Tokyo Bay from space

Tokyo Bay (東京湾, Tōkyō-wan^?) is a bay in the southern Kantō region of Japan. Its old name was Edo Bay (江戸湾, Edo-wan^?).

Geography[link]

Tokyo Bay, in a narrow sense (red) and in a broad sense (red and blue)

Tokyo Bay is surrounded by the Bōsō Peninsula (Chiba Prefecture) to the east and the Miura Peninsula (Kanagawa Prefecture) to the west. In a narrow sense, Tokyo Bay is the area north of the straight line formed by the Cape Kannon (観音崎, Kannon-zaki^?) on the Miura Peninsula on one end and Cape Futtsu (富津岬, Futtsu-misaki^?) on the Boso Peninsula on the other end. This area covers about 922 km². Tokyo Bay in a broad sense includes also the Uraga Channel. The total area would then be 1320 km².

Tokyo Bay includes about 249 km² of reclaimed land area.

The only natural island in the Bay is Monkey Island (猿島, Saru-shima^?), Yokosuka, Kanagawa. There are however many artificial islands that were built as naval fortification during the Meiji and Taishō period.

Islands[link]

• Dream Island (Yume No Shima)
• Odaiba
• Sarushima (the only natural one)
• Heiwa Island ja:平和島
• Katsushima ja:勝島
• Showa Island ja:昭和島
• Keihin Island ja:京浜島
• Hakkeijima
• Higashi Ogijima ja:東扇島
• Tokyo International Airport

A panoramic view of northern Tokyo Bay facing Tokyo from Odaiba island

Development[link]

The ports of Tokyo, Chiba, Kawasaki, Yokohama, and Yokosuka are all located on Tokyo Bay. The port of Yokosuka contains the naval bases of United States Forces Japan and the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force.

On the western coast of Tokyo Bay, between Tokyo and Yokohama, the Keihin Industrial Area has been developed since the Meiji Era. This was expanded to the Keiyo Industrial Zone along the north and east coasts after World War II.

The Tokyo Bay Aqua-Line bridge/tunnel crosses Tokyo Bay between Kawasaki and Kisarazu; Tokyo-Wan Ferry also crosses the bay toward the Uraga Channel between Kurihama (in Yokosuka) and Kanaya (in Futtsu on the Chiba side).

History[link]

American planes over USS Missouri and Tokyo Bay, September 2, 1945

Tokyo Bay was the venue for Commodore Matthew Perry's early negotiations with the Japanese bakufu in the 1850s,^[1] as well as most official Japanese-European contacts preceding the Meiji Restoration.

Shortly before the Japanese surrender in WWII there was a small naval surface action known as the Battle of Tokyo Bay.

The Japanese Instrument of Surrender at the end of World War II was signed onboard USS Missouri moored in the Bay on 2 September 1945. During the ceremony a flag from one of Perry's ships was flown.

Notes[link]

References[link]

This section is empty. You can help by adding to it.

See also[link]

• Uraga Harbor
• Miura Peninsula

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tokyo Bay

Coordinates: 35°25′N 139°47′E / 35.417°N 139.783°E / 35.417; 139.783

Tokyo 東京
—  Metropolis  —
東京都 · Tokyo Metropolis
From top left: Nishi-Shinjuku, Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge, Shibuya, National Diet Building
Seal Symbol
Anthem: Tokyo Metropolitan Song (東京都歌, Tokyo Toka?)[1]
Location of Tokyo in Japan
Satellite photo of Tokyo's 23 Special wards taken by NASA's Landsat 7
Tokyo Location of Tokyo in Japan
Coordinates: 35°41′22.22″N 139°41′30.12″E / 35.6895056°N 139.6917°E / 35.6895056; 139.6917Coordinates: 35°41′22.22″N 139°41′30.12″E / 35.6895056°N 139.6917°E / 35.6895056; 139.6917
Country	Japan
Region	Kantō
Island	Honshu
Divisions	23 special wards, 26 cities, 1 district, & 4 subprefectures
Government
• Type	Metropolis
• Governor	Shintaro Ishihara
• Capital	Shinjuku
Area(ranked 45th)
• Metropolis	2,187.66 km2 (844.66 sq mi)
• Metro	13,572 km2 (5,240 sq mi)
Population (August 1, 2011)[2][3]
• Metropolis	13,185,502
• Density	6,000/km2 (16,000/sq mi)
• Metro	35,682,460
• Metro density	2,629/km2 (6,810/sq mi)
• 23 Wards	8,967,665
	(2011 per Prefectural Government)
Demonym	Tokyoite
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
ISO 3166-2	JP-13
Flower	Somei-Yoshino cherry blossom
Tree	Ginkgo tree (Ginkgo biloba)
Bird	Black-headed Gull (Larus ridibundus)
Website	www.metro.tokyo.jp

Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō^?, "Eastern Capital") [toːkʲoː], English /ˈtoʊki.oʊ/; officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to^?),^[4] is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of the world.^[5] It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family. Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands.^[6] Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu^?) and the city of Tokyo (東京市, Tōkyō-shi^?).

The Tokyo Metropolitan government administers the 23 special wards of Tokyo (each governed as a city), which cover the area that was the city of Tokyo, as well as 39 municipalities in the western part of the prefecture and the two outlying island chains. The population of the special wards is over 8 million people, with the total population of the prefecture exceeding 13 million. The prefecture is part of the world's most populous metropolitan area with upwards of 35 million people and the world's largest urban agglomeration economy with a GDP of US$1.479 trillion at purchasing power parity in 2008, ahead of New York City metropolitan area, which ranks second on the list.^[7] The city hosts 47 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest amount of any city.^[8]

Tokyo has been described as one of the three "command centers" for the world economy, along with New York City and London.^[9] The city is considered an alpha+ world city, listed by the GaWC's 2008 inventory^[10] and ranked fourth among global cities by A.T. Kearney's 2012 Global Cities Index.^[11] In 2010 Tokyo was named the second most expensive city for expatriate employees, according to the Mercer and Economist Intelligence Unit cost-of-living surveys,^[12] and in 2009 named the third Most Liveable City and the World’s Most Livable Megalopolis by the magazine Monocle.^[13] The Michelin Guide has awarded Tokyo by far the most Michelin stars of any city in the world.^[14][15] Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and is currently a Candidate City for the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[16]

Etymology[link]

