It has as many inhabitants as Canada
The Tokyo metropolitan area has 40.6 million inhabitants, placing it at the top of the world’s urban areas, ahead of New Delhi (33 million) and Shanghai (29 million). On the other hand, the “center” of Tokyo, made up of 23 districts, each more different than the last, has “only” 13.5 million inhabitants. Several neighboring cities have in fact merged into a gigantic urban area forming a metropolitan area of 7,000 square kilometers, home to almost a third of Japan’s population. To give you an idea, there are as many inhabitants in Greater Tokyo as in Canada. It is therefore not surprising to find the busiest train station in the world there: 3.5 million passengers pass through Shinjuku every day, compared to “only” 750,000 travelers for the Châtelet-Les Halles station.
It is the favorite city of gourmets
The culinary capital of the world is neither Paris, nor Rome, nor Bangkok, but Tokyo. The “Capital of the East” remains the city with the highest number of Michelin-starred establishments in the world for the 17th consecutive year. No fewer than 183 restaurants in the Japanese megalopolis were awarded one, two or three stars in the 2024 vintage. Enough to make lovers of good food salivate.
READ ALSO >> Rainfall, unique umbrellas, matriarchy… Welcome to Mawsynram, the rainiest city in the world
While the reputation of sushi masters is well established, the Japanese capital is full of a thousand and one flavors that will surely tickle your taste buds. Ramen, soba, udon, tsukemen, teppanyaki, shabu shabu, gyudon, takikomi gohan… In Tokyo, the difficulty is certainly not finding a good restaurant but rather making your final choice from the long list of existing establishments.
She has to live under the threat of earthquakes
At the intersection of four tectonic plates, Japan is one of the most turbulent countries on the planet. Each year, around 1,500 tremors are recorded on the archipelago. While most are of low magnitude, some earthquakes leave an indelible mark on history, such as Fukushima in 2011. And the city of Tokyo is not spared. In 1703, the Genroku earthquake devastated the city. Nearly 100,000 people lost their lives following the resulting tsunami.
READ ALSO >> End of the world, penal colony, tourism… Welcome to Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world
Two hundred years later, on September 1, 1923, a new earthquake of magnitude 7.9 hit the capital. 70% of the city was razed by a giant fire and 105,000 victims were to be deplored. A new tragedy that pushed the authorities to react and to impose, a year later, the first earthquake-resistant building code. Today, Japan remains at the forefront of earthquake-resistant technology and a multitude of applications allow residents to be alerted in case of danger.
Her name was Edo
It is hard to imagine bustling Tokyo as a small fishing village. Passed into the hands of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603, Edo became the center of political power. Feudal lords and samurai were forced to live at least six months a year in the new capital. This led to immense urban development. By 1787, more than a million people had settled in Edo. In 1868, after two centuries of peace and isolation, Japan opened up to the world again with the Meiji era. The emperor left Kyoto and installed the new Imperial Palace in the old fortress of Edo. The city then took the name Tokyo or “Gate of the Bay” and never stopped modernizing.
She has her own Eiffel Tower
Like the Eiffel Tower for Paris, the Tokyo Tower is inseparable from Tokyo. At 333 meters, it can also boast of being just a head taller than the Iron Lady (324m with the antenna). Its architect, Tchu Naito, is said to have taken inspiration from the Parisian tower for the design of the Tokyo Tower, adapting it to Japanese needs. Inaugurated in 1958, it weighs only 4,000 tons, compared to 10,000 tons for the Eiffel Tower, to allow for better resistance to earthquakes. Recognizable by its red and white colors, it houses, like its Parisian counterpart, observatories for tourists. Until 2012, the tower also had a radio transmitter that was moved to the Skytree, a new 634m high Tokyo tower.
