Imperial Palace.
   The general public is allowed to cross this bridge on two days of the
   year: New Year's Day and the Emperor's birthday on December 23 to greet
   the Imperial family appearing on a balcony.

   Tokyo's rise to importance can be largely attributed to two men:
   Tokugawa Ieyasu and Emperor Meiji. In 1603, after unifying the warring
   states of Japan, Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo (now Tokyo) his base.
   As a result, the city developed rapidly and grew to become one of the
   largest cities in the world with a population topping one million by
   the 18th century. It became the de facto capital of Japan even while
   the emperor lived in Kyoto, the imperial capital. (See Edo.)

   After 263 years, the shogunate was overthrown under the banner of
   restoring imperial rule. In 1869, the figurehead 17-year-old Emperor
   Meiji moved to Edo, which was renamed "Tokyo" ("Eastern Capital") the
   year before. Tokyo was already the nation's political, economic, and
   cultural centre, and the emperor's residence made it a de facto
   imperial capital as well with the former Edo Castle becoming the
   Imperial Palace. The city of Tokyo was established, and continued to be
   the capital until it was abolished as a municipality in 1943 and merged
   with the "Metropolitan Prefecture" of Tokyo.
   Stone foundation of the main tower at Edo Castle.
   Enlarge
   Stone foundation of the main tower at Edo Castle.

   Tokyo, like Osaka, has been designed since about the turn of the
   century (1900) to be rail-centric, that is centered around major train
   stations in a high density fashion, so suburban railways were built
   relatively cheaply at street level. This differs from other world
   cities such as Los Angeles that are low density automobile centric, and
   though expressways have been built, the basic design hasn't changed to
   this day.

   Tokyo went on to suffer two major catastrophes and has recovered
   remarkably from both. One was the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, and
   the other was World War II. The firebombings in 1945 were almost as
   devastating as the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.
   Large areas of the city were flattened.

   After the war, Tokyo was completely rebuilt, and showcased to the world
   during the city's 1964 Summer Olympics. Tokyo became the largest city
   in the world in 1965 (taking the lead from New York). The 1970s brought
   new high-rise developments such as Sunshine 60, a new and controversial
   airport at Narita (well outside Tokyo), and a population increase to
   about 11 million (in the metropolitan area).

   Tokyo's subway and commuter rail network became the busiest in the
   world as more and more people moved to the area. In the 1980s, real
   estate prices skyrocketed during an economic bubble: many got rich
   quick, but the bubble burst in the early 1990s and many companies,
   banks, and individuals were caught with real estate shrinking in value.
   A major recession followed, making the 1990s Japan's " lost decade"
   from which it is now slowly recovering.

   Tokyo still sees new urban developments on large lots of less
   profitable land. Recent projects include Ebisu Garden Place, Tennozu
   Isle, Shiodome, Roppongi Hills, Shinagawa (now also a Shinkansen
   station), and Tokyo Station (Marunouchi side). Buildings of
   significance are demolished for more up-to-date shopping facilities
   such as Omotesando Hills. Land reclamation projects in Tokyo have also
   been going on for centuries. The most prominent is the Odaiba area, now
   a major shopping and entertainment centre.

   Tokyo was hit by powerful earthquakes in 1703, 1782, 1812, 1855 and
   1923. The 1923 earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 8.3, killed
   142,000 people.

   There have been various plans proposed for transferring national
   government functions from Tokyo to secondary capitals in other regions
   of Japan, in order to slow down rapid development in Tokyo and
   revitalize economically lagging areas of the country. These plans have
   been controversial within Japan and have yet to be realized.

   Due to evolution in the method in which Japanese letters are
   transliterated into their roman representation, older texts may refer
   to the city as "Tokio."

