Tokyo Facts

Tokyo Facts
Tokyo, or officially Tokyo Metropolis, is the largest city and the capital city of Japan, an island country in East Asia. Tokyo's original name was Edo, meaning 'estuary' but was changed to Tokyo in 1868 when it became the capital city of Japan. Tokyo had originally been a small fishing village fortified by the Edo clan in the late 1200s, and named Edo. It grew to become one of the largest cities in the world by the 1700s, with a population of over one million. On May 1st, 1889 the city of Tokyo was officially established. Much of Tokyo was destroyed during World War II by Allied raids, and was later rebuilt. By 1964 the city was on display as host of the Olympics. Tokyo has a population today of more than 13 million.
Interesting Tokyo Facts:
The name Tokyo is derived from the word 'to' which means east, and 'kyo' which means capital'.
In 1962 Tokyo became the first city in the world with a population of more than 10 million.
Tokyo is made up of 23 wards and 62 municipalities.
There are more than 100 colleges and universities in Tokyo.
Tokyo's literacy rate is almost perfect at 99%.
The main language and official language of Tokyo is Japanese.
The main religions in Tokyo are Christianity, Buddhism, and Shinto.
Tokyo is susceptible to earthquakes, and when it was rebuilt after WWII, it was constructed to provide more protection in the event of a major earthquake.
Major earthquakes have hit Tokyo in 1703, 1782, 1812, 1855, 1923, and 2011. The earthquake in 1923 killed approximately 142,000 people in Tokyo.
Tokyo is also susceptible to typhoons but most are not very severe.
Tokyo is set to host the 2020 Olympics.
Mount Fuji, known as a popular landmark seen from Tokyo, can only be seen less than 180 days each year in Tokyo due to air dust and clouds.
Tokyo is famous for having capsule hotels, which consist of a room no larger than a refrigerator.
Tokyo's Shinjuku Station is the busiest rail station in the world, with approximately 3.64 million passengers passing through each day.
Tokyo's railway stations can be so busy that some have employees called 'pushers' that shove people onto the trains when it is busy.
Tokyo Tower was inspired by the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France.
Tokyo is home to the famous Cherry Blossom Festival each year.
The first Disneyland to be built outside of the United States was built in Tokyo. There are 20,000 people employed at Tokyo Disneyland.
On the western outskirts of Tokyo is a Takao-San, a mountain with a beer garden and udon shop at its summit. 2.6 million people visit Takao-San each year, making it the world's most popular mountain.
In the Golden Gai district of Tokyo there are 257 bars.
The restaurant Komagata Dozeu is Tokyo's oldest. It opened in 1801.
Tsukiji Market, a popular fish market in Tokyo, sells approximately 5 million pounds each day of seafood.
Because of the damage caused by the 1923 earthquake and World War II, most of the architecture in Tokyo is newer. However Tokyo is home to many museums, which house artifacts of the city throughout its history.


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