Tokyo was originally known as Edo, which means "estuary".^[17] Its name was changed to Tokyo (Tōkyō: tō (east) + kyō (capital)) when it became the imperial capital in 1868, in line with the East Asian tradition of including the word capital ('京') in the name of the capital city.^[17] During the early Meiji period, the city was also called "Tōkei", an alternative pronunciation for the same Chinese characters representing "Tokyo". Some surviving official English documents use the spelling "Tokei".^[18] However, this pronunciation is now obsolete.^[19]

History[link]

Tokugawa Ieyasu

Tokyo was originally a small fishing village named Edo,^[6] in what was formerly part of the old Musashi Province.^[20]

Edo was first fortified by the Edo clan, in the late twelfth century. In 1457, Ōta Dōkan built Edo Castle. In 1590, Tokugawa Ieyasu made Edo his base and when he became shogun in 1603, the town became the center of his nationwide military government. During the subsequent Edo period, Edo grew into one of the largest cities in the world with a population topping one million by the 18th century.^[21] Tokyo became the de facto capital of Japan^[22] even while the emperor lived in Kyoto, the imperial capital. After about 263 years, the shogunate was overthrown under the banner of restoring imperial rule. In 1869, the 17-year-old Emperor Meiji moved to Edo. Tokyo was already the nation's political and cultural center,^[23] and the emperor's residence made it a de facto imperial capital as well, with the former Edo Castle becoming the Imperial Palace. The city of Tokyo was established, and continued to be the capital until it was abolished as a municipality in 1943 and merged with the "Metropolitan Prefecture" of Tokyo.

Central Tokyo, like Osaka, has been designed since about 1900 to be centered on major railway stations in a high-density fashion, so suburban railways were built relatively cheaply at street level and with their own right-of-way. This differs from many cities in the United States that are low-density and automobile-centric. Though expressways have been built in Tokyo, the basic design has not changed.

Tokyo went on to suffer two major catastrophes in the 20th century, but it recovered from both. One was the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake, which left 140,000 dead or missing,^[24] and the other was World War II. The Bombing of Tokyo in 1944 and 1945, with 75,000 to 200,000 killed and half of the city destroyed, was almost as devastating as the atomic bombs of Hiroshima and Nagasaki combined.^[25]

After the war, Tokyo was completely rebuilt, and was showcased to the world during the 1964 Summer Olympics. The 1970s brought new high-rise developments such as Sunshine 60, a new and controversial^[26] airport at Narita in 1978 (some distance outside city limits), and a population increase to about 11 million (in the metropolitan area).

Tokyo's subway and commuter rail network became one of the busiest in the world^[27] as more and more people moved to the area. In the 1980s, real estate prices skyrocketed during a real estate and debt bubble. The bubble burst in the early 1990s, and many companies, banks, and individuals were caught with mortgage backed debts while real estate was shrinking in value. A major recession followed, making the 1990s Japan's "Lost Decade"^[28] from which it is now slowly recovering.

Tokyo still sees new urban developments on large lots of less profitable land. Recent projects include Ebisu Garden Place, Tennozu Isle, Shiodome, Roppongi Hills, Shinagawa (now also a Shinkansen station), and the Marunouchi side of Tokyo Station. Buildings of significance are demolished for more up-to-date shopping facilities such as Omotesando Hills.

Land reclamation projects in Tokyo have also been going on for centuries. The most prominent is the Odaiba area, now a major shopping and entertainment center. Various plans have been proposed^[29] for transferring national government functions from Tokyo to secondary capitals in other regions of Japan, in order to slow down rapid development in Tokyo and revitalize economically lagging areas of the country. These plans have been controversial^[30] within Japan and have yet to be realized.

The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami that devastated much of the northeastern coast of Honshu was felt in Tokyo. However, due to Tokyo's earthquake-resistant infrastructure, damage in Tokyo was very minor compared to areas directly hit by the tsunami,^[31] although activity in the city was largely halted.^[32] The subsequent nuclear crisis caused by the tsunami has also largely unaffected Tokyo, despite occasional spikes in radiation levels.^[33][34]

Geography and administrative divisions[link]

The mainland portion of Tokyo lies northwest of Tokyo Bay and measures about 90 km east to west and 25 km north to south. The average elevation in Tokyo is 40 m (131 ft 3 in).^[35] Chiba Prefecture borders it to the east, Yamanashi to the west, Kanagawa to the south, and Saitama to the north. Mainland Tokyo is further subdivided into the special wards (occupying the eastern half) and the Tama area (多摩地域) stretching westwards.

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Also within the administrative boundaries of Tokyo Metropolis are two island chains in the Pacific Ocean directly south: the Izu Islands, and the Ogasawara Islands, which stretch more than 1,000 km away from the mainland. Because of these islands and mountainous regions to the west, Tokyo's overall population density figures far underrepresent the real figures for urban and suburban regions of Tokyo.

Under Japanese law, Tokyo is designated as a to (都), translated as metropolis.^[36] Its administrative structure is similar to that of Japan's other prefectures. Within Tokyo lie dozens of smaller entities, including many cities, the 23 special wards, districts, towns, villages, a quasi-national park, and a national park. The 23 special wards (特別区 -ku), which until 1943 constituted the city of Tokyo, are now separate, self-governing municipalities, each having a mayor, a council, and the status of a city.

In addition to these 23 special wards, Tokyo also includes 26 more cities (市 -shi), five towns (町 -chō or machi), and eight villages (村 -son or -mura), each of which has a local government. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is headed by a publicly elected governor and metropolitan assembly. Its headquarters are in the ward of Shinjuku. They govern all of Tokyo, including lakes, rivers, dams, farms, remote islands, and national parks in addition to its neon jungles, skyscrapers and crowded subways.

Special wards[link]

A map of Tokyo's 23 Special wards

The special wards (tokubetsu-ku) of Tokyo comprise the area formerly incorporated as Tokyo City. On July 1, 1943, Tokyo City was merged with Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu^?) forming the current "metropolitan prefecture". As a result, unlike other city wards in Japan, these wards are not conterminous with a larger incorporated city. While falling under the jurisdiction of Tokyo Metropolitan Government, each ward is also a borough with its own elected leader and council, like other cities of Japan. The special wards use the word "city" in their official English name (e.g. Chiyoda City).

The wards differ from other cities in having a unique administrative relationship with the prefectural government. Certain municipal functions, such as waterworks, sewerage, and fire-fighting, are handled by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. To pay for the added administrative costs, the prefecture collects municipal taxes, which would usually be levied by the city.^[37]

The special wards of Tokyo are:

The "three core wards" of Tokyo are Chiyoda, Chūō and Minato.^[38]

Western Tokyo[link]

A map of cities in western part of Tokyo. They border on the three westernmost special wards in the map above.