Geography and administrative divisions

   Flag of Tokyo. The sun is a stylized Kanji character of Tokyo-Nihon,
   which represents the developing capital city Tokyo. Adopted October 1,
   1964.
   Enlarge
   Flag of Tokyo. The sun is a stylized Kanji character of Tokyo-Nihon,
   which represents the developing capital city Tokyo. Adopted October 1,
   1964.
   This map shows the mainland portion of Tokyo. Colors indicate the
   twenty-three special wards and Tama. About 249 sq km of reclaimed land
   on Tokyo Bay (such as Odaiba) has been omitted for clarity. The islands
   cannot be shown at this scale.
   Enlarge
   This map shows the mainland portion of Tokyo. Colors indicate the
   twenty-three special wards and Tama. About 249 sq km of reclaimed land
   on Tokyo Bay (such as Odaiba) has been omitted for clarity. The islands
   cannot be shown at this scale.

   Tokyo Metropolis consists of three major parts: the twenty-three
   special wards (constituting the former Tokyo City); Tama area; and the
   islands.

   The mainland portion of Tokyo lies northwest of Tokyo Bay and measures
   about 90 km east to west and 25 km north to south. It borders Chiba
   Prefecture to the east, Yamanashi Prefecture to the west, Kanagawa
   Prefecture to the south, and Saitama Prefecture to the north. Mainland
   Tokyo is further subdivided into the special wards (occupying the
   eastern half) and the Tama area (多摩地方) stretching westwards.

   Also within the administrative bounaries of Tokyo Metropolis are two
   island chains in the Pacific Ocean directly south: the Izu Islands,
   which are almost parallel to the Izu Peninsula; and the Ogasawara
   Islands, which stretch more than 1,000 km away from mainland Japan.

   Under Japanese law, Tokyo is designated as a to ( 都, often translated "
   metropolis"). Its administrative structure is similar to that of
   Japan's other prefectures. Within Tokyo lie dozens of smaller entities,
   most of them conventionally referred to as cities. It includes
   twenty-three special wards (特別 区 -ku) which until 1943 comprised the
   city of Tokyo but are now separate, self-governing municipalities, each
   with a mayor and a council, and having the status of a city. In
   addition to these 23 municipalities, Tokyo also encompasses 26 more
   cities ( 市 -shi), five towns ( 町 -chō or machi), and eight villages ( 村
   -son or -mura), each of which has a local government. The Tokyo
   Metropolitan Government is headed by a publicly-elected governor and
   metropolitan assembly. Its headquarters are in the ward of Shinjuku.
   They govern all of Tokyo, including lakes, rivers, dams, farms, remote
   islands, and national parks in addition to its famous neon jungle,
   skyscrapers and crowded subways.

The twenty-three special wards

   Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku.
   Enlarge
   Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building in Shinjuku.
   The world's busiest pedestrian crossings, the scramble crossing in
   front of the Hachikō exit of Shibuya station.
   Enlarge
   The world's busiest pedestrian crossings, the scramble crossing in
   front of the Hachikō exit of Shibuya station.
   Top view of the Shibuya Crossing
   Enlarge
   Top view of the Shibuya Crossing

   The special wards (tokubetsu-ku) of Tokyo comprise the area formerly
   known as Tokyo City, usually simply known as "Tokyo". In July 1, 1943,
   Tokyo City was merged to Tokyo Prefecture (until June, 1943) (東京府,
   tokyo-fu), lost municipality status and was divided into wards.

   Each ward is a local municipality with its own elected mayor and
   assembly, differing from an ordinary city in that certain governmental
   functions are handled by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and, for
   most, also differing in having no particular centre and little cultural
   or similar distinctiveness from the immediate surroundings.

   As of September 1, 2003, the official total population of the special
   wards combined was about 8.34 million, with a population density of
   13,416 persons per square kilometer.

   The term "central Tokyo" today may refer to the special wards, the
   areas largely within the Yamanote Line loop ( Shinjuku, Toshima,
   Bunkyo, Taito, Chiyoda, Chuo, Minato, and Shibuya), or to the three
   "central wards" of Chiyoda, Chūō and Minato. While the
   generally-accepted centre of Tokyo is the Imperial Palace, as a
   rail-centric city, there are a number of major urban centers where
   business, shopping, and entertainment are concentrated around major
   train stations. These include:

   Shinjuku
          Location of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building. The area
          is best known for Tokyo's early skyscrapers, erected in the
          1970s. Major department stores, electronics stores and hotels
          can also be found here. On the east side of Shinjuku Station,
          Kabuki-cho is notorious for its many bars and nightclubs.
          Shinjuku Station moves an estimated three million passengers a
          day, making it the busiest in the world.

