50 Fun Facts About Tokyo

What was Tokyo called before 1868?

Edo, meaning 'estuary', was the city's name until 1868, when Emperor Meiji moved his court there from Kyoto and renamed it Tokyo.

The name Tokyo literally means what?

It follows the East Asian habit of putting the character for 'capital' in a capital's name, as in Kyoto, Beijing and Nanjing.

Which shogun made Edo the seat of his government in 1603?

Tokugawa Ieyasu, named shogun in 1603, governed from Edo while the emperor stayed in Kyoto as nominal ruler; his dynasty held power there until 1868.

Who fortified Edo with a castle in 1457, on the site of today's Imperial Palace?

Ota Dokan built Edo Castle in 1457 and was assassinated in 1486; the fortress passed to the Uesugi and then the Hojo before Tokugawa Ieyasu took it after the 1590 siege of Odawara.

Which American commodore's 1853 arrival ended Japan's seclusion and set Edo on the road to Tokyo?

Commodore Matthew C. Perry's 'black ships' anchored off Uraga in July 1853; the 1854 Convention of Kanagawa then opened Shimoda and Hakodate to American vessels.

The Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 killed an estimated how many people in Edo?

The Meireki fire of 1657 killed an estimated 100,000 people and burned most of Edo, including the castle keep; the shogunate created its first standing fire brigades the next year.

On what date did the Great Kanto Earthquake strike?

The Great Kanto Earthquake struck at 11:58 am on 1 September 1923, as lunch fires were burning; quake and firestorm killed roughly 105,000 people across Tokyo, Yokohama and the surrounding region.

The 1923 earthquake wiped out what share of Japan's economic output?

Damage from the 1923 earthquake was estimated at about 37 percent of Japan's GDP; the collapse of brick and timber buildings pushed Tokyo toward reinforced-concrete, earthquake-resistant construction.

Which Tokyo subway line, opened in 1927, was the first in Asia?

The Ginza Line's first stretch, Ueno to Asakusa, opened on 30 December 1927 as Asia's first subway; Tokyo's second line, the Marunouchi, did not follow until 1954.

In 1943 the city merged with its surrounding prefecture to form what?

Tokyo City and Tokyo Prefecture were abolished on 1 July 1943 and merged into the Tokyo Metropolis (Tokyo-to), which is why Tokyo has a governor and assembly rather than a city mayor.

The US firebombing of 9-10 March 1945, codenamed Operation Meetinghouse, is described as what?

Operation Meetinghouse is called the deadliest bombing raid in history: about 16 square miles of Tokyo burned and some 100,000 civilians died in one night, more than in the Dresden or Hamburg firestorms.

How many special wards make up central Tokyo?

Central Tokyo is made up of 23 special wards, consolidated from 35 in 1947; each calls itself a 'city' in English but works more like a London borough.

Which special ward holds the National Diet Building and the Imperial Palace?

Chiyoda ward contains the Imperial Palace, the National Diet Building and the Kasumigaseki ministries; the metropolitan government sits in Shinjuku instead.

Tokyo's most distant island, Minami Torishima, lies how far from the city centre?

Minami Torishima lies about 1,850 km southeast of central Tokyo yet belongs to Ogasawara village; it is Japan's easternmost point, and Okinotorishima, also Tokyo, is the southernmost.

What is the highest mountain within Tokyo's boundaries?

Mount Kumotori, 2,017 m, on the border of Tokyo, Saitama and Yamanashi, is Tokyo's highest point; Mount Fuji, about 100 km southwest, lies in Shizuoka and Yamanashi.

Tokyo's latitude of about 35.65 degrees north puts it further south than which of these cities?

Tokyo lies south of Rome (41.90), New York (40.71) and Beijing (39.91), which surprises people who picture it as a northern city.

The Greater Tokyo Area had how many residents as of 2025?

