Quick answerTokyo is the capital and largest city of Japan, with 14,254,039 people inside the city limits in 2025. The wider metropolitan area had about 37.3 million people in 2025. It is best known for the Tokyo Skytree, the Senso-ji Temple and the Imperial Palace. Its official language is Japanese, and its currency is the Japanese yen.
Tokyo is the capital and largest city of Japan, with 14,254,039 people in the Tokyo Metropolis in May 2025 and about 37.3 million in the wider metropolitan area (2015 census). It stands at the head of Tokyo Bay on the island of Honshu and is home to the Emperor, the National Diet, the Skytree and the Senso-ji Temple.
Key facts
| Country | Japan |
|---|---|
| Population (city) | 14,254,039 (2025) |
| Population (metro) | 37,273,866 (2025) · Statistics Bureau of Japan, Kantō Major Metropolitan Area (MMA), 2015 Population Census |
| Elevation | 40 m above sea level |
| Time zone | Asia/Tokyo |
| Language | Japanese |
| Currency | Japanese yen (JPY, ¥) |
| Coordinates | 35.6897° N, 139.6922° E |
Overview
Tokyo is the capital and most populous city of Japan, and the centre of one of the world's largest metropolitan areas. The Tokyo Metropolis — a prefecture-like government that runs the 23 special wards, the western suburbs and two chains of islands — had 14,254,039 people in May 2025. The wider Kantō metropolitan area, which takes in Yokohama, Kawasaki, Chiba and Saitama, had 37,273,866 people in the 2015 census. The city stands at the head of Tokyo Bay, on the Kantō Plain of Honshu, at an average elevation of about 40 metres.
Tokyo began as the fishing village of Edo, which became the seat of the Tokugawa shogunate in 1603 and grew into one of the world's largest cities. In 1868 the Emperor moved here, the city was renamed Tokyo — ‘eastern capital’ — and Japan began its rapid modernisation. The city was rebuilt after the great earthquake of 1923 and again after the Second World War, and it hosted the Olympic Games in 1964 and 2021.
Today Tokyo is Japan's political, economic and cultural capital, home to the Emperor, the National Diet, the headquarters of most big Japanese companies and some of the world's busiest railway stations. Its landmarks range from the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa to the Skytree, and its neighbourhoods — Shibuya, Shinjuku, Ginza, Harajuku — are known around the world for shopping, food and nightlife.
What Tokyo is known for
- Tokyo Skytree
- Senso-ji Temple
- Imperial Palace
- Shibuya Crossing
- Sushi and Japanese cuisine
- Cherry blossom (sakura)
Landmarks
- Tokyo Skytree
- Senso-ji Temple
- Imperial Palace
- Shibuya Crossing
- Meiji Shrine
- Tokyo Tower
- Shinjuku Gyoen
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Tokyo?
About 14.25 million people live in the Tokyo Metropolis (14,254,039 in May 2025). The wider Kantō metropolitan area had about 37.3 million people in the 2015 census, making Tokyo one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. Tokyo's 23 special wards are its historic core, and the metropolis also includes western suburbs and islands.
What is Tokyo famous for?
Tokyo is famous for the Skytree and Tokyo Tower, the Senso-ji Temple in Asakusa, the Imperial Palace and the Shibuya Crossing. It is also known for sushi and Japanese cuisine, for shopping in Ginza and Harajuku, and for being one of the world's largest cities, with some of the busiest railway stations on Earth.
Where is Tokyo located?
Tokyo is in eastern Japan, on the island of Honshu, at the head of Tokyo Bay. It lies on the Kantō Plain, about 40 metres above sea level, south of the mountains of central Honshu. Its coordinates are 35.69° N, 139.69° E, and its time zone is Japan Standard Time.
Quick quiz
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Keep exploring
- Japan — the country Tokyo is in
- Yokohama — another city in Japan
- Osaka — another city in Japan
- Nagoya — another city in Japan
- All cities in Japan
- All countries — the full list
Sources & last updated
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, via Wikipedia — Tokyo
- Statistics Bureau of Japan, via Wikipedia — List of metropolitan areas in Japan
Last updated: . Figures are shown with their year; where sources disagree, the value is left out rather than estimated.