Friday, September 08, 2006

Tokyo Photo Gallery : Governor visits Tama Zoological Park.



On August 11, Governor Ishihara visited Tama Zoological Park in Hino City. Recently ranked in a magazine poll as the most popular must-visit zoo in Japan, the number of visitors has been on the rise as a result of the zoo's efforts to create innovative wildlife enclosures. The Governor spent about one hour strolling around the zoo and also experienced feeding the giraffes. Asked about his impressions, the Governor said, "The zoo has obviously put a lot of thought into building these enclosures. I now realize the importance of these kinds of spaces."

Information Tokyo Photo Gallery : Governor visits Tama Zoological Park.

Tokyo Photo Gallery : Sakura Trees in Full Bloom !



Daigaku-Dori, or University Avenue, runs south from JR Kunitachi Station. Selected as one of the "One Hundred New Scenic Spots in Tokyo," the street is lined with around 200 sakura cherry trees and 100 gingko trees. In spring and autumn, passers-by enjoy the avenue's wonderful natural scenery. With this year's cherry blossom season starting later than usual, the trees along Daigaku-Dori finally came into full bloom on April 7. Enticed by the balmy breeze, many Tokyo residents spread their picnic lunches under the trees to enjoy the long-awaited sakura season.

Information Tokyo Photo Gallery : Sakura Trees in Full Bloom !

Tokyo Photo Gallery : Wildflowers in Full Bloom.

The metropolitan Symbol Promenade Park in Tokyo's Waterfront City is abloom with colorful wildflowers in the spring and autumn seasons. From mid to the end of May, some 20 million poppies, cornflowers, and other wildflowers vie for attention. The Tokyo Waterfront City Wildflower Festival was held on the final Saturday and Sunday of that month, which included an event in which participants were able to pluck flowers to take home.

Information Tokyo Photo Gallery : Wildflowers in Full Bloom.

Tokyo Photo Gallery : Yellow Carpet Rolled Out in the City.




Warm spring sunlight bathed the Hamarikyu Gardens in Chuo-ku on March 27, several days after the spring equinox. Against a backdrop of skyscrapers, some 300,000 rape blossom flowers were in full bloom in the 3,000 square meter field, resembling a stunning yellow carpet. This beautiful sight of spring in full glory drew exclamations of admiration from the visitors to the garden. Because the flowers were late in blooming this year, they can be enjoyed until around mid April.

Information Tokyo Photo Gallery : Yellow Carpet Rolled Out in the City.

Administrative Areas of Tokyo.

Information Administrative Areas of Tokyo : Tokyo Metropolitan Government

Thursday, September 07, 2006

Geography of Tokyo.

Tokyo Metropolis is located in the southern Kanto region, positioned in approximately the center of the Japanese archipelago. It is bordered to the east by the Edogawa River and Chiba Prefecture, to the west by mountains and Yamanashi Prefecture, to the south by the Tamagawa River and Kanagawa Prefecture, and to the north by Saitama Prefecture.

The Tokyo Megalopolis Region, or Greater Tokyo Area, is made up of Tokyo and the three neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Kanagawa and Chiba. This area is home to around 26% of Japan's total population. The National Capital Region is made up of Tokyo and the seven surrounding prefectures of Saitama, Kanagawa, Chiba, Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki and Yamanashi.

Tokyo Metropolis is a metropolitan prefecture comprising smaller administrative bodies, special wards and municipalities. The "central" area is divided into 23 special wards (ku in Japanese), and the western Tama area is made up of 26 cities (shi), 3 towns (cho) and 1 village (son). The 23 special-ward area and the Tama area together form a long, narrow stretch of land, running about 90 kilometers east to west and 25 kilometers north and south. The Izu Islands and the Ogasawara Islands, two island groups in the Pacific Ocean, are also administratively part of Tokyo, despite being geographically separated from the metropolis. The islands have between them 2 cho and 7 son.

The overall population of Tokyo is about 12.54 million (as of September 1, 2005), and the area is about 2,187 square kilometers. The climate is generally mild.

The 23 Special-ward Area

The total area covers about 621 square kilometers. The population has been showing an upward trend, with 8.45 million residents - a population density of about 13,603 persons per square kilometer - as of September 1, 2005.

Commercial and business facilities are heavily concentrated in the 23 special-ward area. This part of Tokyo has a substantial transportation network, which makes for convenient transit and shopping within the area. But there are many challenges that must be addressed: An increase in offices and other business facilities has led to a decline in its functionality as a place to reside. Spaces to ensure comfortable residence are disappearing as a consequence of less waterfront areas and greenery. Great concerns exist about earthquake disasters in areas with heavy concentration of wooden housing. Delays are seen in development of urban infrastructure such as roads in wards on the periphery of the 23 special- ward area.
The Tama Area

The Tama Area covers about 1,160 square kilometers. Its population, like that of the ward area, has been showing a slight increase, reaching 4.06 million - a population density of about 3,501 persons per square kilometer - as of September 1, 2005.

This area is urbanized as it is adjacent to the ward area, and also full of good natural environment such as waterfront areas and greenery. Moreover, strong industrial capability and rich human resources made available through the concentration of universities, high-tech industries and research institutes, make this area a region with high potential for an array of developments. The Tama area is taking on an increasingly important position within not only Tokyo Metropolis, but the entire Tokyo Megalopolis Region as well. At the same time, however, it faces issues such as delayed development of urban infrastructure including roads and railways, and reduction of the natural environment as a result of developments.
The Islands

The Islands have a total area of about 406 square kilometers. The island population is continuing to fall and currently stands at 26,000 (as of September 1, 2005), with a population density of 65 persons per square kilometer.