The UN's 2025 estimate put the Tokyo agglomeration at about 33 million people, third in the world behind Jakarta and Dhaka; Tokyo Metropolis itself holds about 14 million.

Tokyo Skytree stands 634 metres tall; why that number?

In Japanese numeric wordplay 6 is mu, 3 is sa and 4 is shi; the height was raised from a planned 610 m to claim the record.

Tokyo Skytree was completed on which unusual date in 2012?

Construction of Tokyo Skytree finished on 29 February 2012, a leap day; the tower opened to the public on 22 May 2012 as the world's tallest tower at 634 m.

Tokyo Tower, completed in 1958, was modelled on which Paris landmark?

Tokyo Tower copied the Eiffel Tower's lattice form; at 333 m it stood 9 m taller than the Paris original yet weighed about 3,300 tons less, and it is repainted every five years.

Up to how many people can cross Shibuya Crossing during a single green light?

As many as 3,000 people cross Shibuya Crossing on a single green light, which is why it is called the world's busiest pedestrian crossing; the scramble halts traffic in every direction at once.

Shinjuku Station, the world's busiest, handled how many passengers a day in 2018?

Guinness certifies Shinjuku as the world's busiest station at an average 3.59 million passengers a day in 2018; the complex has more than 200 exits.

The Yamanote Line, which loops around central Tokyo, has how many stations?

The Yamanote Line has 30 stations since Takanawa Gateway opened in 2020; the 34.5 km loop takes about an hour, and only Mejiro and Shin-Okubo lack a connecting line.

The first Shinkansen line opened in 1964 between Tokyo and which city?

The Tokaido Shinkansen linked Tokyo and Shin-Osaka on 1 October 1964, nine days before the Olympics opened, covering the 552.6 km route in four hours.

Tokyo Station opened in which year?

Tokyo Station opened on 20 December 1914; its red-brick Marunouchi facade, designed by Tatsuno Kingo, faces the Imperial Palace while the Yaesu side faces the other way.

Senso-ji, Tokyo's oldest temple, is dedicated to which figure?

Legend says two fisherman brothers pulled a statue of Kannon from the Sumida River in 628.

Meiji Shrine, dedicated in 1920, honours Emperor Meiji and whom?

Meiji Shrine enshrines Emperor Meiji and his consort Empress Shoken, who died in 1914; it sits in a 70-hectare forest in Shibuya ward grown from about 100,000 donated trees.

Which airport in Ota ward handles most of Tokyo's domestic flights?

Haneda Airport, on Tokyo Bay in Ota ward, opened in 1931 and handles most domestic flights; Narita, which opened in 1978, lies about 60 km away in Chiba Prefecture.

The 1964 Tokyo Olympics were the first Games staged where?

Tokyo 1964 was the first Olympics held in Asia; the Games were also the first telecast live overseas by satellite and the first from which apartheid South Africa was excluded.

Why were the 1964 Olympics held in October rather than summer?

The 2020 Games ignored the lesson and were held in the July-August heat, then postponed by a pandemic.

Which venue, built for judo at the 1964 Games, staged judo and karate at Tokyo 2020?

The Nippon Budokan was built for judo's Olympic debut in 1964 and staged judo and karate at Tokyo 2020; in between it became a rock venue, hosting the Beatles in 1966.

Which sports made their Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020?

Skateboarding, surfing, sport climbing and karate all debuted at Tokyo 2020; the first three stayed on for Paris 2024 while karate was dropped. Baseball and softball also returned for one Games.

Tokyo Dome, home of the Yomiuri Giants, was originally nicknamed what?

Tokyo Dome was nicknamed 'The Big Egg' for its white air-supported roof; it opened in March 1988 as Japan's first domed stadium, with about 42,000 seats.

Tokyo Disneyland, opened in 1983, was the first Disney park where?

Tokyo Disneyland was the first Disney park outside the United States; it is owned by the Oriental Land Company under licence and sits in Urayasu, Chiba Prefecture, just outside Tokyo.

