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 Greater
Tokyo Area
The Tokyo Megalopolis Region,
or Greater Tokyo Area, is made up of Tokyo and three neighboring
prefectures, namely Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba. This is home
to almost 35 million people or approximately 26% of Japan's total
population of 125 million.
The governed prefecture of Tokyo
Metropolis comprised of smaller administrative bodies, special
wards and municipalities. The most populated area is divided
into 23 special wards ("ward" is "ku" in
Japanese) and Western Tama, which is made up of 26 cities (shi),
3 towns (cho) and 1 village (son).
Tokyo's 23 special wards and surrounding
suburbs, together, form a long narrow stretch of land running
about 90 kilometers east to west and 25 kilometers north and
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 overall population of Tokyo
is approximately 12.5 million (as of September 1, 2005), comprising
a land mass of approximately 2,187 square kilometers.
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Twenty-three
special wards
There are 23 special wards
which represent Tokyo's most valuable real estate and most densely
populated area. These are designated as the most prestigious
addresses to acquire amongst Japanese and foreigners alike. This
area is commonly referred to as the central metropolitan area.
The 5 wards, colored in yellow on the map, designate the heart
of central Tokyo. There you will find the most popular shopping
zones, headquarters of most major Japanese companies, foreign
company corporate headquarters and offices, government offices,
The Imperial Palace, embassies and other prime real estate. Compared
to other wards, population in the five central wards drops-off
in evening hours, and then densely re-populates during business
hours. Population density is influenced by daily worker/ visitor
commute patterns, to-and-from this most prestigious "who's
who" area. Property ownership in the 5 wards area is a status
symbol, it indicates the attainment of some of the most highly
sought after real estate; the most expensive addresses in Japan. |
