Tokyo metropolis

Tokyo metropolis - Capital of Japan since 1869. Previous national capital was Kyoto, which means that emperors lived in Kyoto till 1869.

There are two international airports for Tokyo metropolis. Narita airport(NRT), the primary international airport which serves both flagship carriers and LCC. NRT is located in Narita, Chiba prefecture, which is 70 km away from downtown Tokyo.

The second international airport serving for Tokyo is Haneda airport(HND). HND is the busiest airport in Japan, handles most of the domestic flights for Tokyo. Although there are numerous international flights flying in and out from Haneda, there is no LCC flight.

Then, Tokyo is made up by 23 special wards, 26 cities, 5 towns and 8 villages. It is one of the 47 prefectures or first level administrative divisions in Japan. The population is 14.26 million(September 2025). The density is approximately 6500 persons/km2. The population and the density are both top in Japan.

Sesoji temple in Asakusa district of Taito special ward.

23 special wards - In Japan, "I am going to Tokyo next week" does not mean that I am going to Tokyo metropolis next week but going to 23 special wards. Therefore, 23 special wards is the proper Tokyo. Population is 9.93 million, density 15708 persons/km2. The most popukous special ward is Setagaya, which is 0.94 million inhabitants but most of the inhabitants commute to other special wards such as Chiyoda, Chuo, Shinjuku, Shibuya, Minato and Bunkyo.

Shibuya crossing, Shibuya special ward

Imperial palace East gardens

Next, there are 26 cities which are located in Tokyo metropolis. These cities are considered as suburbs of Tokyo and most of the inhabitants commute to 23 special wards by trains daily. On the other hand, there are many cities which are worth to visit, including Fuchu.

Then, there are 5 towns and 8 villages located in Tokyo metropolis, but only 3 towns and 1 village are located in Honshu island. Where are 2 towns and 7 villages located? We will talk about these towns and villages in near future.