To the west of the special wards, Tokyo Metropolis consists of cities, towns and villages that enjoy the same legal status as those elsewhere in Japan.

While serving as "bed towns" for those working in central Tokyo, some of these also have a local commercial and industrial base. Collectively, these are often known as the Tama Area or Western Tokyo.

Cities[link]

Twenty-six cities lie within the western part of Tokyo:

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has designated Hachiōji, Tachikawa, Machida, Ōme and Tama New Town as regional centers of the Tama area,^[39] as part of its plans to disperse urban functions away from central Tokyo.

Nishitama District[link]

The far west is occupied by the district (gun) of Nishitama. Much of this area is mountainous and unsuitable for urbanization. The highest mountain in Tokyo, Mount Kumotori, is 2,017 m high; other mountains in Tokyo include Takasu (1737 m), Odake (1266 m), and Mitake (929 m). Lake Okutama, on the Tama River near Yamanashi Prefecture, is Tokyo's largest lake. The district is composed of three towns and one village.

Towns

• Hinode
• Mizuho
• Okutama

Village

• Hinohara

Islands[link]

Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park

Tokyo has numerous outlying islands, which extend as far as 1850 km from central Tokyo. Because of the islands' distance from the administrative headquarters of the metropolitan government in Shinjuku, local offices administer them.

The Izu Islands are a group of volcanic islands and form part of the Fuji-Hakone-Izu National Park. The islands in order from closest to Tokyo are Izu Ōshima, Toshima, Niijima, Shikinejima, Kozushima, Miyakejima, Mikurajima, Hachijojima, and Aogashima. The Izu Islands are grouped into three subprefectures. Izu Ōshima and Hachijojima are towns. The remaining islands are six villages, with Niijima and Shikinejima forming one village.

The Ogasawara Islands include, from north to south, Chichi-jima, Nishinoshima, Haha-jima, Kita Iwo Jima, Iwo Jima, and Minami Iwo Jima. Ogasawara also administers two tiny outlying islands: Minami Torishima, the easternmost point in Japan and at 1,850 km the most distant island from central Tokyo, and Okino Torishima, the southernmost point in Japan. The last island is contested by the People's Republic of China as being only uninhabited rocks. The Iwo chain and the outlying islands have no permanent population, but host Japanese Self-Defense Forces personnel. Local populations are only found on Chichi-jima and Haha-jima. The islands form both the subprefecture of Ogasawara and the village of Ogasawara.

National parks[link]

As of March 31, 2008, 36% of the total land area of the prefecture was designated as Natural Parks (second only to Shiga Prefecture), namely the Chichibu Tama Kai, Fuji-Hakone-Izu, and Ogasawara National Parks (the last a UNESCO World Heritage Site); Meiji no Mori Takao Quasi-National Park; and Akikawa Kyūryō, Hamura Kusabana Kyūryō, Sayama, Takao Jinba, Takiyama, and Tama Kyūryō Prefectural Natural Parks.^[40]

Ueno Park is well known for its museums: Tokyo National Museum, National Science Museum, Shitamachi Museum and National Museum for Western Art, among others. There are also art works and statues at several places in the park.

Seismicity[link]

Tokyo was hit by powerful earthquakes in the 1703 Genroku earthquake, 1782, 1812, the 1855 Ansei Edo earthquake, and 1923.^[41][42] The 1923 earthquake, with an estimated magnitude of 8.3, killed 142,000 people. Tokyo is near the boundary of three plates.

Climate[link]

The former city of Tokyo and the majority of mainland Tokyo lie in the humid subtropical climate zone (Köppen climate classification Cfa),^[43] with hot humid summers and generally mild winters with cool spells. The region, like much of Japan, experiences a one-month seasonal lag, with the warmest month being August, which averages 27.5 °C (81.5 °F), and the coolest month being January, averaging 6.0 °C (42.8 °F). The record low temperature is −9.2 °C (15.4 °F), and the record high is 39.5 °C (103.1 °F), though there was once an unofficial reading of 42.7 °C (108.9 °F) at the Primary School Station.^[44] Annual rainfall averages nearly 1,530 millimetres (60.2 in), with a wetter summer and a drier winter. Snowfall is sporadic, but does occur almost annually.^[45] Tokyo also often sees typhoons each year, though few are strong. The last one to hit was Fitow in 2007,^[46] whilst the wettest month since records began in 1876 has been October 2004 with 780 millimetres (30 in)^[47] including 270.5 millimetres (10.6 in) on the ninth of that month.^[48]

Environment[link]

Tokyo has enacted a measure to cut greenhouse gases. Governor Shintaro Ishihara created Japan's first emissions cap system, aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emission by a total of 25% by 2020 from the 2000 level.^[51]

Tokyo is an example of an urban heat island, and the phenomenon is especially serious in its special wards.^[46][52] According to the Tokyo Metropolitan Government,^[53] the annual mean temperature has increased by about 3 °C (5.4 °F) over the past 100 years. Tokyo has been cited as a "convincing example of the relationship between urban growth and climate."^[54]

Demographics[link]

As of October 2007, the official intercensal estimate showed 12.79 million people in Tokyo with 8.653 million living within Tokyo's 23 wards.^[2] During the daytime, the population swells by over 2.5 million as workers and students commute from adjacent areas. This effect is even more pronounced in the three central wards of Chiyoda, Chūō, and Minato, whose collective population as of the 2005 National Census was 326,000 at night, but 2.4 million during the day.^[2]

The entire prefecture had 12,790,000 residents in October 2007 (8,653,000 in 23 wards), with an increase of over 3 million in the day. Tokyo is at its highest population ever, while that of the 23 wards peak official count was 8,893,094 in the 1965 Census, with the count dipping below 8 million in the 1995 Census.^{[citation needed]} People continue to move back into the core city as land prices have fallen dramatically.^{[citation needed]}

As of 2005, the most common foreign nationalities found in Tokyo are Chinese (123,661), Korean (106,697), Filipino (31,077), American (18,848), British (7,696), Brazilian (5,300) and French (3,000).^[55]

The 1889 Census^{[citation needed]} recorded 1,389,600 people in Tokyo City, Japan's largest city at the time.

