Tokyo's Hidden Pacific Island | OGASAWARA ★ ONLY in JAPAN
Far out to sea from the city of Tokyo, over 1,000 kilometers away are Tokyo's hidden islands called the Ogasawaras. Few tourists have ever heard of them. It's off the tourist radar. Why?
There is no plane ー only a 24 hour ferry ride from Takeshiba Port in the city to Chichijima once a week. When you make a trip to the Ogasawaras (also known as the Bonin Islands) you make a commitment to stay for a while. What you find on the other side is a tropical island paradise that many call the Galapagos of the East.
The deep blue water here even has its own name ー Bonin Blue.
Most of the islanders can speak native English and this is where Chichijima's history comes in.
In 1830, Nathaniel Savory came from Hawaii with about 30 colonists to settle on an island known as the Bonins.
The island was made up of American, Europeans and Pacific Islanders - a diverse island in Japan.
In 1853, Commodore Perry of the US Navy stopped here with the Black ship on his way to Edo (Tokyo) to open up Japan and made Nathaniel Governor of the island.
In 1862 Japan claimed the islands and renamed in Ogasawara in 1876. After World War II, the US took possession of the island and returned it to Japan in 1968. Now, the islands are an example of how a diverse Japanese island can live peacefully together.
In this episode we'll explore the jungles, cross the island by motorcycle, learn the history and see why this is the most amazing island you've never heard about.
★ RULES on Ogasawara you should know:
▷ DRONE use on the island is strictly prohibited ◁
You must use drones from off shore, not on land.
I used my drone from a boat which is permitted. Unlawful Drone use is against the law and you may be fined.
▷ 7:45 to 8:12 ◁
This area is prohibited and off limits.
Please do not enter this building.
▶︎ HOW TO GET TO OGASAWARA (Chichijima)
There is only one way - ferry
It's about $250 each way / 1000km / 24 hours
WHERE DID I STAY?
▶︎ Townhouse Mitsu
▶︎ Eco Village Pelan
RESERVE 1 months in advance!
★ More about Ogasawara / Chichijima
Thank you to Kenny at Townhouse Mitsu, Mana-san (the island's best photographer and professional fixer), Rance at Yankeetown, Yokoyama-san at the Ogasawara Tourism office and Okubo-san at Visit Ogasawara office in Tokyo. I could not make this episode without you and hope to see you again soon.
See more from a recent visit of mine to Aogashima, another Tokyo Volcanic Island:
Aogashima is the Jurassic Park of Japan - this island will amaze you! It's amazed YouTube viewers 3 million times!
Music credit:
Ross Bugden - Music - THE END SONG!
♩♫ Happy and Inspirational Music ♪♬ - Bedtime Stories
(Thank you for sharing your beautiful music with us Ross!)
URL:
Dark Hallway by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
Attack of the Mole Men - Stings by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
ONLY in JAPAN is a registered trademark and all rights are reserved.
This show has been created and produced by John Daub ジョン・ドーブ. He's been living and working in Japan for over 20 years and regularly reports on TV for Japan's International Channel.
#tokyo #ogasawara #onlyinjapan
Best Attractions and Places to See in Ogasawara mura, Japan
Ogasawara-mura Travel Guide. MUST WATCH. Top things you have to do in Ogasawara-mura . We have sorted Tourist Attractions in Ogasawara-mura for You. Discover Ogasawara-mura as per the Traveler Resources given by our Travel Specialists. You will not miss any fun thing to do in Ogasawara-mura .
This Video has covered Best Attractions and Things to do in Ogasawara-mura .
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List of Best Things to do in Ogasawara-mura , Japan
Mimamishima
Chichijima Island
Ogasawara Ocean Center
Kominato Beach
Anijima Seto Undersea Park
Mt. Mikadukiyama Observation deck
Hahajima Island
Kopepe Beach
Ogasawara Visitor Center
VERA Ogasawara Station
Tokyo Scuba Diving Adventure | OGASAWARA ★ ONLY in JAPAN
Japan is known for sushi, ninja, Mt. Fuji, and the bullet train but let's not forget ーJapan is an island! In fact, Tokyo has some of the best scuba diving in Japan in an area known as Ogasawara, the Galapagos of the East. It's a 24 hour ferry ride from the city into the Pacific, 1000 km (600 miles) away. Since it's only accessible by boat (no flights) it's become a paradise for scuba divers with marine life and amazing visibility that will make you rethink leaving your scuba gear at home!
