Tokyo

Capital of Japan: population, location, elevation, climate and landmarks.

Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 2009 January (revised)

Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 2009 January (revised): Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)

Overview

Tokyo is the capital of Japan. About 9.7 million people live in the city proper, making it the 1st largest city of Japan in our atlas.

It lies at 35.69° N, 139.69° E, about 44 m (144 ft) above sea level, and keeps time on the Asia/Tokyo time zone.

Location

Red dot: Tokyo. Green dots: other major cities of Japan. Map data: Natural Earth.

Climate

Tokyo has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). The warmest month is usually Aug, with average highs near 31°C (87°F); the coolest nights come in Jan at about 1°C (33°F). Around 1,694 mm (67 in) of rain and snow falls in a typical year, most of it in Oct.

9°1°Jan8010°1°Feb7513°4°Mar12418°9°Apr13523°14°May14826°18°Jun18529°22°Jul15331°23°Aug13427°20°Sep21122°14°Oct24617°9°Nov12011°3°Dec83mm

Bars: average daily high and low (°C) for each month; blue columns and figures: average precipitation (mm). Gridded 2001-2025 averages from NASA POWER, so mountain and coastal spots can differ from local station records.

Landmarks and places to see

Mode Gakuen Cocoon Tower
Mode Gakuen Cocoon TowerBuilding in Tokyo, Japan
National Museum of Western Art
National Museum of Western ArtArt museum in Tokyo, Japan
National Art Center, Tokyo
National Art Center, TokyoArt museum in Tokyo, Japan
Ueno Zoo
Ueno ZooZoo in Tokyo, Japan
Ghibli Museum
Ghibli MuseumArt museum in Mitaka, Tokyo, Japan
Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium
Tokyo Metropolitan GymnasiumSports arena
Shinjuku Gyoen
Shinjuku GyoenPark and garden in Shinjuku and Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan
The National Museum of Modern Art
The National Museum of Modern ArtArt museum in Tokyo, Japan

Popular sights within a few kilometres of the city centre, ranked by how widely they are documented on Wikipedia.

What to eat in JapanNational dishes, street food, desserts and drinks on Intercontinental Chef.

Nearby major cities

← JapanAll cities

Sources

Text written by Geographical Effect from these sources.

Photo credits
  • Skyscrapers of Shinjuku 2009 January (revised): Morio, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 2024 Cocoon Tower 02: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • The Burghers of Calais in Japan: Takuro1202, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • 2018 National Art Center, Tokyo 2: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Ueno-zoo: Los688, Public domain (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Ghibli-museum-mitaka: Unknown, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Tokyo-Metropolitan-Gymnasium Entrance: MaedaAkihiko, CC0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • Shinjuku Gyoen National Garden - sakura 3: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 3.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
  • National Museum of Modern Art Tokyo: Kakidai, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)