   Marunouchi and Otemachi
          The main financial and business district of Tokyo has many
          headquarters of banks, trading companies and other major
          corporations. The area is seeing a major redevelopment with new
          buildings for shopping and entertainment constructed in front of
          Tokyo Station's Marunouchi side.

   Ginza and Yurakucho
          Major shopping and entertainment district with department
          stores, upscale shops selling brand-name goods, and movie
          theaters.

   Shinbashi
          An area revitalized by being the gateway to Odaiba and the new
          Shiodome Shiosite complex of high-rise buildings.

   Shinagawa
          In addition to the major hotels on the west side of Shinagawa
          Station, the former sleepy east side of the station has been
          redeveloped as a major centre for business.

   Shibuya
          A long-time centre of shopping, fashion and entertainment,
          especially for the younger set. Shibuya is also home to some of
          Tokyo's largest and newest nightclubs.

   Ikebukuro
          The busiest interchange in north central Tokyo, featuring
          Sunshine City and various shopping destinations.

   Ueno
          Ueno Station serves areas north of Tokyo from where many people
          commute. Besides department stores and shops in Ameyoko, Ueno
          boasts Ueno Park, Ueno Zoo and major national museums. In
          spring, Ueno Park and adjacent Shinobazu Pond are prime places
          to view cherry blossoms.

   Odaiba
          A large, reclaimed, waterfront area that has become one of
          Tokyo's most popular shopping and entertainment districts.

   Nagatacho
          The political heart of Tokyo and the nation. It is the location
          of the Diet, government ministries, and party headquarters.

   Akasaka
          A district with a range of restaurants, clubs and hotels; many
          pedestrian alleys giving it a local neighbourhood feel. Next to
          Roppongi, Nagatacho, and Aoyama.

   Aoyama
          A neighbourhood of Tokyo with parks, an enormous cemetery,
          expensive housing, trendy cafes and international restaurants.
          Includes the Omotesando subway station.

Western Tokyo

   Satellite photo of Tokyo taken by NASA's Landsat 7.
   Enlarge
   Satellite photo of Tokyo taken by NASA's Landsat 7.

   To the west of the special wards, Tokyo Metropolis consists of cities,
   towns and villages that enjoy the same legal status as those elsewhere
   in Japan.

   While serving a role as " bed towns" for those working in central
   Tokyo, some of these also have a local commercial and industrial base.
   Collectively, these are often known as Tama Area or Western Tokyo.

Cities

   Twenty-six cities lie within the western part of Tokyo Prefecture:
     * Akiruno
     * Akishima
     * Chōfu
     * Fuchu
     * Fussa
     * Hachioji
     * Hamura
     * Higashikurume
     * Higashimurayama
     * Higashiyamato
     * Hino
     * Inagi
     * Kiyose

                        * Kodaira
                        * Koganei
                        * Kokubunji
                        * Komae
                        * Kunitachi
                        * Machida
                        * Mitaka
                        * Musashimurayama
                        * Musashino
                        * Nishi-tokyo
                        * Ome
                        * Tachikawa
                        * Tama

   The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has designated Hachioji, Tachikawa,
   Machida, Ome and Tama New Town as regional centres of the Tama area, as
   part of their plans to disperse urban functions away from central
   Tokyo.

Districts, towns and villages

   The far west is occupied by the district (gun) of Nishitama. Much of
   this area is mountainous and unsuitable for urbanization. The highest
   mountain in Tokyo, Mount Kumotori, is 2,017 m high; other mountains in
   Tokyo include Mount Takasu (1737 m), Mount Odake (1266 m), and Mount
   Mitake (929 m). Lake Okutama, on the Tama River near Yamanashi
   Prefecture, is Tokyo's largest lake.
     * Hinode
     * Mizuho
     * Okutama
     * Hinohara

Islands

   The Izu Islands (south) are part of Tokyo Prefecture.
   Enlarge
   The Izu Islands (south) are part of Tokyo Prefecture.