This area possesses a rich natural environment abundant with marine resources. However, the islands are small, geographically isolated, financially weak, and are faced with the important task of improving living conditions through development of the marine and air transportation network and medical care. There is a shortage of future labor to carry on with the agriculture and fisheries industries, which support the island economies, as young people leave the islands and aging of the population advances. Tourism also remains sluggish due to the continuing transportation problems and the changing demands of tourism.

Information Geography of Tokyo : Tokyo Metropolitan Government

History of Tokyo.

The history of the city of Tokyo stretches back some 400 years. Originally named Edo, the city started to flourish after Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate here in 1603. As the center of politics and culture in Japan, Edo grew into a huge city with a population of over a million by the mid-eighteenth century. Throughout this time, the Emperor resided in Kyoto, which was the formal capital of the nation. The Edo Period lasted for nearly 260 years until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, when the Tokugawa Shogunate ended and imperial rule was restored. The Emperor moved to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo. Thus, Tokyo became the capital of Japan.

During the Meiji era (1868-1912), Japan began its avid assimilation of Western civilization. Buildings made of stone and bricks were built on the sites of the mansions of feudal lords, and the roads of major cities were paved with round stones. In 1869, Japan's first telecommunications line was opened between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the first steam locomotive started running in 1872 from Shimbashi to Yokohama. Western hairstyles replaced the traditional topknot worn by men, and bowler hats, high collars and bustled skirts were the height of fashion. In 1882, Japan's first zoological gardens were opened in Ueno. In 1885, the cabinet system of government was adopted and Ito Hirobumi became Japan's first prime minister. With the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1889, Japan established the political system of a modern nation-state.

During the Taisho era (1912-1926), the number of people working in cities increased, and an increasing proportion of citizens began to lead consumer lifestyles. Educational standards improved, and the number of girls going on to study at higher schools increased. Performing arts such as theater and opera thrived.

In September 1923, Tokyo was devastated by the Great Kanto Earthquake. The fires caused by the earthquake burned the city center to the ground. Over 140,000 people were reported dead or missing, and 300,000 houses were destroyed. After the earthquake a city reconstruction plan was formulated, but because the projected costs exceeded the national budget only a small part of it was realized.

Beginning shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Showa era (1926-1989) started in a mood of gloom. Even so, Japan's first subway line was opened between Asakusa and Ueno in 1927, and in 1928 the first general elections for the House of Representatives of the Diet (or Parliament) were held. In 1931 Tokyo Airport was completed at Haneda, and in 1941 the Port of Tokyo was opened. By 1935, the number of people living in Tokyo had grown to 6.36 million, comparable to the populations of New York and London.

However, the Pacific War which broke out in 1941 had a great impact on Tokyo. The dual administrative system of Tokyo-fu (prefecture) and Tokyo-shi (city) that had existed was abolished to pursue the war, and the prefecture and city were merged to form the Metropolis of Tokyo in 1943. The metropolitan administrative system was thus established and a governor was appointed. In the final phase of World War II, Tokyo was bombed 102 times. The heaviest air raid was on March 10, 1945, in which there was great loss of life and material damage. The war came to an end on August 15, 1945 when Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. Much of Tokyo had been laid waste by the bombings and by October 1945 the population had fallen to 3.49 million, half its level in 1940.
photo

In May 1947, the new Constitution of Japan and the Local Autonomy Law took effect, and under the new system, Seiichiro Yasui was elected the first Governor of Tokyo by popular vote under the new system. In August of that year, the present 23 special-ward system* began in Tokyo Metropolis.

The 1950s were a time of gradual recovery for the nation. Television broadcasting began in 1953, and Japan joined the United Nations in 1956. Economic recovery was aided in particular by the special procurement boom arising from the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950. This led to Japan's entry into a period of rapid economic growth in the 1960s. Due to technological innovations and the introduction of new industries and technologies, this period saw the beginning of mass production of synthetic fibers and household electric appliances such as televisions, refrigerators and washing machines. As a result, the everyday lives of the residents of Tokyo underwent considerable transformation. In 1962, the population of Tokyo broke the 10 million mark. In 1964, the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo, the Shinkansen ("Bullet Train") line began operations, and the Metropolitan Expressway was opened, forming the foundation for Tokyo's current prosperity.

Entering the 1970s, the strain of rapid economic growth became apparent as the country was beset by environmental issues such as pollution of the air and rivers, as well as high levels of noise pollution. The Oil Crisis of 1973 brought the many years of rapid economic growth to a halt.

In the 1980s, Tokyo took large steps in economic growth as a result of its increasingly internationalizing economic activity and the emergence of the information society. Tokyo became one of the world's most vital major cities, boasting attractions such as cutting-edge technology, information, culture and fashion, as well as a high level of public safety. On the other hand, these rapid developments led to a slew of urban problems such as environmental degradation, traffic congestion and insufficient disaster preparedness. From 1986 onwards, land and stock prices spiraled upwards, a phenomenon known as the "bubble economy."

Japan enjoyed tremendous growth under the bubble economy, but with the burst of the bubble at the beginning of the 1990s, sinking tax revenues caused by the protracted economic slump led to a critical state in metropolitan finances. At this beginning of the 21st century, Tokyo now stands at a historical turning point. Through implementation of a diversity of pioneering policies, Tokyo seeks to overcome the crisis it faces and create the attractive city it envisages.

Information History of Tokyo : Tokyo Metropolitan Government