Shinjuku

Tokyo is the capital of Japan with the largest population of all prefectures. It is also one of the major cities in the world. This is the only prefecture among all 47 whose name ends with a "to." Including the Pacific islands far south of Honshu (mainland) such as the Izu and Ogasawara island chains, Tokyo can be divided into three regions: the 23 wards, Tama area, and the islands.

As Japan's center, Tokyo's history began when Ieyasu Tokugawa opened this land in 1603. This was during the Edo period in Japan back then and the prefecture itself was called Edo.

The Edo Castle was erected by Ieyasu Tokugawa who governed the land. Its name was changed to Tokyo in the beginning of the Meiji era when the emperor moved his residence to the Edo Castle and considered it as the Imperial Palace.

Currently, Tokyo functions as the center of politics and economy. While there are areas such as Shinjuku, Roppongi, Ginza, Odaiba, and Akihabara where the latest trends can be found, old town areas existing from long ago including Asakusa and Ningyo-cho still remain.

Furthermore, places such as Mt.Takao, Tama, and Hachioji offer rich natural environment. Indeed, Tokyo is a prefecture that shows us many of its various features.