Population of Tokyo[2] By area1 Tokyo Special wards Tama Area Islands 12.79 million 8.653 million 4.109 million 28,000 By age² Juveniles (age 0-14) Working (age 15-64) Retired (age 65+) 1.461 million (11.8%) 8.546 million (69.3%) 2.332 million (18.9%) By hours³ Day Night 14.978 million 12.416 million By nationality Foreign residents 364,6534 1 Estimates as of October 1, 2007. ² as of January 1, 2007. ³ as of 2005 National Census. 4 as of January 1, 2006.

This chart is growth rate of municipalities of Tokyo, Japan.It is estimated by census carried out in 2005 and 2010. Increase   10.0 % over   7.5 - 9.9 %   5.0 - 7.4 %   2.5 - 4.9 %   0.0 - 2.4 % Decrease   0.0 - 2.4 %   2.5 - 4.9%   5.0 - 7.4 %   7.5 - 9.9 %   10.0 % and below

Economy[link]

Tokyo Stock Exchange

Bank of Japan

Shiodome City Center in Minato, headquarters of All Nippon Airways and Fujitsu

Mitsubishi Corporation headquarters in Marunouchi, Chiyoda

Tokyo has the largest metropolitan economy in the world. According to a study conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers, the Tokyo urban area (35.2 million people) had a total GDP of US$1.479 trillion in 2008 (at purchasing power parity), which topped the list.^[7] As of 2009, 51 of the companies listed on the Global 500 are based in Tokyo, almost twice that of the second-placed city (Paris).^[56]

Tokyo is a major international finance center,^[57] houses the headquarters of several of the world's largest investment banks and insurance companies, and serves as a hub for Japan's transportation, publishing, and broadcasting industries. During the centralized growth of Japan's economy following World War II, many large firms moved their headquarters from cities such as Osaka (the historical commercial capital) to Tokyo, in an attempt to take advantage of better access to the government. This trend has begun to slow due to ongoing population growth in Tokyo and the high cost of living there.

Tokyo was rated by the Economist Intelligence Unit as the most expensive (highest cost-of-living) city in the world for 14 years in a row ending in 2006.^[58] This analysis is for living a corporate executive lifestyle, with items like a detached house and several automobiles.^{[citation needed]}

The Tokyo Stock Exchange is Japan's largest stock exchange, and third largest in the world by market capitalization and fourth largest by share turnover. In 1990 at the end of the Japanese asset price bubble, it accounted for more than 60% of the world stock market value.^[59] Tokyo had 8,460 ha (20,900 acres) of agricultural land as of 2003,^[60] according to the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, placing it last among the nation's prefectures. The farmland is concentrated in Western Tokyo. Perishables such as vegetables, fruits, and flowers can be conveniently shipped to the markets in the eastern part of the prefecture. Komatsuna and spinach are the most important vegetables; as of 2000, Tokyo supplied 32.5% of the komatsuna sold at its central produce market.

With 36% of its area covered by forest, Tokyo has extensive growths of cryptomeria and Japanese cypress, especially in the mountainous western communities of Akiruno, Ōme, Okutama, Hachiōji, Hinode, and Hinohara. Decreases in the price of lumber, increases in the cost of production, and advancing old age among the forestry population have resulted in a decline in Tokyo's output. In addition, pollen, especially from cryptomeria, is a major allergen for the nearby population centers.

Tokyo Bay was once a major source of fish.^{[citation needed]} Presently, most of Tokyo's fish production comes from the outer islands, such as Izu Ōshima and Hachijōjima. Skipjack tuna, nori, and aji are among the ocean products.^{[citation needed]}

Tourism in Tokyo is also a contributor to the economy.

Transportation[link]

Map of Tokyo Subway system

Tokyo, as the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, is Japan's largest domestic and international hub for rail, ground, and air transportation. Public transportation within Tokyo is dominated by an extensive network of clean and efficient^[61] trains and subways run by a variety of operators, with buses, monorails and trams playing a secondary feeder role.

Within Ōta, one of the 23 special wards, Haneda Airport offers domestic and international flights. Outside Tokyo, Narita International Airport, in Chiba Prefecture, is the major gateway for international travelers to Japan and Japan's flag carrier Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines all have a hub at this airport.

Various islands governed by Tokyo have their own airports. Hachijōjima (Hachijojima Airport), Miyakejima (Miyakejima Airport), and Izu Ōshima (Oshima Airport) have services to Tokyo International and other airports.

Rail is the primary mode of transportation in Tokyo, which has the most extensive urban railway network in the world and an equally extensive network of surface lines. JR East operates Tokyo's largest railway network, including the Yamanote Line loop that circles the center of downtown Tokyo. Two organizations operate the subway network: the private Tokyo Metro and the governmental Tokyo Metropolitan Bureau of Transportation. The metropolitan government and private carriers operate bus routes. Local, regional, and national services are available, with major terminals at the giant railroad stations, including Tokyo, Shinagawa, and Shinjuku.

Expressways link the capital to other points in the Greater Tokyo area, the Kantō region, and the islands of Kyūshū and Shikoku.

Other transportation includes taxis operating in the special wards and the cities and towns. Also long-distance ferries serve the islands of Tokyo and carry passengers and cargo to domestic and foreign ports.

Education[link]

University of Tokyo, Yasuda Auditorium

Waseda University

Keio University

Tokyo has many universities, junior colleges, and vocational schools. Many of Japan's most prestigious universities are in Tokyo, including University of Tokyo, Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Waseda University, and Keio University.^[62] Some of the biggest national universities in Tokyo are:

• Ochanomizu University
• University of Electro-Communications
• National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies
• University of Tokyo
• Tokyo Medical and Dental University
• Tokyo University of Foreign Studies
• Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology
• Tokyo Gakugei University
• Tokyo University of the Arts
• Tokyo Institute of Technology
• Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology
• Hitotsubashi University.

There is only one non-national public university: Tokyo Metropolitan University.

There are also a few universities well known for classes conducted in English and for the teaching of the Japanese language. They include:

• International Christian University
• Sophia University
• Waseda University
• Temple University Japan

For an extensive list, see List of universities in Tokyo.

