Tokyo City Characteristics
Japan is located on the east coast of Honshu, which is the largest island in Japanese archipelago. It is the capital city of Japan and has been since 1868. Before then, Tokyo had been named Edo and Kyoto was the capital, but during the Meiji Restoration the imperial court moved there and it was renamed Tokyo, meaning ‘eastern capital’.
When people talk about Tokyo, they could be talking about Metropolitan Tokyo or the city of Tokyo. Metro Tokyo is the four prefectures of Tokyo, Saitaima, Kanagawa and Chiba. It also includes Yokohama, western mountain regions, the Izu Islands outside Tokyo Bay and the Bonin Islands. Usually, the city of Tokyo refers to the 23 wards in the Tokyo prefecture itself. One of the major differences between the two is the population. Metro Tokyo only has 13 million people, while the city of Tokyo has 30 million. Public transport is an important part of Tokyo, with an extensive system of underground subways and bus routes used very much by both people travelling to and from work and tourists. Almost all flights from abroad land in Narita at New Tokyo International Airport and though it is a fair way from central Tokyo, there are a few trains going to and from the airport and the city. Since the Meiji Restoration, people in Tokyo have had the same education system as the rest of Japan – elementary schooling was made compulsory for children starting at 8 years old. From this system, one of the world’s most educated and literate populations has been produced. While private schools in Tokyo do exist, nearly all Japanese students go to public schools. Also, Tokyo has the highest concentration of universities in Japan. A major sport in Tokyo is baseball, with 6 teams in the area and 2 of those teams, the Tokyo Giants and Nippon Ham Fighters play in Japan’s first indoor stadium - the Tokyo Dome. Many people in Tokyo also play golf, though they have to travel 2 hours outside the city to the club. The centre of Japan’s national sport, sumo, in Tokyo is Ryokugo Kokugikan. Performing arts is a big part of Tokyo’s culture, with the likes of the Rolling Stones and Mariah Carey performing in the Tokyo dome. Many kinds of dance, theatre and music are also presented, some evolved from many years ago but some more recent. Puppetry and opera are some of the more unique arts in Tokyo. There are many things to do and see in Tokyo such as Disneyland, the Tokyo Tower, and Imperial Palace which is the residence of Japan’s imperial family. Tokyo Tower has been a telecommunications hub and tourist attraction since it opened in 1958. It has 2 observation decks and 360° views of the city, Mount Fuji and many other landmarks. Japan’s leading industrial centre is Tokyo, and different areas manufacture a range of different products including book printing, cars and furniture. The Sumida River is used to export many electronic products overseas. Tokyo is also the centre of Japan’s management and finance. Tokyo benefited from the economic boom in japan in the 1980s when land prices and the yen increased significantly. By the early 1990s the economy had levelled out but real estate remained expensive. Later, in 1999, Japan began recovering from the recession that had been the longest and most severe since World War 2. |