Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō?, "Eastern Capital") [toːkʲoː], English /ˈtoʊki.oʊ/; officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to?), 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. 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. 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. The city hosts 47 of the Fortune Global 500 companies, the highest amount of any city.
Tourism in Tokyo is a major industry. In 2006, 4.81 million foreigners and 420 million Japanese visits to Tokyo were made; the economic value of these visits totaled 9.4 trillion yen according to the government of Tokyo. [1] Many tourists visit the various downtowns, stores, and entertainment districts throughout the neighborhoods of the special wards of Tokyo; particularly school children on class trips, a visit to Tokyo Tower is de rigueur. Cultural offerings include both omnipresent Japanese pop culture and associated districts (Shibuya and Harajuku), subcultural attractions such as Studio Ghibli anime center, as well as museums like the Tokyo National Museum, which houses 37% of the country's artwork national treasures (87/233). Though no buildings in Tokyo are World heritage sites and only the Jizo Hall of Shofuku-ji, a suburban temple, is a National treasure, [2] other popular attractions include the Imperial Palace, Meiji Shrine, and Sensō-ji, a popular temple. Finally, many tourists, particularly foreign tourists, visit Tsukiji Fish Market, as the time-zone difference leads to foreign visitors waking up very early local time.
The transport network in Greater Tokyo includes public and private rail and highway networks; airports for international, domestic, and general aviation; buses; motorcycle delivery services, walking, bicycling, and commercial shipping. While the nexus is in the central part of Tokyo, every part of the Greater Tokyo Area has rail or road transport services. The sea and air transport is available from limited number of ports for the general public.
Public transport within Greater Tokyo is dominated by one of the world's most extensive urban rail networks of clean and efficient surface trains and subways run by a variety of operators, with buses, trams, monorails, and other modes supporting the railway lines. 40 million passengers use the rail system daily (14.6 billion annually) with the subway representing 22% of that figure with 8.66 million using it daily. There are 0.61 commuter rail stations in the Tokyo area per square mile (one for each 1.6 square miles) of developed land area, though there are more in Osaka and Nagoya, combined with the high density connecting bus networks, Commuter rail ridership is very dense, at 6 million people per line mile annually, with the highest among automotive urban areas. Walking and cycling are much more common than in many cities around the globe. Private automobiles and motorcycles play a secondary role in urban transport.
Do You Exist?
Plot
A wealthy matriarch is kidnapped by a gang of three. She is insulted by the amount of money they propose to demand as ransom, and a strange interchange of roles takes place between captors and captive, to the difficulty and eventual astonishment of the prefecture's Chief of Police.
Keywords: rural-setting
Mrs. Toshiko Yanagawa: [sweetly] By the way... I haven't asked you yet, but what will my ransom be? [Kazama holds up five fingers] Five? How much is that? How much for each finger?::'Lightning': 10 million yen. Fifty million in all. It's been decided.::Mrs. Toshiko Yanagawa: [her smile disappeares] How much did you say?::'Lightning': Fifty million yen. You've been nice to us but that's one thing, and your ransom is another. It's fifty million. No discount!::Mrs. Toshiko Yanagawa: [sternly] Young man. Who do you think I am? Although I'm old, I am the head of the great Yanagawa family! Don't underestimate me. Make it simple and clear. Ten BILLION yen. If I was worth less than that, I'd die in shame. Understand? Ten billion. No discount.
'Lightning': If I hadn't met you, I'd never have thought of kidnapping you.::Mrs. Toshiko Yanagawa: Really? I see. Some climb a mountain because it's there. You KIDNAPPED me because I was there.