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Capital and most populous city in Japan
Photo: Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Equal in status to the other 46 prefectures, the whole of Tokyo Metropolis is designated the capital of Japan. However, when people think of "Tokyo", they're generally thinking of the 23 special wards that form the core of the sprawling metropolitan area.
The suburban cities outside the core wards.
Contains a large number of small islands, some over 1,000 km from the mainland.
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Tokyo · International · HND
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Tokyo can be broadly divided into the "23 special wards", "Tama region" and "Islands". This article is about the 23 special wards of Tokyo, which corresponds to what many think of as the "city of Tokyo".
Akishima (昭島市 Akishima Shi) is a small city in western Tokyo, with a population of about 113,000 people (2020). The city is known for its pure water and lush greenery.
Chofu (調布市 Chōfu-shi) is a western suburb of Tokyo, and the main draws are Jindaiji Temple and Jindai Botanical gardens. These twin attractions are next to each other, making a reasonable day trip from central Tokyo.
Fuchu (府中 Fuchū-shi) is a suburban city of Tokyo.
Hachioji (八王子市 Hachiōji-shi) is in the western part of Tokyo, with a population of about 575,000 people (2025). Home to Mount Takao which surprised the locals by suddenly getting 3 stars on the Guide Michelin in 2007.
Inagi (稲城市 Inagi-shi) is a suburban city in the western portion of Tokyo Metropolis.
Kodaira (小平市 Kodaira-shi) is a city in Tokyo Prefecture.
Koganei (小金井市 Koganei-shi) is a city in western Tokyo.
Kokubunji (国分寺市 Kokubunji-shi) is a city in western Tokyo.
Kunitachi (国立市 Kunitachi-shi) is a city in western Tokyo. The naming of Kunitachi comes from its location: sandwiched between Kokubunji (国分寺) and Tachikawa (立川), the first kanji in each city was combined to create a new name.
Machida (町田市 Machida-shi) is a city in Tokyo Prefecture, Japan. The city is west of Tokyo's 23 downtown wards, bordering on Kanagawa.
Mitaka (三鷹市 Mitaka-shi) is a city in western Tokyo.
Musashino (武蔵野市 Musashino-shi) is a city in western Tokyo.
Nishitokyo (西東京市 Nishitōkyō-shi) is a city in western Tokyo.
Okutama (奥多摩) is a mountainous region along the Tama River, at the extreme western end of Tokyo.
Tachikawa (立川市 Tachikawa-shi) is a city in western Tokyo.
Tama (多摩市 Tama-shi) is a western suburban city of Tokyo. One of the first things you see on arrival at Tama Center train station is a glowing sign proclaiming "Tama is Hello Kitty's Town".
The Izu Islands (伊豆諸島 Izu-shotō) are a chain of volcanic islands scattered over several hundred kilometers south of Tokyo, Japan.
The Ogasawara Islands (小笠原諸島 Ogasawara-shotō) are an archipelago of over 30 subtropical and tropical islands. Almost the whole area of the islands is included in the Ogasawara National Park.
Articles and travel topics about Tokyo (prefecture) and Japan.
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