★ Where is Ogasawara? It's in Tokyo! (sort of)
Chichijima is the main island with port and most diving is down from town.
★ How to get to Ogasawara
By Ferry (tickets)
In this episode I dived with FISH EYE
URL:
They have a hotel with meals and several dive packages.
How Much is Scuba Diving in Japan?
2 Boat Dives 16,800 yen ($150)
Full Scuba Gear Rental 6,480 yen ($60)
Check out the other Tokyo Island adventures:
▶︎ AOGASHIMA:
▶︎ OGASAWARA:
Special thank you to Ogasawara Tourism Association:
Music credit:
Creeping To Ship - The Descent by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
Halls of the Undead by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
Dreams Become Real by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
Gagool by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
ONLY in JAPAN is a registered trademark. All rights are reserved. This show has been created and produced by John Daub ジョン・ドーブ. He's been living and working in Japan for over 21 years and regularly reports on TV for Japan's International Channel.
【ビジネス関連のお問い合わせは agency@wao-corp.comへ】
Tokyo's Secret Island Paradise | AOGASHIMA ★ ONLY in JAPAN
Jurassic Park may be the first thing that comes to mind when you see Aogashima Island from the air - but yes, THIS IS TOKYO!
It's famous for having a volcano inside a volcano surrounded by dense jungle. It's also considered the smallest town in Japan and the hardest place in Japan to get to. There is no direct transportation to Aogashima. These facts are what make Aogashima the best kept secret in Tokyo!
★ The Ogasawara video is out!
Travel 1000km further for Tokyo's distant island paradise!
The island is unspoiled.
The pristine jungles and beautiful ocean views are like scenes from the movies.
HOW TO GET TO AOGASHIMA
Air
▶︎ Haneda Airport (Tokyo) to Hachijojima / 50 minutes
▶︎ Helicopter to Aogashima - 20 minutes / 11,530 Yen
Note: You have to take the first flight to catch the helicopter or spend the night. Only 1 helicopter flight per day.
Sea (Ferry)
▶︎ Takeshiba Pier (Tokyo) to Hachijojima 11-12 hours / Tokai Kisen Line /
▶︎ Hachijojima to Aogashima / 3 hours / Izu Shoto Kaihatsu Line
Note: The ferry to Aogashima is often canceled so don't rely on this if you need to be back to Tokyo for a flight etc. It can be delayed for as long as 1 week depending on weather!
WHY IS THIS THE HARDEST PLACE TO GET TO?
The town is located 200 meters up off the sea. There is no airport and this island is only accessible by helicopter and ferry. The port is one of the most challenging to dock at in the world so when the sea is rough or the wind is too strong, ferries are often canceled. Visitors may be stranded here for a week or more if the weather turns bad.
MUST SEE PLACES on AOGASHIMA
★ Ao-Chu Shochu distillery
★ Aogashima heliport
★ The volcanic island steamer (for lunch)
★ The island sauna
★ Oyamatenbo Park (Observation Area) for the view over the crater and the sky at night
★ Aogashima Port
★ Maruyama & Shrine
FOOD TO TRY
★ Torinabe (Chicken Soup Pot)
★ Ashitaba (an island leaf / herb that's used in cooking)
★ Island fish in season
Note: you can ask your inn about trying these at scheduled meals
THINGS TO NOTE ABOUT VISITING AOGASHIMA
1) You must have a reservation to stay somewhere before arriving. Lodging is limited. Call ahead, even for camping.
2) There is an ATM at the post office but come with cash just in case
3) Helicopters are often sold out a month in advance. Ferry tickets are easy to get but your departure date may not be convenient.
4) Walking is possible everywhere but many tourists rent a car. Other tourists may pick you up if you hitchhike. It takes 80 minutes to walk from the heliport to Aogashima pier.
URL:
▶︎ Aogashima's Official Page
▶︎ Tokyo's Island Helicopter Service (Online Reservations)
▶︎ Ao-chu (青酎) Aogashima Island Shochu Brand
(Hotel / Inn) Onyado Tomotame / 御宿為朝 telephone: +81 4996-9-0410 owner: Kyoko-san (Japanese only)
▶︎ Aogashimamura Camping Ground telephone: 04996-9-0111
email contact: kankou@vill.aogashima.tokyo.jp
Special thank you to Akira-san, Yoshino-san, Kyoko-san and Moemi-san and all the kind residents of Aogashima who made me feel a part of the island family!