Publicly run kindergartens, elementary schools (years 1 through 6), and junior high schools (7 through 9) are operated by local wards or municipal offices. Public high schools in Tokyo are run by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education and are called "Metropolitan High Schools". Tokyo also has many private schools from kindergarten through high school.^[63]

Culture[link]

Tokyo National Museum, Ueno

Tokyo has many museums. In Ueno Park, there is the Tokyo National Museum, the country's largest museum and specializing in traditional Japanese art; the National Museum of Western Art; the National Museum of Science and Ueno Zoo. Other museums include the Nezu Art Museum in Aoyama; the Edo-Tokyo Museum in Sumida, across the Sumida River from the center of Tokyo; and the National Diet Library, National Archives, and the National Museum of Modern Art, which are near the Imperial Palace.

Tokyo has many theaters for performing arts. These include national and private theaters for traditional forms of Japanese drama (such as noh and kabuki) as well as modern drama. Symphony orchestras and other musical organizations perform modern and traditional music. Tokyo also hosts modern Japanese and international pop and rock music at venues ranging in size from intimate clubs to internationally known arenas such as the Nippon Budokan.

Many different festivals occur throughout Tokyo. Major events include the Sannō at Hie Shrine, the Sanja at Asakusa Shrine, and the biennial Kanda Festivals. The last features a parade with elaborately decorated floats and thousands of people. Annually on the last Saturday of July, an enormous fireworks display over the Sumida River attracts over a million viewers. Once cherry blossoms, or sakura, bloom in spring, many residents gather in Ueno Park, Inokashira Park, and the Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden for picnics under the blossoms.

Harajuku, a neighborhood in Shibuya, is known internationally for its youth style, fashion^[64] and cosplay.

Cuisine in Tokyo is internationally acclaimed. In November 2007, Michelin released their guide for fine dining in Tokyo, awarding 191 stars in total, or about twice as many as Tokyo's nearest competitor, Paris. Eight establishments were awarded the maximum of three stars (Paris has 10), 25 received two stars, and 117 earned one star. Of the eight top-rated restaurants, three offer traditional Japanese fine dining, two are sushi houses and three serve French cuisine.^[65]

Sports[link]

Tokyo Dome, the home stadium for the Yomiuri Giants

Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo wrestling arena

Tokyo, with a diverse array of sports, is home to two professional baseball clubs, the Yomiuri Giants who play at the Tokyo Dome and Tokyo Yakult Swallows at Meiji-Jingu Stadium. The Japan Sumo Association is also headquartered in Tokyo at the Ryōgoku Kokugikan sumo arena where three official sumo tournaments are held annually (in January, May, and September). Football (soccer) clubs in Tokyo include F.C. Tokyo and Tokyo Verdy 1969, both of which play at Ajinomoto Stadium in Chōfu.

Tokyo hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics. The National Stadium, also known as the Olympic Stadium is host to a number of international sporting events. With a number of world-class sports venues, Tokyo often hosts national and international sporting events such as tennis tournaments, swim meets, marathons, American football exhibition games, judo, and karate. Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, in Sendagaya, Shibuya, is a large sports complex that includes swimming pools, training rooms, and a large indoor arena. According to Around the Rings, the gymnasium will play host to the October 2011 artistic gymnastics world championships, despite the International Gymnastics Federation's initial doubt in Tokyo's ability to host the championships following the March 11 tsunami. Tokyo is currently bidding to host the 2020 Summer Olympics.^[66] The IOC selected Tokyo as a Candidate City in May 2012. ^[67]

In popular culture[link]

Fuji TV headquarters

As the largest population center in Japan and the location of the country's largest broadcasters and studios, Tokyo is frequently the setting for many Japanese movies, television shows, animated series (anime), web comics, and comic books (manga). In the kaiju (monster movie) genre, landmarks of Tokyo are routinely destroyed by giant monsters such as Godzilla.

Some Hollywood directors have turned to Tokyo as a filming location for movies set in Tokyo. Well-known examples from the postwar era include Tokyo Joe, My Geisha, and the James Bond film You Only Live Twice; well-known contemporary examples include Kill Bill, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Lost in Translation and Inception.

Cityscape[link]

Architecture in Tokyo has largely been shaped by Tokyo's history. Twice in recent history has the metropolis been left in ruins: first in the 1923 Great Kantō earthquake and later after extensive firebombing in World War II.^[68] Because of this, Tokyo's current urban landscape is one of modern and contemporary architecture, and older buildings are scarce.^[68] Tokyo features many internationally famous forms of modern architecture including Tokyo International Forum, Asahi Beer Hall, Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower, NTT Docomo Yoyogi Building and Rainbow Bridge. Tokyo also features two distinctive towers: Tokyo Tower and the new Tokyo Skytree which is the tallest tower in Japan and the second tallest structure in the world.^[69]

Tokyo also contains numerous parks and gardens.

Panoramic view of Shinjuku and Mount Fuji taken from Bunkyo Civic Center

Panoramic view of Tokyo Imperial Palace as seen from Marunouchi. Shinjuku is seen in the background.

Sakura at the Tokyo Imperial Palace

High-rise office buildings as seen from the Tokyo Imperial Palace.

International relations[link]

Twin towns and sister cities[link]

Tokyo is twinned with the following cities and states:^[70]

Partnerships[link]

In addition, Tokyo has a "partnership" agreement with:

• London, UK

See also[link]

Tokyo portal

Notes[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Find more about Tokyo on Wikipedia's sister projects:
	Definitions and translations from Wiktionary
	Images and media from Commons
	Learning resources from Wikiversity
	News stories from Wikinews
	Quotations from Wikiquote
	Source texts from Wikisource
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• Media related to Tokyo at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website

