Tokyo Travel Guide

Tokyo is the capital of Japan.

At over 12 million people in the official metropolitan area alone, Tokyo is the core of the most populated urban area in the world, Greater Tokyo. This huge, wealthy and fascinating metropolis brings high-tech visions of the future side by side with glimpses of old Japan, and has something for everyone.

Huge and varied in its geography, with over 2,000 square kilometers to explore, Tokyo prefecture 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 near the bay, while the western cities and the islands are covered in a separate article.

The geography of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote Line. The center of Tokyo -- the former area reserved for the Shogun and his samurai -- lies within the loop, while the Edo-era downtown is to the north and east. Sprawling around in all directions and blending in seamlessly are Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba,... (more)

The geography of central Tokyo is defined by the JR Yamanote Line. The center of Tokyo -- the former area reserved for the Shogun and his samurai -- lies within the loop, while the Edo-era downtown is to the north and east. Sprawling around in all directions and blending in seamlessly are Yokohama, Kawasaki and Chiba, Tokyo's suburbs.

Over 400 years old, the city of Tokyo grew from the modest fishing village of Edo. The former seat of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the Imperial family moved to the city after the Meiji Restoration in 1868. The metropolitan center of the country, Tokyo is the destination for business, education, modern culture, and government.

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