Greater Tokyo Area
Encyclopedia : G : GR : GRE : Greater Tokyo Area
The Greater Tokyo Area is a large metropolitan area in Japan consisting of the metropolis of Tokyo and the prefectures of Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama. In Japanese, it is referred to as the , or .
It is the largest metropolitan area in the world by population (35,327,000 at 2005 estimate), covering an area of approximately 13,500 km2 (5,200 mi2). It is the second largest in the world in terms of built-up or urban function landmass at 7,000 km2 (2,700 mi2). (Only the urban area surrounding New York City at 8,700 km2 is larger).
While the four-prefecture definition above is the most common, the Japan Statistics Bureau uses an alternative definition of the area within 50 and 70 kilometres of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Offices in Shinjuku, resulting in a lower population estimate (as of 2000) of 30,724,000 and 34,394,000 respectively[link]. Others consider parts of Ibaraki Prefecture, the Izu Peninsula and other areas to be part of the Greater Tokyo Area.#redirect [[Template:Fact]]
Prefectures
Cities
Cities in Tokyo
Tokyo is legally classified as a , and is treated as one of the prefectures of Japan. The eastern portion of Tokyo, once incorporated as Tokyo City, was dismantled during World War II and its subdivisions were reclassified as . The special wards currently have the legal status of cities, with individual mayors and city councils, and call themselves "cities" in English. See: 23 special wardsThe western portion of Tokyo is comprised of a number of suburban cities:
Cities outside Tokyo
The core cities of the Greater Tokyo Area outside central Tokyo are:
The other cities in Chiba, Kanagawa and Saitama Prefectures are:
Additional cities
In some definitions, the following cities in Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi, and Shizuoka Prefectures are sometimes included:
Transportation
The Greater Tokyo Area has two major airports, Tokyo International Airport (chiefly domestic) and Narita International Airport (chiefly international).
JR East and many other carriers crisscross the region with a network of rail lines. The most important carriers include Keihin Kyuko Electric Railway (Keikyu), Keisei Electric Railway, Keio Electric Railway, Odakyu Electric Railway, Seibu Railway, Tobu Railway, and Tokyo Kyuko Electric Railway (Tokyu). In addition to Tokyo's two subway systems (Tokyo Metro and Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation (Toei and Toden lines), Yokohama operates three lines. The Tokyo Monorail provides service to Haneda Airport and other destinations.
The Shuto Expressway system consists of high-speed highways in the capital region.
Tokyo and Yokohama are only two of the major ports in the Greater Tokyo Area.
See also
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