Articles related to Tokyo Preceded by Heian-kyō Capital of Japan 1868– Succeeded by — v t e Tokyo Metropolis Architecture Education Festivals History Politics Sports Tourism Transportation Special Wards Adachi Arakawa Bunkyō Chiyoda Chūō Edogawa Itabashi Katsushika Kita Kōtō Meguro Minato Nakano Nerima Ōta Setagaya Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Suginami Sumida Taitō Toshima Cities Akiruno Akishima Chōfu Fuchū Fussa Hachiōji Hamura Higashikurume Higashimurayama Higashiyamato Hino Inagi Kiyose Kodaira Koganei Kokubunji Komae Kunitachi Machida Mitaka Musashimurayama Musashino Nishitōkyō Ōme Tachikawa Tama Districts and Subprefectures Nishitama District Hachijō Subprefecture Miyake Subprefecture Ogasawara Subprefecture Ōshima Subprefecture Portal Category v t e Summer Paralympic Games host cities     1960: Rome 1964: Tokyo 1968: Tel Aviv 1972: Heidelberg 1976: Toronto 1980: Arnhem 1984: Stoke Mandeville 1984: New York City 1988: Seoul 1992: Barcelona 1996: Atlanta 2000: Sydney 2004: Athens 2008: Beijing 2012: London 2016: Rio de Janeiro    Geographic locale Lat. and Long. 35°42′2″N 139°42′54″E / 35.70056°N 139.715°E / 35.70056; 139.715 (Shinjuku) v t e Regions and administrative divisions of  Japan Regions Hokkaido Tōhoku Kantō Nanpō Islands Chūbu Hokuriku Kōshin'etsu Shin'etsu Tōkai Kansai Chūgoku San'in San'yō Shikoku Kyushu Northern Kyushu Ryukyu Islands Prefectures Hokkaido Hokkaido Tōhoku Aomori Iwate Miyagi Akita Yamagata Fukushima Kantō Ibaraki Tochigi Gunma Saitama Chiba Tokyo Kanagawa Chūbu Niigata Toyama Ishikawa Fukui Yamanashi Nagano Gifu Shizuoka Aichi Kansai Mie Shiga Kyoto Osaka Hyōgo Nara Wakayama Chūgoku Tottori Shimane Okayama Hiroshima Yamaguchi Shikoku Tokushima Kagawa Ehime Kōchi Kyushu Fukuoka Saga Nagasaki Kumamoto Ōita Miyazaki Kagoshima Okinawa v t e Metropolitan cities of Japan Tokyo Metropolis Special wards of Tokyo (Adachi Arakawa Bunkyo Chiyoda Chūō Edogawa Itabashi Katsushika Kita Koto Meguro Minato Nakano Nerima Ōta Setagaya Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Suginami Sumida Toshima Taitō) Designated cities Chiba Fukuoka Hamamatsu Hiroshima Kawasaki Kitakyushu Kobe Kumamoto Kyoto Nagoya Niigata Okayama Osaka Sagamihara Saitama Sakai Sapporo Sendai Shizuoka Yokohama Core cities Akita Amagasaki Aomori Asahikawa Fukuyama Funabashi Gifu Hakodate Higashiōsaka Himeji Iwaki Kagoshima Kanazawa Kashiwa Kawagoe Kōchi Kōriyama Kurashiki Kurume Maebashi Matsuyama Miyazaki Morioka Nagano Nagasaki Nara Nishinomiya Ōita Okazaki Ōtsu Shimonoseki Takamatsu Takasaki Takatsuki Toyama Toyohashi Toyonaka Toyota Utsunomiya Wakayama Yokosuka Special cities Akashi Atsugi Chigasaki Fuji Fukui Hachinohe Hirakata Hiratsuka Ibaraki Ichinomiya Isesaki Jōetsu Kakogawa Kasugai Kasukabe Kawaguchi Kishiwada Kōfu Koshigaya Kumagaya Kure Matsue Matsumoto Mito Nagaoka Neyagawa Numazu Odawara Ōta Sasebo Sōka Suita Takarazuka Tokorozawa Tottori Tsukuba Yamagata Yamato Yao Yokkaichi Prefectural capitals (not included above) Fukushima Tsu Naha Saga Tokushima Yamaguchi v t e Capitals of Asia West and Southwest Asia Central Asia East Asia Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (UAE) Amman, Jordan Ankara, Turkey 8 Baghdad, Iraq Baku, Azerbaijan 8 Beirut, Lebanon Damascus, Syria Doha, Qatar Episkopi, Akrotiri and Dhekelia 7 Jerusalem, proclaimed for both Israel and Palestine 6 7 Kabul, Afghanistan 1 Kuwait City, Kuwait Manama, Bahrain Muscat, Oman Nicosia, Cyprus 7 Ramallah, Palestine Temporary Riyadh, Saudi Arabia Sana'a, Yemen Tbilisi, Georgia 8 Tehran, Iran Jerusalem, Israel Yerevan, Armenia 7 Ashgabat, Turkmenistan Astana, Kazakhstan 8 Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan Dushanbe, Tajikistan Tashkent, Uzbekistan  South Asia Dhaka, Bangladesh Islamabad, Pakistan Kathmandu, Nepal Kotte, Colombo, Sri Lanka 3 Malé, Maldives New Delhi, India Thimphu, Bhutan Beijing, People's Republic of China (PRC) Pyongyang, North Korea Seoul, South Korea Tokyo, Japan Taipei, Taiwan 2 Ulan Bator, Mongolia 1  Southeast Asia Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei Bangkok, Thailand Dili, East Timor 10 Hanoi, Vietnam Jakarta, Indonesia Kuala Lumpur 4 and Putrajaya,5 Malaysia Manila, Philippines Naypyidaw, Burma Phnom Penh, Cambodia Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea 9 Singapore, Singapore Vientiane, Laos 1 Often considered part of Central Asia.  2 Officially the Republic of China (ROC).  3 Full name is Sri Jayawardenapura Kotte.  4 Formal.   5 Administrative.  6 See Positions on Jerusalem for details on Jerusalem's status.  7 Entirely in Southwest Asia but having socio-political connections with Europe.  8 Transcontinental country.  9 Entirely in Melanesia but having socio-political connections with Southeast Asia. 10 Classified as Melanesia according to some definitions.   v t e Summer Olympic Games host cities     1896: Athens 1900: Paris 1904: St. Louis 1908: London 1912: Stockholm 1920: Antwerp 1924: Paris 1928: Amsterdam 1932: Los Angeles 1936: Berlin 1940: cancelled 1944: cancelled 1948: London 1952: Helsinki 1956: Melbourne 1960: Rome 1964: Tokyo 1968: Mexico City 1972: Munich 1976: Montreal 1980: Moscow 1984: Los Angeles 1988: Seoul 1992: Barcelona 1996: Atlanta 2000: Sydney 2004: Athens 2008: Beijing 2012: London 2016: Rio de Janeiro v t e IAAF World Athletics Championships Host cities 1983: Helsinki -  Finland • 1987: Romes - Italy  • 1991: Tokyo - Japan  • 1993: Stuttgart - Germany  • 1995: Gothenburg - Sweden  • 1997: Athens - Greece  • 1999: Seville - Spain  • 2001: Edmonton - Canada  • 2003: Saint-Denis - France  • 2005: Helsinki -  Finland  • 2007: Osaka - Japan  • 2009: Berlin - Germany  • 2011: Daegu - South Korea  • 2013: Moscow - Russia  • v t e World's twenty most populous metropolitan areas     1 Tokyo-Yokohama 2 Seoul-Incheon 3 Mexico City 4 New York (Tri-State Region) 5 Mumbai  6 Jakarta  7 São Paulo  8 Delhi  9 Keihanshin 10 Shanghai 11 Manila 12 Hong Kong-Shenzhen 13 Los Angeles 14 Kolkata 15 Moscow 16 Cairo 17 Buenos Aires 18 London 19 Beijing 20 Karachi v t e World's fifty most-populous urban areas Tokyo–Yokohama Delhi Seoul–Incheon Jakarta Manila Mumbai New York São Paulo Mexico City Shanghai Cairo Osaka–Kobe–Kyoto Kolkata Shenzhen Los Angeles Beijing Moscow Karachi Istanbul Buenos Aires Dongguan Rio de Janeiro Guangzhou–Foshan Dhaka Lagos Paris Nagoya Chicago Kinshasa Lima Bogotá London Taipei Ho Chi Minh City Chennai Johannesburg–East Rand Bangalore Lahore Tehran Ruhr Area (Essen–Düsseldorf) Bangkok Hong Kong Hyderabad Tianjin Chonqing Bandung Baghdad Santiago Kuala Lumpur Toronto–Hamilton v t e Mass transit in the Greater Tokyo Area JR East lines (Tokyo urban/suburban area) ■ Akabane ■ Chūō ■ Rapid ■ Local ■ Hachikō ■ Itsukaichi ■ Jōban ■ Karasuyama ■ Kawagoe ■ Keihin-Tōhoku ■ Keiyō ■ Mito ■ Musashino ■ Nambu ■ Narita ■ Negishi ■ Nikkō ■ Ōme ■ Ryōmō ■ Sagami ■ Saikyō ■ ■ Shōnan-Shinjuku ■ Sōbu ■ Rapid ■ Local ■ Sotobō ■ Takasaki ■ Tōgane ■ Tōhoku Utsunomiya ■ Tōkaidō ■ Tsurumi ■ Uchibō ■ Yamanote ■ Yokohama ■ Yokosuka Tokyo Metro lines Chiyoda Fukutoshin Ginza Hibiya Marunouchi Namboku Tōzai Yūrakuchō Hanzōmon Toei subway lines Asakusa Ōedo Mita Shinjuku Major private lines Keikyu Keikyū Main Airport Daishi Kurihama Zushi Keiō Keiō Keiō New Dōbutsuen Inokashira Keibajō Sagamihara Takao Keisei Keisei Main Chiba Chihara Higashi-Narita Kanamachi Narita Sky Access Oshiage Odakyū Enoshima Odawara Tama Seibu Ikebukuro lines ■ Ikebukuro ■ Sayama ■ Seibu Chichibu ■ Seibu Yūrakucho ■ Toshima Shinjuku Lines ■ Shinjuku ■ Haijima ■ Kokubunji ■ Seibu-en ■ Tamagawa ■ Tamako Sōtetsu Sōtetsu Main Izumino Tōbu Tōbu main lines Daishi Isesaki Kameido Kinugawa Kiryū Koizumi Nikkō Noda Sano Utsunomiya Tōjō lines Tōjō Ogose Tōkyū ■ Den-en-toshi ■ Ikegami ■ Meguro ■ Ōimachi ■ Tōkyū Tamagawa ■ Tōyoko Other commuter rail lines Hokusō Kantō Jōsō Ryūgasaki Nagareyama Rinkai Saitama Rapid Shibayama Shin-Keisei Tōyō Rapid Tsukuba Express Minatomirai Kodomonokuni Minatomirai 21 Yokohama Municipal Subway Blue Green Other lines Monorails Chiba Monorail Disney Resort Shōnan Monorail Tama Monorail Tokyo Monorail People movers New Shuttle Seaside Nippori-Toneri Yamaguchi Yūkarigaoka Yurikamome Streetcars ■ Enoden ■ Setagaya ■ Toden Arakawa Cable cars and aerial tramways Ōyama Cable Car Hodosan Ropeway Takaotozan Railway Nokogiriyama Ropeway Mount Tsukuba Cable Car Mount Tsukuba Ropeway Akechidaira Ropeway Ikaho Ropeway Mitake Tozan Cable Car Fuji-Hakone-Izu subregion 3 cable 5 ropeways 5 rail lines Major terminals Rail Akihabara Chiba Ikebukuro Kawasaki Kita-Senju Ōmiya Ōtemachi Shibuya Shinagawa Shinjuku Tachikawa Tōkyō Ueno Yokohama Airports Haneda Int'l Narita Int'l Chofu Ibaraki Ports Yokohama Tokyo Miscellaneous Shinkansen PASMO Suica Transportation in Greater Tokyo Rail transport in Japan