   Tokyo's outlying islands extend as far as 1850 km from central Tokyo.
   Because of the islands' distance from the city, they are locally run by
   branches of the metropolitan government. Most of the islands are
   classified as villages.

Izu Islands

   The Izu Islands are a group of volcanic islands and form part of the
   Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The islands in order from closest to
   Tokyo are:
     * Izu Oshima
     * Toshima
     * Niijima
     * Shikinejima
     * Kozushima

                    * Miyakejima
                    * Mikurajima
                    * Hachijojima
                    * Aogashima

Ogasawara Islands

     * Ogasawara— Ogasawara includes, from north to south, Chichi-jima,
       Nishinoshima, Haha-jima, Kita Iwo Jima, Iwo Jima, and Minami Iwo
       Jima. Ogasawara also administers two tiny outlying islands: Minami
       Torishima, the easternmost point in Japan and at 1,850 km the most
       distant island from central Tokyo, and Okino Torishima, the
       southernmost point in Japan. The last island is contested by the
       People's Republic of China as being only uninhabited rocks. The Iwo
       chain and the outlying islands are uninhabited, except of Japanese
       Self-Defense Forces personnel. Local populations are only found on
       Chichi-jima and Haha-jima.

National Parks

   There are four national parks in Tokyo Prefecture:
     * Chichibu Tamakai National Park, in Nishitama and spilling over into
       Yamanashi and Saitama Prefectures
     * Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park, around Mount Takao to the
       south of Hachioji.
     * Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park, which includes all of the Izu
       Islands.
     * Ogasawara National Park. As of 2006, efforts were being made to
       make Ogasawara National Park a UNESCO natural World Heritage Site.

Economy

   Tokyo has the largest metropolitan economy in the world: its nominal
   GDP of around US$1.315 trillion is greater than Canada's economy, which
   is the 8th largest in the world. It is a major international finance
   centre, is site of the headquarters of several of the world's largest
   investment banks and insurance companies, and serves as a hub for
   Japan's transportation, publishing, and broadcasting industries.

   During the centralized growth of Japan's economy following World War
   II, many large firms moved their headquarters from cities such as Osaka
   (the historical commercial capital) to Tokyo, in an attempt to take
   advantage of better access to the government. This trend has begun to
   slow due to ongoing population growth in Tokyo and the high cost of
   living there.

   Tokyo was rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the most
   expensive (highest cost-of-living) city in the world for 14 years in a
   row ending in 2006. Note that this is for living a Western corporate
   executive lifestyle. Many Japanese get by fine on a budget in Tokyo,
   underpinning the high national savings rate.

   The Tokyo Stock Exchange is the second largest in the world currently
   by market capitalization of listed shares, at more than $4 trillion.
   Only the New York Stock Exchange is larger. However, its prominence has
   fallen significantly since early 1990's asset bubble peak, when it
   accounted for more than 60 percent of the entire world's stock market
   values.

   Tokyo had 8,460 ha (20,900 acres) of agricultural land as of 2003 ,
   according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries,
   placing it last among the nation's prefectures. The farmland is
   concentrated in Western Tokyo. Perishables such as vegetables, fruits,
   and flowers can be conveniently shipped to the markets in the eastern
   part of the prefecture. Japanese leaf spinach and spinach are the most
   important vegetables; as of 2000, Tokyo supplied 32.5% of the Japanese
   leaf spinach sold at its central produce market.

   With 36% of its area covered by forest, Tokyo has extensive growths
   cryptomeria and Japanese cypress, especially in the mountainous western
   communities of Akiruno, Ome, Okutama, Hachioji, Hinode, and Hinohara.
   Decreases in the price of lumber, increases in the cost of production,
   and advancing old age among the forestry population have resulted in a
   decline in Tokyo's output. In addition, pollen, especially from
   cryptomeria, is a major allergen for the nearby population centers.

