Sensō-ji & Asakusa
Tokyo's oldest temple (founded 645), the Kaminarimon thunder gate, and the Nakamise shopping street to the main hall.
Open in Maps ↗Prefecture profile · 都道府県
Tokyo 東京都
Japan's capital and the largest metropolitan economy on Earth — a galaxy of districts that each function as its own city, from the imperial moat at Marunouchi to the maid cafés of Akihabara to the surf breaks of Hachijōjima 287 km offshore.
Capital
Shinjuku (de facto)
Population
14.0 million (prefecture); 37 million (metro)
Area
2,194 km²
Region
Kantō
History
Tokyo was a fishing village called Edo until 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu made it the seat of his shogunate. Over the next 250 years the planned city ballooned to ~1 million people — the largest city in the world by 1720 — built on infill canals, daimyō estates, and a famously walkable grid.
The Meiji emperor moved the imperial seat from Kyoto to Edo in 1868 and renamed the city Tokyo ('Eastern Capital'). Western architecture, parliamentary government, universities, and railways arrived in a single generation. Two catastrophes — the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and the 1945 firebombings — leveled the city; each time it was rebuilt at a larger scale.
Postwar Tokyo's identity was set by the 1964 Olympics (Tōkaidō Shinkansen, Metropolitan Expressway, Tokyo Tower) and the bubble-era explosion of finance and fashion. The 2020-postponed-to-2021 Olympics, the post-pandemic reopening, and a fast-growing inbound-tourism economy now define its 21st-century rhythm.
Economy & business
Tokyo's prefectural GDP is around ¥115 trillion (US$780 billion) — by itself, the world's largest metropolitan economy, ahead of New York and London. The economy is unusually balanced across financial services (the city hosts the world's third-largest stock exchange), corporate HQs (51 of the Global Fortune 500 are headquartered here), creative industries, hospitality, and high-end retail.
Key industries
Financial services
Tokyo Stock Exchange (~5,000 listings), the BOJ, three megabanks, and most of Japan's insurance and asset-management industry.
Corporate HQs
51 of the Global Fortune 500 are headquartered in Tokyo — more than any city outside Beijing.
Creative & media
Anime, fashion, advertising, broadcasting — Akihabara, Shibuya, Aoyama, and the Shimbashi-Roppongi belt.
Hospitality & tourism
~30 million international visitors annually pre-pandemic; the Michelin Guide gives Tokyo more stars than any other city on Earth (~200).
Higher education & R&D
University of Tokyo, Waseda, Keio + corporate R&D campuses — the densest academic-industrial network in Japan.
Notable companies
Toyota (sales HQ)SonyHitachiMitsubishi UFJ Financial GroupSoftBankNintendo (Tokyo office)Uniqlo (Fast Retailing)RecruitMercariRakuten
Trade partners
United StatesChinaSouth KoreaTaiwanGermanyUnited Kingdom
Tourism highlights
Shibuya Crossing
The world's busiest pedestrian crossing — peaks at ~2,500 people per signal cycle.
Open in Maps ↗Tsukiji Outer Market & Toyosu Auctions
Tsukiji's outdoor market is intact for retail; Toyosu's inner wholesale market hosts the famous early-morning tuna auctions.
Open in Maps ↗Meiji Jingū
Forested shrine dedicated to the Meiji emperor and empress — 700,000 trees from across Japan, planted by volunteers in the 1920s.
Open in Maps ↗Ghibli Museum (Mitaka)
Hayao Miyazaki's eccentric museum; tickets sell out months in advance.
Open in Maps ↗Ogasawara Islands
1,000 km south of central Tokyo — UNESCO-inscribed 'Galapagos of the Orient,' 24 hours by overnight ferry, no flights.
Open in Maps ↗Did you know
Tokyo's metro area economy (~US$2.1 trillion) is the world's largest by GDP — bigger than the entire economies of Spain or Russia.
Greater Tokyo's 37 million residents make it the most populous urban area on Earth by a wide margin (Delhi, the second-largest, is ~33 million).
Tokyo Prefecture extends 1,000 km south to the Ogasawara Islands; Hahajima village in the Ogasawaras is administratively Tokyo even though it sits closer to Guam than to Shinjuku.
About Tokyo — Frequently asked
What is the capital of Tokyo?
The capital of Tokyo is Shinjuku (de facto).
What region of Japan is Tokyo in?
Tokyo is part of the Kantō region of Japan.
What are Tokyo's main industries?
Tokyo's key industries include Financial services, Corporate HQs, Creative & media, Hospitality & tourism.
What are the top tourist attractions in Tokyo?
Top attractions in Tokyo include Sensō-ji & Asakusa, Shibuya Crossing, Tsukiji Outer Market & Toyosu Auctions, Meiji Jingū.
What major companies are based in Tokyo?
Notable companies headquartered in Tokyo include Toyota (sales HQ), Sony, Hitachi, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, SoftBank.
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