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Tokio Hotel
Tokio Hotel, 2010. L-R: Georg Listing, Bill Kaulitz, Tom Kaulitz, and Gustav Schäfer
Background information
Origin	Magdeburg, Germany
Genres	Pop rock,[1][2] alternative rock,[3] emo,[4] glam rock,[5] power pop,[6][7][8][9]
Years active	2001–present
Labels	Universal Music Germany, Cherrytree, Interscope
Website	www.tokiohotel.com
Members
Bill Kaulitz Tom Kaulitz Georg Listing Gustav Schäfer

Tokio Hotel is a rock band from Germany, founded in 2001 by singer Bill Kaulitz, guitarist Tom Kaulitz, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bassist Georg Listing.^[10] The quartet have scored four number one singles and have released three number one albums in their native country, selling nearly 5 million CDs and DVDs there.^[11] After recording an unreleased demo-CD under the name "Devilish" and having their contract with Sony BMG Germany terminated, the band released their first German-language album, Schrei, as Tokio Hotel on Universal Music Germany in 2005. Schrei sold more than half a million copies worldwide^[12] and spawned four top five singles in both Germany and Austria. In 2007, the band released their second German album Zimmer 483 and their first English album Scream which have combined album sales of over one million copies worldwide and helped win the band their first MTV Europe Music Award for Best InterAct. The former, Zimmer 483, spawned three top five singles in Germany while the latter, Scream, spawned two singles that reached the top twenty in new territories such as France, Portugal, Spain and Italy. In September 2008, they won in the US their first MTV Video Music Award (VMA) for Best New Artist. In October 2008, they won four awards including Best International Artist and Song of the year at Los Premios MTV Latinoamérica (MTV Video Music Awards Latin America) held in Mexico. Tokio Hotel became the first German band ever to win an award at the MTV VMAs and also at the MTV Latin America Awards. They also picked up the Headliner award at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2008 held in Liverpool on November 6, 2008 and the Award for Best Group on November 5, 2009 at the MTV Europe Music Award (EMA) held in Berlin. They won an Award for Best World Stage Performance on November 7, 2010 at the MTV Europe Music Awards in Madrid. In July 2011, they became the first German band to win an MTV Video Music Awards Japan (VMAJ). And won MTV's 2012 Musical March Madness.