   Tokyo Bay was once a major source of fish. Presently, most of Tokyo's
   fish production comes from the outer islands, such as Izu Ōshima and
   Hachijōjima. Skipjack tuna, nori, and aji are among the ocean products.

Demographics

   As one of the major cities of the world, Tokyo has over eight million
   people living within its 23 wards, and during the daytime, the
   population swells by over 2.5 million as workers and students commute
   from adjacent areas. This effect is even more pronounced in the three
   central wards of Chiyoda, Chūō, and Minato, whose collective population
   is less than 300,000 at night, but over two million during the day.

   CAPTION: Population of Tokyo Prefecture

            By area^1

                         Tokyo Prefecture
                         Special wards
                         Tama Area
                         Islands

                                             12.36 million
                                             8.34 million
                                             4 million
                                             27,000
             By age^2

                         Juveniles (age 0-14)
                         Working (age 15-64)
                         Retired (age 65+)

                                             1.433 million (12%)
                                             8.507 million (71.4%)
                                             2.057 million (16.6%)
            By hours^3

                         Day
                         Night

                                             14.667 million
                                             12.017 million
          By nationality

                         Foreign residents

                                             353,826^4

          ^1 as of October 1, 2003.
          ^2 as of January 1, 2003.
          ^3 as of 2000.
          ^4 as of January 1, 2005.

   The five most common foreign nationalities found in Tokyo are Chinese
   (120,331), Korean (103,191), Philippine (31,505), American (18,043) and
   British (7,585).

Transportation

   JR Yamanote Line.
   Enlarge
   JR Yamanote Line.
   Map of Tokyo Subway system, with transfer stations labeled.
   Enlarge
   Map of Tokyo Subway system, with transfer stations labeled.

   Tokyo is Japan's largest domestic and international hub for rail,
   ground, and air transportation. Public transportation within Tokyo is
   dominated by an extensive network of clean and efficient, if often very
   crowded trains and subways run by a variety of operators, with buses,
   monorails and trams playing a secondary role. Railway stations are not
   only transport, but the centre of Tokyo and Japanese urban life, as
   everything is judged in relation to it, taking on the significance of
   highways in the United States and elsewhere.

   Within Tokyo, Tokyo International Airport ("Haneda") offers mainly
   domestic flights. Outside Tokyo, Narita International Airport, in
   Narita, Chiba Prefecture, is the major gateway for international
   travelers.

   Rail is the primary mode of transportation in Tokyo, which has the most
   extensive urban railway network in the world and an equally extensive
   network of surface lines. JR East operates Tokyo's largest railway
   network, including the Yamanote Line loop that circles the centre of
   downtown Tokyo. Tokyo Metro and Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of
   Transportation operate the subway network. The metropolitan government
   and private carriers operate bus routes. Local, regional, and national
   services are available, with major terminals at the giant railroad
   stations, including Tokyo and Shinjuku.

   Expressways link the capital to other points in the Greater Tokyo area,
   the Kantō region, and the islands of Kyūshū and Shikoku.

   Taxis operate in the special wards and the cities and towns.
   Long-distance ferries serve the islands of Tokyo and carry passengers
   and cargo to domestic and foreign ports.

Education

   Being the nation's centre of education, Tokyo has many universities,
   junior colleges, and vocational schools. Many of Japan's most
   prestigious universities are in Tokyo. The most prestigious is the
   University of Tokyo. Other schools include Keio University,
   Hitotsubashi University, and Waseda University.

Universities

   Tokyo also has a few universities well-known for classes instructed in
   English. They include International Christian University, Sophia
   University, and Temple University Japan. Tokyo has an array of Japanese
   universities. National universities include Tokyo Medical and Dental
   University, University of Electro-Communications, Tokyo Institute of
   Technology and University of Tokyo. There is only one public
   university, the Tokyo Metropolitan University, and Private Universities
   include, Asia University, Tokyo University of Science, Toyo University
   and Seijo University. For an extensive list of universities in Tokyo,
   see List of universities in Tokyo.

