Facts about Tokyo

Tourists before traveling to the capital city of Japan can collect the vital facts about Tokyo. Among the cities in Japan, Tokyo is the largest one. The geographical coordinates of Tokyo are 35 degree 41 minute North latitude and 139 degree 46 minute East longitude. Tokyo is also one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. But Tokyo is better known as the Metropolis of Tokyo. There are 23 wards and 62 municipalities in the Metropolis of Tokyo. The time zone of Tokyo is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time.

Tokyo was previously known as Edo. It was renamed to Tokyo in the year 1867. Tokyo is situated in the Kanto region of Japan. It occupies an area of 2,187.08 sq km. The population of Tokyo according to the census of 2006 is 12,678,395. The density of population in Tokyo is 5796 per sq km.

Japanese is the official language of Tokyo. The literacy rate in Tokyo is about 99 %. The people of Tokyo follow

the religions of Buddhism, Shinto and Christianity. Both Korean and Japanese people reside in Tokyo.

The Narita International Airport and Haneda Airport are two major airports in Tokyo. Tourists from outside Tokyo can avail flights from major airports of other countries to reach Tokyo. For tourists from countries like Canada, USA, France, Britain and Singapore staying in Japan upto 90 days do not require a visa to travel to Tokyo. Visas required to visit Tokyo can be obtained from the consulates and embassies of Japan.

The currency of Tokyo is Yen. Tourists visiting this city in Japan should carry descent amount of cash to make their payments at hotels and restaurants, as credit cards are not accepted by many organizations.

Other important facts about Tokyo are its emergency numbers. In case of emergency one can seek assistance from police by dialing 110. For ambulance and any hazard caused from fire, one can simply dial 119. These services are available 24 hours a day.