I stayed on the island from July 23 to July 30.
Drone scenes shot with the DJI MAVIC PRO
Music Credits:
▷ TEKNOAXE (love his stuff)
Jungle - a Royal Feast / Bedtime Story Adventures - Piano/Background
▷ Groovy Baby by Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Artist:
▷ Out of the Skies, Under the Earth by Chris Zabriskie is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (
Source:
Artist:
▷ SUBTITLES: If you'd like to help out and submit a subtitle in your language, I'd really appreciate it so we can reach more people! THANK YOU! You'll be listed as a collaborator for this video too :) -john
This show has been created and produced by John Daub ジョン・ドーブ. He's been living and working in Japan for over 19 years and regularly reports on TV for Japan's International Channel.
Takaurazome in Hahajima
母島で初めてのtakakurazomeです
miyazaki takachiho yokagura 1 2
Melody Road on Futami district in Nago city (JAPAN UPDATE)
Its magical load that you listen Nago city's traditional song Futami Jouwa while driving this road. Its really fun!
Map:
Tokyo | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Tokyo
00:03:52 1 Etymology
00:05:05 2 History
00:05:14 2.1 Pre-1869 (Edo period)
00:07:28 2.2 1869–1943
00:08:36 2.3 1943–present
00:12:29 3 Geography
00:14:28 3.1 Special wards
00:16:19 3.2 Tama Area (Western Tokyo)
00:16:52 3.2.1 Cities
00:17:18 3.2.2 Nishi-Tama District
00:18:14 3.3 Islands
00:20:10 3.4 National parks
00:21:09 3.5 Seismicity
00:21:18 3.5.1 Common seismicity
00:22:13 3.5.2 Infrequent powerful quakes
00:22:58 3.6 Climate
00:25:53 4 Cityscape
00:27:03 5 Environment
00:28:38 6 Demographics
00:29:53 7 Economy
00:34:57 8 Transportation
00:37:33 9 Education
00:40:04 10 Culture
00:42:24 11 Sports
00:44:26 12 In popular culture
00:45:42 13 International relations
00:46:07 13.1 Sister cities, sister states, and friendship agreements
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō, ; Japanese: [toːkʲoː] (listen)), officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to), one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, has served as the Japanese capital since 1869. As of 2014, the Greater Tokyo Area ranked as the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The urban area houses the seat of the Emperor of Japan, of the Japanese government and of the National Diet. Tokyo forms part of the Kantō region on the southeastern side of Japan's main island, Honshu, and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo was formerly named Edo when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city as his headquarters in 1603. It became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (東京市, Tōkyō-shi).
Tokyo is often referred to as a city but is officially known and governed as a metropolitan prefecture, which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo.
The 23 Special Wards of Tokyo were formerly Tokyo City. On July 1, 1943, it merged with Tokyo Prefecture and became Tokyo Metropolis with an additional 26 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture, and the Izu islands and Ogasawara islands south of Tokyo. The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of Tokyo Metropolis exceeding 13.8 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area called the Greater Tokyo Area with over 38 million people and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy. As of 2011, Tokyo hosted 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world at that time. Tokyo ranked third (twice) in the International Financial Centres Development Index. The city is home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Tokyo ranks first in the Global Economic Power Index and third in the Global Cities Index. The GaWC's 2008 inventory classified Tokyo as an alpha+ world city – and as of 2014 TripAdvisor's World City Survey ranked Tokyo first in its Best overall experience category (the city also ranked first in the following categories: helpfulness of locals, nightlife, shopping, local public transportation and cleanliness of streets). As of 2015 Tokyo ranked as the 11th-most expensive city for expatriates, according to the Mercer consulting firm, and also the world's 11th-most expensive city according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's cost-of-living survey. In 2015, Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle. The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo was ranked first out of all sixty cities in the 2017 Safe Cities Index. The QS Best Student Cities ranked Tokyo as the 3rd-best city in the world to be a university student in 2016 and 2nd in 2018.
Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1979 G-7 summit ...