Primary and secondary schools

   Publicly run kindergartens, elementary schools (years 1 through 6), and
   junior high schools (7 through 9) are operated by local wards or
   municipal offices. Public high schools in Tokyo are run by the Tokyo
   Metropolitan Government Board of Education and are called "Metropolitan
   High Schools". Tokyo also has a great number of privately run schools
   from kindergarten through high school. For a list of high schools in
   Japanese, see .

Culture

   The Meiji Shrine was built as a memorial to Emperor Meiji, who ruled
   Japan from 1867 to 1912. Located west of central Tokyo, the shrine is
   sorrounded by wooded grounds that feature thousands of trees from all
   over Japan.
   Enlarge
   The Meiji Shrine was built as a memorial to Emperor Meiji, who ruled
   Japan from 1867 to 1912. Located west of central Tokyo, the shrine is
   sorrounded by wooded grounds that feature thousands of trees from all
   over Japan.

   Tokyo is known for its many museums. Located in Ueno Park are the Tokyo
   National Museum, the country's largest museum and specializing in
   traditional Japanese art; the National Museum of Western Art; and the
   Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum, which contains collections of Japanese
   modern art as well as over 10,000 Japanese and foreign films. Ueno Park
   also contains the National Museum of Science and the municipal zoo.
   Other museums include the Nezu Art Museum in Aoyama; the Edo-Tokyo
   Museum in the Sumida Ward across the Sumida River from the centre of
   Tokyo; and the National Diet Library, National Archives, and the
   National Museum of Modern Art which are located near the Imperial
   Palace.

   Tokyo is the national centre of performing arts as well. There are many
   theatres in the city in which traditional forms of Japanese drama (like
   nō and kabuki as well as modern dramas. Symphony orchestras and other
   musical organizations perform Western and traditional music.
   People enjoying the cherry blossoms in Ueno Park.
   Enlarge
   People enjoying the cherry blossoms in Ueno Park.

   Tokyo is home to many different festivals that occur throughout the
   city. Major festivals draw people from all over the city including the
   Sanno Festival at Hie Shrine, and the Sanja Festival at Asakusa Shrine.
   Many Japanese cities hold festivals called matsuri. The Kanda Matsuri
   in Tokyo is held every two years in May. The festival features a parade
   with elaborately decorated floats and thousands of people. Annualy on
   the last Saturday of July, a enormous fireworks display is held over
   the Sumida River and it attracts over 1 million viewers. Once cherry
   blossoms bloom in spring, many residents gather in parks such as Ueno
   Park, Inokashira Park, and the Shinjuku Gyöen National Gardens for
   picnics under the beautiful cherry trees.

Tourism

   Tokyo has many tourist sightseeing, cultural and sport attractions.
   These include famous temples, shrines, annual festivals and events,
   parks, scenic views, popular shopping and nightlife districts. Cultural
   highlights of Tokyo include museums, concert halls, and theaters.

Sister relationships

   Tokyo has sister relationships with several places worldwide:
     * People's Republic of China Beijing, China
     * Germany Berlin, Germany
     * Egypt Cairo, Egypt
     * Algeria Algiers, Algeria
     * United Kingdom Scotland Glasgow, Scotland, United Kingdom
     * Indonesia Jakarta, Indonesia
     * United Kingdom England London, England, United Kingdom
     * India Mumbai, India

     * Russia Moscow, Russia
     * United States New Orleans, United States
     * Australia Sister state with New South Wales, Australia
     * United States New York City, United States
     * France Paris, France
     * Italy Rome, Italy
     * Brazil São Paulo, Brazil
     * South Korea Seoul, South Korea

   In addition, many of the wards and cities within Tokyo maintain
   sister-city relationships with other foreign cities.

   The Wako department store in Ginza

   Skyline of Ginza

   Skyline of Shibaura and Odaiba

   Skyline of Shinjuku

   Rainbow bridge

   Kabukiza Theatre

   National Diet Building, centre of Japanese politics

   Shinjuku Station, the world's busiest station

   Tokyo Station, one of the main terminal stations in Japan

   Tokyo Station from above

   Meiji Shrine

   Shibuya Crossing

   Retrieved from " http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo"
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