Akihabara earned the nickname Electric Town for being what after World War II?

After 1945 Akihabara became a black market for radio parts and then a hub for household electronics, earning the name Electric Town; from the 1990s its shops shifted toward anime, manga and games.

Which Tokyo district is known internationally as the centre of Japanese youth fashion?

Harajuku's backstreets Takeshita Street and Cat Street draw the crowds; Ginza, by contrast, is the upmarket shopping district.

The famous Tsukiji fish market closed in 2018 and moved its wholesale operations where?

Toyosu Market opened on 11 October 2018 as the world's largest wholesale fish market, serving some 50,000 traders a day.

When Michelin published its first Tokyo guide in 2007, how many stars did it award?

The 2008 Tokyo guide, published in November 2007, awarded 191 stars to 150 restaurants, including eight three-star kitchens, roughly double the total for Paris.

Hachiko, whose statue stands outside Shibuya Station, was what breed of dog?

Hachiko was an Akita, born in Odate in 1923; he kept returning to Shibuya Station to wait for Professor Hidesaburo Ueno for almost ten years after his master's death in 1925.

Who directed the original 1954 Godzilla, in which the monster levels Tokyo?

Ishiro Honda directed Godzilla (1954) for Toho, with Eiji Tsuburaya handling the effects; the film premiered in Nagoya on 27 October 1954 before its national release on 3 November.

In Lost in Translation, Bill Murray's fading movie star is in Tokyo to advertise what?

Bob Harris is in Tokyo to shoot a Suntory whisky commercial ('For relaxing times, make it Suntory time'); Sofia Coppola set much of the film at the Park Hyatt Tokyo after staying there.

The Bank of Japan's head office, completed in 1896, stands in which Tokyo district?

The Bank of Japan's neo-baroque head office, designed by Tatsuno Kingo and finished in 1896, stands in Nihonbashi on the site of the Edo-era gold mint, the kinza.

Which city ended Tokyo's 14-year run as the world's most expensive city in 2006?

The Economist Intelligence Unit's 2006 cost-of-living survey put Oslo ahead of Tokyo, which had topped the ranking for 14 years; Tokyo's later slide down the list tracked the yen's weakness.

Which architect designed the Yoyogi National Gymnasium and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building?

Kenzo Tange designed both the Yoyogi National Gymnasium for the 1964 Games and the twin-towered Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, completed in 1991; Kurokawa built the Nakagin Capsule Tower, Kuma the 2020 Olympic stadium.

Ueno Zoo, Japan's oldest zoo, opened in which year?

Ueno Zoo opened on 20 March 1882 as Japan's first zoo; it received its first giant pandas, Kang Kang and Lan Lan, in 1972 after Japan normalised relations with China.

The Ogasawara Islands, part of Tokyo, were under whose control until 1968?

The United States administered the Ogasawara (Bonin) Islands, including Iwo Jima, from 1945 until returning them to Japan on 26 June 1968, four years before Okinawa.

Which economist governed Tokyo for 12 years from 1967, bringing free elderly healthcare?

Ryokichi Minobe, a Marxist economist, was governor from 1967 to 1979 and made medical care free for Tokyo residents over 70 in 1969; Ishihara later introduced Japan's first emissions cap, and Koike took office in 2016.

Which bridge, opened in 1993, links Shibaura with the Odaiba waterfront across Tokyo Bay?

The Rainbow Bridge, a 798 m suspension bridge opened in August 1993, carries road traffic, the Yurikamome line and walkways from Shibaura to Odaiba and is lit in changing colours at night.

Roughly what share of Tokyo Metropolis is covered by forest?

Forest covers 36%; cryptomeria and Japanese cypress dominate the mountainous west, and cryptomeria pollen is a major allergen for the city.

Which line is the sole survivor of Tokyo's once 213 km Toden tram network?

Only the Arakawa line remains; motorisation from the 1950s made trams seem unfit to share the city's busy roads.