The huge megapolis of Tokyo is one of the most modern and high-tech cities in the world. Its official name is Tokyo Metropolis. A huge number of people live here, and the population density literally rolls over, which has provoked an explosive increase in property prices.
Nevertheless, the Japanese capital is constantly one the most visited cities in the world by tourists. And no wonder – where else can you feel the samurai spirit of the Land of the Rising Sun, if not in the heart of Tokyo?
We have decided to show you some fascinating facts about Tokyo and we hope you will like them:
The ancestors of modern Japanese inhabited these lands in the era of stone axes.
Previously, this city was a military fortress and had a name of “Edo”
Tokyo became the capital of Japan only in 1868. Prior to this, for 1075 years, the capital of Japan was Kyoto, the ancient the city.
In 1923, a monstrous earthquake destroyed almost half of Tokyo and caused the death of more than 90 thousand people.
Tokyo is a very expensive city, where the cost per square meter (3.3 feet) of real estate in the downtown here comes to $ 2 million.
Due to the high price of real estate in Tokyo, there has been a real capsule micro-apartments boom. There are no even a separate room in these apartments.
Foreigners are not allowed into some establishments here. There is even a sign on the door, which means “foreigners are not served.”
Despite the relative popularity of tattoos among Japanese youth, people with tattoos in open areas of the body are most likely not allowed into any decent restaurant. In Japan, tattoos has a strong association with the yakuza and the underworld.
In order to get rid of traffic jams in Tokyo, the authorities do their best in building a huge number of high-speed highways. Nevertheless, these roads are not free.
The cost of parking here is extremely high. So, parking for a couple of hours somewhere in the center of Tokyo will cost more than 30 dollars.
Fruits and vegetables here are also very expensive. The average price of one apple is about 2 dollars.
The most popular area for Tokyo-based youth is a district called Harajuku. It is here that you can meet the Japanese in the strangest outfits and with the most bizarre hairstyles.
In the Japanese capital, there is a restaurant “Aragawa”, which traditionally gets one of the first places in the list of the most expensive establishments in the world.
The population of Tokyo is about 14 million people or even more
Scientists named an asteroid, discovered in 1900 by a Tokyo astronomer, in honor of the Japanese capital.
The zoo in the Japanese capital closes annually for two months, so that its inhabitants can relax from a lot of visitors.
“Cat cafes” are common here. These are establishments where you can play with these furry creatures. They have become popular since most Japanese people like cats, but there are rules in most households which prohibit keeping pets.
The temperature in Tokyo is usually 9-10 degrees higher than the temperature outside the city. This happens because of the huge amount of infrastructure radiating into space, plus 14 million inhabitants, whose bodies also warm the air around.
Every year, the Japanese capital suffers from about 150 earthquakes, but most of them are so weak that people do not even notice them. A similar situation is observed, by the way, in Santiago, the capital of Chile.
The capital occupies only 0.6% of the area of Japan, but it provides it with a third of all GDP.
The GDP of Tokyo alone is higher than that of Australia
Twice as many people live in the suburbs of the Japanese capital as in the city itself. In total, more than 35 million people live in and around the city. This is about 60 times more than the population of Montenegro, for instance.
Moreover, based on the size rea of the city and the population, there are about 4 square meters (43 feet) per inhabitant here.
Everywhere in Tokyo, you can buy almost everything with the help of a vending machines. We mean from chocolates and hamburgers to even used women’s underwear.
Hachiko, a dog famous all over the world thanks to its devotion, until its death used to wait for its owner every day at Tokyo’s Shibuya station.
There are five huge cylindrical shafts under Tokyo that will be filled with water in case of flooding. This will prevent the destruction of the city.
In Japan, there is an anime and manga called “Saint Young Men” in which Jesus and Buddha live in Tokyo as roommates. They rest on Earth and try to understand Japanese society.
Tokyo is holding the 2020 Olympic Games, as predicted in the 1982 Akira manga
Tokyo Sky Tree is the tallest free-standing tower in the world. The height of the building is 634 meters (2000 feet). The final height of the tower was chosen solely because of the pun. The result was “Musashi”: “mu” (in the old Japanese language means the number 6), “sa” (3) and “si” (4). As it turn out: that was the name of the historical district where modern Tokyo is located.
One of the Tokyo skyscrapers with the help of colored lights informs you whether to take an umbrella with you when you go out.
In 1923, a “fire tornado” passed through all of Tokyo and burned over 38,000 people.
In the Japanese capital, there is a cafe where visitors can hug the hedgehogs.
Tokyo restaurants have more Michelin stars than Parisian establishments. In 2007, the Michelin editor declared Tokyo the “gastronomic capital of the world.”
In the metropolitan area of Tokyo, the population is larger than in Canada
The Japanese capital is by far the richest city on Earth. If it were a city-state, Tokyo would still be among the ten richest countries in terms of GDP.
Due to the location of Tokyo on the tectonic fault, geologists call it “a city awaiting death.”
Rumor has it that a secret underground city is allegedly located near Tokyo, but officials vehemently deny this information.
We hope that you have found amazing facts about Tokyo in the article. Maybe you know something new and interesting about this wonderful city. Please leave comments; let us see your attitude to our work and Tokyo as well.
