Capital of JapanThe capital of Japan is Tokyo. Throughout history, the national capital of Japan has been in locations other than Tokyo. The oldest capital is Nara. Legal statusWhile no laws have designated Tokyo as the Japanese capital, many laws have defined a "capital area" (首都圏, shuto-ken) that incorporates Tokyo.
JapanCountry in East AsiaJapan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asian mainland, it is bordered to the west by the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk in the north, and the East China Sea in the south. The Japanese archipelago consists of four major islands alongside over 14,000 smaller islands.
Government of JapanThe central government of Japan consists of legislative, executive and judiciary branches and functions under the framework established by the Constitution of Japan. Japan is a unitary state, containing forty-seven administrative divisions, with the emperor as its head of state. His role is ceremonial and he has no powers related to the Government.
Prefectures of JapanFirst-level administrative divisions of JapanJapan is divided into 47 prefectures (都道府県, todōfuken; ), which rank immediately below the national government and form the country's first level of jurisdiction and administrative division. They include 43 prefectures proper (県, ken), two urban prefectures (府, fu: Osaka and Kyoto), one regional prefecture (道, dō: Hokkaidō) and one metropolis (都, to: Tokyo).
Emperor of JapanTitle of the ruling monarch of Japan since 660 BCThe Emperor of Japan is the and head of state of Japan. The emperor is defined by the Constitution of Japan as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, his position deriving from "the will of the people with whom resides sovereign power". The Imperial Household Law governs the line of imperial succession.
Kantō regionRegion of Japan Region in JapanKantō region 関東地方RegionThe Kantō region in comparison to the rest of JapanInteractive map of Kantō regionCountryJapanArea • Total32,423.9 km2 (12,518.9 sq mi)Population (October 1, 2025) • Total43,509,179 • Density1,341.89/km2 (3,475.47/sq mi)GDP (2022) • TotalJP￥248.036 trillionUS$1.832 trillionTime zoneUTC+09:00 (JST) Geofeatures map of Kantō The Kantō region (関東地方, Kantō Chihō) is a geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan.
HonshuHonshu (Japanese: 本州, Hepburn: Honshū; pronounced; lit.'main province'), historically known as Akitsushima (秋津島; lit.'dragonfly island') or Hondo (本土; lit.'mainland'), is the largest of Japan's four main islands. It lies between the Pacific Ocean (east) and the Sea of Japan (west). It is the seventh-largest island in the world, and the second-most populous after the Indonesian island of Java.
Greater Tokyo AreaThe Greater Tokyo Area is the third most populous metropolitan area in the world, consisting of the Kantō region of Japan (including Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Chiba, Gunma, Ibaraki, Kanagawa, Saitama, and Tochigi) as well as the prefecture of Yamanashi of the neighboring Chūbu region. In Japanese, it is referred to by various terms, one of the most common being Capital Region (首都圏, Shuto-ken).
List of largest citiesThe United Nations uses three definitions for what constitutes a city, as not all cities in all jurisdictions are classified using the same criteria. Cities may be defined as the cities proper, their metropolitan regions, or the extent of their urban area. A complicating factor is that many large cities in the world have not only homeless or the unhoused, but also vast slum communities.
Tokyo BayTokyo Bay (東京湾, Tōkyō-wan) is a bay located in the southern Kantō region of Japan spanning the coasts of Tokyo, Kanagawa Prefecture, and Chiba Prefecture, on the southern coast of the island of Honshu. Tokyo Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean by the Uraga Channel. The Tokyo Bay region is the most populous and the largest industrialized area in Japan.
List of cities in JapanCities designated by government ordinance Core cities Special cities Cities Special wardsThis is a list of cities in Japan sorted by prefecture and within prefecture by founding date. The list is also sortable by population, area, density and foundation date. Most large cities in Japan are cities designated by government ordinance. Some regionally important cities are designated as core cities.
City properA city proper is the geographical area contained within city limits. The term proper is not exclusive to cities; it can describe the geographical area within the boundaries of any given locality. The United Nations defines the term as "... the single political jurisdiction which contains the historical city centre." City proper is one of the three basic concepts used to define urban areas and populations. The other two are urban agglomeration, and the metropolitan area.
江戸Related word or term.東京Related word or term.都Related word or term.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.