Tokyo | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:04:10 1 Etymology
00:05:29 2 History
00:05:38 2.1 Pre-1869 (Edo period)
00:08:02 2.2 1869–1943
00:09:16 2.3 1943–present
00:13:29 3 Geography
00:15:37 3.1 Special wards
00:17:37 3.2 Tama Area (Western Tokyo)
00:18:15 3.2.1 Cities
00:18:43 3.2.2 Nishi-Tama District
00:19:44 3.3 Islands
00:21:48 3.4 National parks
00:22:51 3.5 Seismicity
00:23:00 3.5.1 Common seismicity
00:23:59 3.5.2 Infrequent powerful quakes
00:24:48 3.6 Climate
00:28:00 4 Cityscape
00:29:14 5 Environment
00:30:58 6 Demographics
00:32:20 7 Economy
00:37:48 8 Transportation
00:40:35 9 Education
00:43:22 10 Culture
00:45:52 11 Sports
00:48:03 12 In popular culture
00:49:26 13 International relations
00:49:52 13.1 Sister cities, sister states, and friendship agreements
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.87934487435504
Voice name: en-GB-Wavenet-B
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō, ; Japanese: [toːkʲoː] (listen)), officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to), one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, has served as the Japanese capital since 1869. As of 2014, the Greater Tokyo Area ranked as the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The urban area houses the seat of the Emperor of Japan, of the Japanese government and of the National Diet. Tokyo forms part of the Kantō region on the southeastern side of Japan's main island, Honshu, and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo was formerly named Edo when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city as his headquarters in 1603. It became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (東京市, Tōkyō-shi).
Tokyo is often referred to as a city but is officially known and governed as a metropolitan prefecture, which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo.
The 23 Special Wards of Tokyo were formerly Tokyo City. On July 1, 1943, it merged with Tokyo Prefecture and became Tokyo Metropolis with an additional 26 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture, and the Izu islands and Ogasawara islands south of Tokyo. The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of Tokyo Metropolis exceeding 13.8 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area called the Greater Tokyo Area with over 38 million people and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy. As of 2011, Tokyo hosted 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world at that time. Tokyo ranked third (twice) in the International Financial Centres Development Index. The city is home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Tokyo ranks first in the Global Economic Power Index and third in the Global Cities Index. The GaWC's 2008 inventory classified Tokyo as an alpha+ world city – and as of 2014 TripAdvisor's World City Survey ranked Tokyo first in its Best overall experience category (the city also ranked first in the following categories: helpfulness of locals, nightlife, shopping, local public transportation and cleanliness of streets). As of 2015 Tokyo ranked as the 11th-most expensive city for expatriates, according to the Mercer consulting firm, and also the world's 11th-most expensive city according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's cost-of-living survey. In 2015, Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle. The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo was ranked first out of all sixty cities in the 2017 Safe Cities Inde ...
Tokyo | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
00:05:15 1 Etymology
00:06:49 2 History
00:06:58 2.1 Pre-1869 (Edo period)
00:09:57 2.2 1869–1943
00:11:27 2.3 1943–present
00:16:40 3 Geography
00:19:16 3.1 Special wards
00:21:42 3.2 Tama Area (Western Tokyo)
00:22:26 3.2.1 Cities
00:22:59 3.2.2 Nishi-Tama District
00:24:10 3.3 Islands
00:26:44 3.4 National parks
00:28:00 3.5 Seismicity
00:28:08 3.5.1 Common seismicity
00:29:21 3.5.2 Infrequent powerful quakes
00:30:18 3.6 Climate
00:34:16 4 Cityscape
00:35:47 5 Environment
00:37:53 6 Demographics
00:39:31 7 Economy
00:46:21 8 Transportation
00:49:48 9 Education
00:52:09 10 Culture
00:55:16 11 Sports
00:58:04 12 In popular culture
00:59:44 13 International relations
01:00:15 13.1 Sister cities, sister states, and friendship agreements
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
Listen on Google Assistant through Extra Audio:
Other Wikipedia audio articles at:
Upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
Speaking Rate: 0.7504042670543587
Voice name: en-US-Wavenet-E
I cannot teach anybody anything, I can only make them think.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō, English: , Japanese: [toːkʲoː] (listen); lit. Eastern Capital), officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to), one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, has served as the Japanese capital since 1869. As of 2014, the Greater Tokyo Area ranked as the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The urban area houses the seat of the Emperor of Japan, of the Japanese government and of the National Diet. Tokyo forms part of the Kantō region on the southeastern side of Japan's main island, Honshu, and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo was formerly named Edo when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters in 1603. It became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (東京市, Tōkyō-shi). Tokyo is often referred to as a city but is officially known and governed as a metropolitan prefecture, which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo.