History[link]

[edit] Formation (2001 - 2004)

Tokio Hotel by vocalist Bill Kaulitz and guitarist Tom Kaulitz, who are identical twin brothers, drummer Gustav Schäfer and bass-guitarist Georg Listing. The four met in 2001 after a live show in a Magdeburg-Club, where Listing and Schäfer, who knew each other from music school, watched from the audience while Bill and Tom Kaulitz played on the stage.^[13][14] Under the name Devilish, the band soon began playing in talent shows and small concerts.^[15] After Bill Kaulitz's participation in a children's Star Search in 2003 at age thirteen (which he lost in the quarter-final), he was discovered by music producer Peter Hoffmann. Devilish changed their name to Tokio Hotel: "Tokio", the German spelling of the Japanese city Tokyo, due to a love of the city, and "Hotel" due to their constant touring and living in hotels.^[13] Soon after Sony BMG took them under contract, Hoffmann hired David Jost and Pat Benzner into the team of creators and authors, and had them give the teens instruction on songwriting and instrument playing; most of the songs of the first album were written by Hoffmann, Jost and Benzer (including the singles "Scream" and "Rescue me" which were completely written by them), only the single "Unendlichkeit" was written completely by Tokio Hotel themselves. Shortly before release of their first album, Sony terminated their contract. The band is now one of the biggest modern acts from Germany and the biggest in 20 years.

[edit] Schrei (2005 - 2006)

Bill Kaulitz performing in Hessisch-Lichtenau, Germany in 2006.

In 2005, Universal Music Group took Tokio Hotel under contract and developed a marketing plan. Their first single, "Durch den Monsun" ("Through the Monsoon"), quickly rose in the charts, appearing on the German official Media Control single chart at #15 on August 20, 2005 and eventually reaching #1 on August 26, 2005; it also reached #1 on the Austrian singles chart. Their second single, "Schrei" ("Scream"), climbed to the #5 position in the German charts. These two songs were written by singer Bill Kaulitz together with their group of producers Peter Hoffmann, David Jost, Pat Benzer and Dave Roth. Their debut album, Schrei, was released on September 19, 2005, and was certified triple gold by the BVMI in 2006 for selling over 300,000 copies in Germany.^[16] In 2006, a third and fourth single, "Rette mich" ("Rescue Me") and "Der letzte Tag" ("The Final Day"), were released; both reached #1 as well. "Der letzte Tag" contained a B-side called "Wir schließen uns ein", which was also accompanied by a music video.

[edit] Zimmer 483 (2007 - 2008)

The first single off their second album Zimmer 483 (Room 483), called "Übers Ende der Welt" (later re-released in English under the name "Ready, Set, Go!"), was released on January 26, 2007 and quickly reached #1 in Germany and Austria, and #2 in France. Zimmer 483 was released in Germany on February 23, 2007, along with a deluxe edition of the album containing a DVD. The album's second single, "Spring nicht" ("Don't Jump") was released on April 7. The tour accompanying the release of the album, The Zimmer 483 Tour, was scheduled to start in March 2007, but was delayed by two weeks because the band members wished to have a different stage design. A third single, "An deiner Seite (Ich bin da)" ("By Your Side"), was released on November 16. The single contains the B-side "1000 Meere" ("1000 Oceans"), for which a music video was also produced. On April 28, 2008 Tokio Hotel released their single "Heilig" but no music video for the single was released, because of the tight schedule they had.

[edit] Scream (2007 - 2008)

Tokio Hotel's first English language album, Scream, was released on June 4, 2007 throughout Europe. In Germany, the album was released as Room 483 in order to emphasize the continuity with their last German album Zimmer 483. Scream contains English versions of a selection of songs from their German-language albums Scream and Zimmer 483. "Monsoon", the English-language version of "Durch den Monsun", was the first single from the album. "Ready, Set, Go!" (the translation of "Übers Ende der Welt") was released as the album's second single and "Don't Jump" (the translation of "Spring nicht") as the third single. A video for "Scream", the English-language version of their 2005 hit "Schrei", was also recorded, and was released to the iTunes Store in early March 2008.

Tokio Hotel gave their first concert in the United Kingdom on June 19, 2007. "Ready, Set, Go!" was released in the UK as the band's first single on August 27, 2007. The song reached #77 in the UK Singles Chart.

Tokio Hotel won an MTV Europe Music Award for Best InterAct on November 1, 2007 and were also nominated for Best Band. They performed "Monsoon" at the event.

Tokio Hotel released their first US single, simply called "Tokio Hotel", in late 2007. The single contains the tracks "Scream" and "Ready, Set, Go!", and was available exclusively at Hot Topic stores. Their second US single, "Scream America", was released on December 11, 2007. The single contains the track "Scream" and a remix of "Ready, Set, Go!" by AFI's Jade Puget. In February 2008, the band toured North America for five dates starting in Canada and finishing up in New York.^[17] After appearing and performing live on MuchMusic, while touring in Canada, "Ready, Set, Go!" entered the MuchOnDemand Daily 10, a countdown of videos chosen by viewers. It remained there for over a week, then returned to the top of the MOD Daily 10 chart on April 8. "Scream" was released in Canada on March 25 and in the US on May 6. The "1000 Hotels" European Tour began on March 3, 2008 in Brussels and continued to locations including The Netherlands, Luxembourg, France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and Scandinavia, and was scheduled to finish on April 9; during the concert in Marseille, France on March 14, Bill started to experience vocal problems.^[18] He let the audience sing more frequently than normal and instead of the original 21 songs that were on the set list, they only played 16 songs. Bill apologized, in German, for his bad singing and explained that he was sick. Two days later, the band canceled Lisbon, Portugal concert minutes before it was supposed to commence. The rest of the "1000 Hotels" Tour and a scheduled North American Tour were cancelled following an announcement in Bild by the band's manager that Bill Kaulitz had to undergo surgery to remove a cyst on his vocal cords.^[19][20]