Tokyo

Tokyo, officially Tokyo Metropolis, is the capital of Japan and the most populous of the country's 47 prefectures. Located at the head of Tokyo Bay, the prefecture forms part of the Kantō region on the central Pacific coast of Japan's main island, Honshu. Tokyo is the political, economic, and cultural center of Japan, and houses the seat of the Emperor and the national government. The Greater Tokyo Area, which includes several neighboring prefectures, is the largest urban economy and the most populous metropolitan area in the world, with more than 38.1 million residents as of 2017.

Originally a small fishing village named Edo, the city became a prominent political center under shōgun Tokugawa Ieyasu, who made Edo Castle his military headquarters in 1603. By the mid-18th century, Edo was one of the largest cities in the world, with a population of more than one million.