Theme Week Tokyo
Monday, 24 January 2022 - 12:00 pm (CET/MEZ) Berlin | Author/Destination: Asia / Asien General , Bon voyage , Theme Weeks
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Shibuya Crossing © Takuya Matsuyama/cc-by-3.0
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Tokyo, historically known in the west as
Tokio and officially the
Tokyo Metropolis (
Tōkyō-to ), is the capital, the largest city, and the most populous metropolitan area in the Greater Tokyo Area, the Kantō region, and Japan, as well as the most populous metropolitan area in the world and most populous
prefecture of Japan . Located at the head of
Tokyo Bay , the prefecture forms part of the
Kantō region on the central Pacific coast of
Japan ‘s main island of
Honshu . Tokyo is the political and economic center of the country, as well as the seat of the
Emperor of Japan and the
national government . As of 2021 the prefecture has an estimated population of 14.04 million. The
Greater Tokyo Area is the
most populous metropolitan area in the world, with an estimated 38.5 million residents.
Originally a fishing village, named Edo , the city became a prominent political center in 1603, when it became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate . By the mid-18th century, Edo was one of the most populous cities in the world at over one million. Following the end of the shogunate in 1868, the imperial capital in Kyoto was moved to the city, which was renamed Tokyo (literally “eastern capital”). Tokyo was devastated by the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake , and again by Allied bombing raids during World War II . Beginning in the 1950s, the city underwent rapid reconstruction and expansion, going on to lead Japan’s post-war economic recovery . Since 1943, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government has administered the prefecture’s 23 special wards (formerly Tokyo City ), various bed towns and suburbs in the western area, and two outlying island chains .
Ogasawara National Park, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage © Anagounagi/cc-by-sa-4.0
Tokyo is the
largest urban economy in the world by gross domestic product, and is categorized as an
Alpha+ city by the
Globalization and World Cities Research Network . Part of an industrial region that includes the cities of
Yokohama ,
Kawasaki , and
Chiba , Tokyo is Japan’s leading center of business and finance. In 2019, it hosted 36 of the
Fortune Global 500 companies. In 2020, it ranked fourth on the
Global Financial Centres Index , behind
New York City ,
London , and
Shanghai . Tokyo has the world’s tallest tower,
Tokyo Skytree , and the world’s largest underground floodwater diversion facility,
MAOUDC . The
Tokyo Metro Ginza Line is the oldest underground metro line in East Asia (1927).
The city has hosted multiple international events, including the
1964 Summer Olympics and
Paralympics , the postponed
2020 Summer Olympics and
Paralympics and three G7 Summits (1979, 1986, and 1993). Tokyo is an international center of
research and development and is represented by several major
universities , notably the
University of Tokyo .
Tokyo Station is the central hub for Japan’s
Shinkansen bullet train system, and the city is served by an extensive network of rail and subways.
Shinjuku Station is also the world’s busiest train station. Notable districts of Tokyo include
Chiyoda (the site of the
Imperial Palace ),
Shinjuku (the city’s administrative center), and
Shibuya (a commercial, cultural and business hub).
Here you can find the complete
Overview of all Theme Weeks .
Read more on
Tokyo ,
Architecture of Tokyo ,
History of Tokyo ,
Tokyo Food Guide (
Japanese cuisine part of the UNESCO Intangible Heritage),
Wikivoyage Tokyo and
Wikipedia Tokyo . Learn more about the
use of photos . To inform you about latest news most of the city, town or tourism websites offer a newsletter service and/or operate Facebook pages/Twitter accounts. In addition more and more destinations, tourist organizations and cultural institutions offer Apps for your Smart Phone or Tablet, to provide you with a mobile tourist guide (
Smart Traveler App by U.S. Department of State -
Weather report by weather.com -
Global Passport Power Rank -
Travel Risk Map -
Democracy Index -
GDP according to IMF, UN, and World Bank -
Global Competitiveness Report -
Corruption Perceptions Index -
Press Freedom Index -
World Justice Project - Rule of Law Index -
UN Human Development Index -
Global Peace Index -
Travel & Tourism Competitiveness Index ). If you have a suggestion, critique, review or comment to this blog entry, we are looking forward to receive your e-mail at
comment@wingsch.net . Please name the headline of the blog post to which your e-mail refers to in the subject line.
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