About Tokyo
Tokyo, which in English means the 'Eastern Capital', is the capital of Japan. It is considered the capital of Japan because it houses the Japanese government and the Japanese emperor. It is one of the most developed and advanced cities as well as a major tourist destination of the world.
Tokyo was originally known as Edo. It was renamed to Tokyo in the year 1867. Tokyo is situated in the Kanto region of Japan. It occupies an area of 2,187.08 sq km. It was small fishing village, which later became the home to the Japanese Imperial dynasty. The Tokyo metropolis consists of three main parts, which include 23 special wards, the Tama Area and the islands. Located in the center of the Japanese archipelago, the city is bordered by the Edogawa River, Tamagawa River, Chiba Prefecture, Yamanashi Prefecture, Kanagawa Prefecture and the Saitama Prefecture.
Tokyo is also one of the 47 prefectures (ken) of Japan. Under Japanese law, Tokyo is a metropolis (to), not a city. The Metropolis of Tokyo consists of 23 wards (ku) and 62 municipalities. The time zone of Tokyo is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.
The population of Tokyo according to the census of 2006 is 12,678,395. The density of population in Tokyo is 5796 per sq km.
The literacy rate in Tokyo is about 99 %. The people of Tokyo follow the religions of Buddhism, Shinto and Christianity.
The Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport are two major airports in Tokyo. Tourists from outside Tokyo can avail flights from major airports of other countries to reach Tokyo. For tourists from countries like Canada, USA, France, Britain and Singapore staying in Japan up to 90 days do not require a visa to travel to Tokyo. Visas required to visit Tokyo can be obtained from the consulates and embassies of Japan.
The currency of Tokyo is Yen. Tourists visiting this city in Japan should carry a decent amount of cash to make their payments at hotels and restaurants, as credit cards are not always accepted by many organizations.
Among the cities in Japan, Tokyo is the largest one. The geographical coordinates of Tokyo are 35 degree 41 minute North latitude and 139 degree 46 minute East longitude.