Minato-ku, Tokyo

is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English.

Minato was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits the contrasting Shitamachi and Yamanote geographical and cultural division. The Shinbashi neighborhood in the ward's northeastern corner is attached to the core of Shitamachi, the original commercial center of Edo-Tokyo. On the other hand, the Azabu and Akasaka areas are typically representative Yamanote districts.

, Minato had an official population of 243,094, and a population density of 10,850 persons per km². The total area is 20.37 km².

Known as one of Tokyo's largest business areas, Minato is home to the headquarters of many large domestic companies, including Honda, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, NEC, Nikon, SoftBank Group, Sony and Fujitsu. Minato is also known for being one of the wealthiest residential areas in Japan, and for its relatively high concentration of foreign expats due to the number of embassies and multinational corporations located in and around the area. Notable neighborhoods and districts of Minato include Akasaka, Aoyama, Azabu, Roppongi and Toranomon.

Geography

Minato is located southwest of the Imperial Palace and has boundaries with the special wards of Chiyoda, Chūō, Kōtō (in Odaiba), Shinagawa, Shibuya, and Shinjuku.

History

The ward was founded on 15 March 1947, with the merger of Akasaka, Azabu, and Shiba Wards. Various names were considered for the new ward, such as ''Atago'', ''Aoyama'', ''Aoba'', ''Iikura'', ''Mita'', and ''Higashiminato''. ''Higashiminato'' was chosen, meaning "East Harbor", but then ''Higashi'' was cut leading to the name ''Minato'', simply meaning "harbor".

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population has recently begun rising after decades of rapid decline.

Politics and government

In June 2024, Ai Seike beat in mayoral elections. Takei, mayor since 2004, was seeking his sixth term and received support from the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. Seike, previously a member of the ward assembly, is the first female mayor of Minato.

The ward assembly has 34 members.

Elections

* 2008 Minato mayoral election

Districts and neighborhoods

; Akasaka Area
* Akasaka
* Kitaaoyama
* Minamiaoyama
* Motoakasaka
;Azabu Area
* Azabudai
* Azabu-Jūban
* Azabu-Mamianachō
* Azabu-Nagasakachō
* Higashiazabu
* Minamiazabu
* Motoazabu
* Nishiazabu
* Roppongi

; Shiba Area
* Atago
* Hamamatsuchō
* Higashishinbashi
* Kaigan^a
* Mita^b
* Nishishinbashi
* Shiba
* Shibadaimon
* Shibakōen
* Shinbashi
* Shiodome
* Toranomon

;Shibaura-Kōnan Area
* Daiba^*
* Kaigan^{c, *}
* Kōnan^*
* Shibaura^*
;Takanawa Area
* Mita^{d, *}
* Shirokane^*
* Shirokanedai^*
* Takanawa^*

Notes:

^* - formerly part of Shiba Area

^a - 1-chōme

^b - 1, 2, 3-chōme

^c - 2, 3-chōme

^d - 4, 5-chōme

Education

Colleges and universities

* Jikei University School of Medicine Nishi Shinbashi campus
* Kanazawa Institute of Technology Graduate school; Toranomon campus
* Keio University
* Kitasato University Shirokane campus
* Meiji Gakuin University Shirokane campus
* National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)
* Shibaura Institute of Technology
* Temple University Japan Campus
* Tokyo Institute of Technology Tamachi Campus
* Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Shinagawa campus
* University of Tokyo Institute of Medical Science

Primary and secondary schools

The local public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.
* (since merged with another school)
*
* Roppongi High School
*

The city's public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Minato City Board of Education (港区教育委員会).

Combined elementary and junior high schools:
* Odaiba Gakuen ( お台場学園)
* Shirokane-no-oka Gakuen ( 白金の丘学園)

Junior high schools:

* Akasaka Junior High School ( 赤坂中学校)
* Aoyama Junior High School ( 青山中学校)
* Konan Junior High School ( 港南中学校)
* Koryo Junior High School ( 高陵中学校)
* Mita Junior High School ( 三田中学校) opened in 2001 after the merger of Minato Junior High School and Shibahama Junior High School.
* Onarimon Junior High School ( 御成門中学校)
* Roppongi Junior High School ( 六本木中学校)
* Takamatsu Junior High School ( 高松中学校)

Elementary schools:

* Akabane Elementary School ( 赤羽小学校)
* Akasaka Elementary School ( 赤坂小学校)
* Aoyama Elementary School ( 青山小学校)
* Azabu Elementary School ( 麻布小学校)
* Higashimachi Elementary School ( 東町小学校)
* Hommura Elementary School ( 本村小学校)
* Kogai Elementary School ( 笄小学校)
* Konan Elementary School ( 港南小学校)
* Mita Elementary School ( 御田小学校)
* Nanzan Elementary School ( 南山小学校)
* Onarimon Elementary School ( 御成門小学校)
* Seinan Elementary School ( 青南小学校)
* Shiba Elementary School ( 芝小学校)
* Shibaura Elementary School ( 芝浦小学校)
* Shibahama Elementary School ( 芝浜小学校)
* Shirokane Elementary School ( 白金小学校)
* Takanawadai Elementary School ( 高輪台小学校) occupies a historic building that had been renovated.

Former schools:

* Asahi Junior High School (朝日中学校)
* Iikura Elementary School (飯倉小学校)
* Koyo Elementary School (港陽小学校)
* Sanko Elementary School (三光小学校)
* Shinno Elementary School (神応小学校)

There are also a variety of private schools, including:

*Keio Girls Senior High School
*Keiō Chutobu Junior High School ( 慶應義塾中等部)
*
* Azabu Junior and Senior High School
* The British School of Tokyo Azabudai Hills Campus (primary school levels)
* Friends School, a Quaker school established in 1887.
*Meiji Gakuin Senior High School in Shirokane
* Russian Embassy School in Tokyo in Azabudai
*

Public libraries

The city operates the Minato Library, the Mita Library, the Azabu Library, the Akasaka Library, the Takanawa Library, and the Konan Library.
The metropolis operates the Tokyo Metropolitan Library Central Library in Minato. The library opened in 1973.

Economy

Companies with headquarters in Minato include Air Nippon, All Nippon Airways (ANA), ANA & JP Express, All Nippon Airways Trading, Animax,." Asmik Ace Entertainment, Bandai Namco Holdings, Brainlab, Cosmo Oil Company, COVER Corporation, Daicel,
Dentsu, Euglena (company), Fujifilm, Fuji Xerox,FUJI XEROX Company Profile
." Fuji Xerox. Retrieved on July 12, 2010. Fujitsu, Haseko, Hazama Ando, Honda, Japan Tobacco, Kajima, Kaneka Corporation, Konami, KYB Corporation, Kyodo News, Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsui Chemicals, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Mitsui Oil Exploration Company, NEC, Nippon Sheet Glass, NYK Line, Obayashi Corporation, Oki Electric Industry, Pizza-La, The Pokémon Company, THK, Toagosei, Toraya Confectionery, Sato Pharmaceutical, Sega Sammy Holdings, Sigma Seven, Sony, SUMCO, Toraya Confectionery, Toyo Suisan (owns the branch Maruchan), TV Tokyo