The 23 Special Wards of Tokyo were formerly Tokyo City. On July 1, 1943, it merged with Tokyo Prefecture and became Tokyo Metropolis with an additional 26 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture, and the Izu islands and Ogasawara islands south of Tokyo. The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of Tokyo Metropolis exceeding 13.8 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area called the Greater Tokyo Area with over 38 million people and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy. As of 2011, Tokyo hosted 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world at that time. Tokyo ranked third (twice) in the International Financial Centres Development Index. The city is home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Tokyo ranks first in the Global Economic Power Index and third in the Global Cities Index. The GaWC's 2008 inventory classified Tokyo as an alpha+ world city – and as of 2014 TripAdvisor's World City Survey ranked Tokyo first in its Best overall experience category (the city also ranked first in the following categories: helpfulness of locals, nightlife, shopping, local public transportation and cleanliness of streets). As of 2015 Tokyo ranked as the 11th-most expensive city for expatriates, according to the Mercer consulting firm, and also the world's 11th-most expensive city according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's cost-of-living survey. In 2015, Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle. The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo was ranked first out of all sixty cit ...
Tokyo | Wikipedia audio article
This is an audio version of the Wikipedia Article:
Tokyo
Listening is a more natural way of learning, when compared to reading. Written language only began at around 3200 BC, but spoken language has existed long ago.
Learning by listening is a great way to:
- increases imagination and understanding
- improves your listening skills
- improves your own spoken accent
- learn while on the move
- reduce eye strain
Now learn the vast amount of general knowledge available on Wikipedia through audio (audio article). You could even learn subconsciously by playing the audio while you are sleeping! If you are planning to listen a lot, you could try using a bone conduction headphone, or a standard speaker instead of an earphone.
You can find other Wikipedia audio articles too at:
You can upload your own Wikipedia articles through:
The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.
- Socrates
SUMMARY
=======
Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō, ; Japanese: [toːkʲoː] (listen)), officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to), one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, has served as the Japanese capital since 1869. As of 2014 the Greater Tokyo Area ranked as the most populous metropolitan area in the world. The urban area houses the seat of the Emperor of Japan, of the Japanese government and of the National Diet. Tokyo forms part of the Kantō region on the southeastern side of Japan's main island, Honshu, and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Tokyo was formerly named Edo when Shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city as his headquarters in 1603. It became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (東京市, Tōkyō-shi).
Tokyo is often referred to as a city but is officially known and governed as a metropolitan prefecture, which differs from and combines elements of a city and a prefecture, a characteristic unique to Tokyo.
The 23 Special Wards of Tokyo were formerly Tokyo City. On July 1, 1943 it merged with Tokyo Prefecture and became Tokyo Metropolis with an additional 26 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture, and the Izu islands and Ogasawara islands south of Tokyo. The population of the special wards is over 9 million people, with the total population of Tokyo Metropolis exceeding 13.8 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area called the Greater Tokyo Area with over 38 million people and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy. As of 2011 Tokyo hosted 51 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest number of any city in the world at that time. Tokyo ranked third (twice) in the International Financial Centres Development Index. The city is home to various television networks such as Fuji TV, Tokyo MX, TV Tokyo, TV Asahi, Nippon Television, NHK and the Tokyo Broadcasting System.
Tokyo ranks first in the Global Economic Power Index and third in the Global Cities Index. The GaWC's 2008 inventory classified Tokyo as an alpha+ world city – and as of 2014 TripAdvisor's World City Survey ranked Tokyo first in its Best overall experience category (the city also ranked first in the following categories: helpfulness of locals, nightlife, shopping, local public transportation and cleanliness of streets). As of 2015 Tokyo ranked as the 11th-most expensive city for expatriates, according to the Mercer consulting firm, and also the world's 11th-most expensive city according to the Economist Intelligence Unit's cost-of-living survey. In 2015, Tokyo was named the Most Liveable City in the world by the magazine Monocle. The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world. Tokyo was ranked first out of all sixty cities in the 2017 Safe Cities Index. The QS Best Student Cities ranked Tokyo as the 3rd-best city in the world to be a university student in 2016 and 2nd in 2018.
Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics, the 1979 G-7 summit, the 1986 G-7 summit, and the 1993 G-7 summit, and will host the 2019 Rugby World Cup, the 2020 Summer Olympics and the 2020 Summer Paralympics.