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Tokyo Compendium : |
 Tokyo
: Brief Background |
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Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the largest
cities of the world with a population of 12.29-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.
Located geographically at about the center of the Japanese
archipelago and in the southern part of the Kanto area,
Tokyo shares borders with Chiba prefecture to the east along
the Edogawa River, Yamanashi to the west along a mountain
range, Kanagawa in the south along the Tamagawa River, and
Saitama in the north. Being 2187 km? in area, the metropolis
occupies only 0.6% of the national land, the third smallest
of the 47 administrative divisions of the country.
As the land unfolds from east to west, there are hills,
plateaus, and mountains scattered around the city. Small
as it is, Tokyo's geographical features are rich in variety,
comprising low lands of only four meters above the sea-level
and mountainous areas of over 2000 meters. In addition,
it must be noted that certain volcanic islands in the Pacific
such as the Izu and Ogasawara Islands also are part of Tokyo.
The administrative district includes 23 wards , which are
specially designated, 26 cities, five towns and eight villages.
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| Tokyo
: The Islands Area |
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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.
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| Tokyo
: The 23 Wards Area |
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The ward area is 621Km2 in area, where 8.29-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.
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| Tokyo
: The Tama Area |
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The Tama area of 1160 Km2 is inhabited by about 4-million
people. Blessed with abundant nature, it is located in a very
convenient area, taking only about an hour or so for commuters
to reach the city center by train. For this reason, there
are quite a few residential areas in Tama that are developing
into new towns with facilities encompassing educational, cultural,
commercial, and entertainment spheres in addition to housing.
Okutama, in the northwest, is a popular vacationland, full
of mountains, lakes, and valleys. It features natural tourist
resources for hiking, camping, and viewing autumnal leaves
and limestone caves.
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