Tokyo administrative map

It is bounded on the southeast by Tokyo Bay, which in turn opens into the Pacific Ocean. If you look at a map, you'll see that Tokyo retains some of its Edo Period features, most notably a large green oasis in the middle of the city, site of the former Edo Castle and today home of the Imperial Palace and its grounds.

Surrounding it is the castle moat; a bit farther out are remnants of another circular moat built by the Tokugawa shogun. The JR Yamanote Line forms another loop around the inner city; most of Tokyo's major hotels, nightlife districts, and attractions are near or inside this oblong loop. For administrative purposes, Tokyo is divided into 23 wards, known as ku. These two ku are the historic hearts of Tokyo, for it was here that the city had its humble beginnings.

Greater Tokyo is also a prefecture similar to a state or province and includes 26 cities, five towns, and eight villages in addition to its 23 wards, as well as Pacific islands. For most purposes, however, references to Tokyo in this guide pertain mostly to central Tokyo's 23 wards. Think about what that means -- some 12 million people living in a huge metropolis of nameless streets. Granted, major thoroughfares and some well-known streets in areas such as Ginza and Shinjuku received names after World War II at the insistence of American occupation forces, and a few more have been labeled or given nicknames only the locals know.

But for the most part, Tokyo's address system is based on a complicated number scheme that must make the postal workers' jobs here a nightmare. To make matters worse, most streets in Tokyo zigzag -- an arrangement apparently left over from the past to confuse potential attacking enemies.

Today they confuse Tokyoites and visitors alike. Other major thoroughfares are named after the districts they're in, such as Roppongi Dori in Roppongi and Aoyama Dori in Aoyama dori means "avenue" or "street," as does michi. An intersection in Tokyo is called a crossing; it seems every district has a famous crossing. Finding an Address -- Because streets did not have names when Japan's postal system was established, the country has a unique address system.

Chuo-ku is the name of the ward. Wards are further divided into named districts, in this case, Ginza. Ginza itself is broken down into chome numbered subsections , the first number in the series, here 6-chome. The second number 4 in the example refers to a smaller area within the chome -- usually an entire block, sometimes larger. Major department stores, electronics stores and hotels can also be found here.

On the east side of Shinjuku Station, Kabuki-cho is notorious for its many bars and nightclubs. Shinjuku Station moves an estimated three million passengers a day, making it the busiest in the world. Marunouchi and Otemachi The main financial and business district of Tokyo has many headquarters of banks, trading companies and other major corporations. The area is seeing a major redevelopment with new buildings for shopping and entertainment constructed in front of Tokyo Station's Marunouchi side.

Ginza and Yurakucho Major shopping and entertainment district with department stores, upscale shops selling brand-name goods, and movie theaters. Shinbashi An area revitalized by being the gateway to Odaiba and the new Shiodome Shiosite complex of high-rise buildings.

Shinagawa In addition to the major hotels on the west side of Shinagawa Station, the former sleepy east side of the station has been redeveloped as a major center for business.

Shibuya A long-time center of shopping, fashion and entertainment, especially for the younger set. Shibuya is also home to some of Tokyo's largest and newest nightclubs. Ikebukuro The busiest interchange in north central Tokyo, featuring Sunshine City and various shopping destinations.

Ueno Ueno Station serves areas north of Tokyo from where many people commute. In spring, Ueno Park and adjacent Shinobazu Pond are prime places to view cherry blossoms. Tokyo is also part of the Greater Tokyo Area, which consists of Tokyo itself and the surrounding prefectures of Kanagawa, Saitama and Chiba.

The Greater Tokyo area is the largest metropolitan area in the world with a population of 35,, according to a UN estimate. Tokyo prefecture is divided into mainland and island areas. The mainland is located to the northwest of Tokyo Bay, about 90 km east to west and 25 km north to south. It borders Chiba prefecture to the east, Yamanashi prefecture to the west, Kanagawa prefecture to the south, and Saitama prefecture to the north.

Tokyo prefecture has 23 special wards in an area of about square kilometers. As of September 1, the total population of the 23 wards was about 8. Each ward is a local municipality with its own elected mayors and assemblies:.