More forty years ago on this planet, there were only three metropolis - Tokyo, New York and Mexico City.It was the largest megacities in the world.As of 2010, this situation has changed dramatically, because their number increased to 21. Moreover, according to forecasts of scientists, after ten years, the number of megacities in the world is 29, and their predominant focus in the majority of developing countries.As of today, every twentieth person on the planet is a resident of these cities.The most prominent among other Tokyo, the population of which, taking into account functionally connected suburbs exceeds the mark of 36 million people.
Heart Tokyo
clearly answer the question about the number of inhabitants and the capital of the area may even not all Japanese.In this case, we should define the boundaries.The fact that they can serve the administrative line separating the Tokyo from in close proximity and associated suburbs or outside the city limits.By itself, the prefecture of the Japanese capital is not very big.Its length is about 90, and the width - 25 kilometers.Land area, which it occupies, equals 2168 square kilometers.If only the so-called heart of Tokyo, its population is just over 13 million people.
Prefecture
Administratively, the capital of Japan is divided into 23 distinct areas.In addition to them, a part of the prefecture consists of 26 towns, 8 villages and 5 towns.It should be noted that they are all in so-called zone Tama westward from the Tokyo.In this part of Japan is mountainous, covered by dense forest area, which is unfit for habitation.Related to this is the fact that lives here is not so many people.Because of the small populations of the region the government had decided to establish four national parks here.By metropolitan prefecture also includes two chains of small-sized volcanic islands that stretches into the Pacific a thousand kilometers to the south.
Features
Metropolitan Government, which is called the Tokyo municipality manages Prefecture.In addition, each of the 23 urban areas, which we discussed earlier, has its own municipality with an elected mayor.A key trend that has become typical in recent years for residents of Tokyo - the population increasingly moves from the central areas of the city in the neighboring prefectures.The reason for this is only one - the cost of living here is through the roof.At the same time workers can quickly and comfortably reached by high-speed traffic arteries to his office, regardless of its location in Tokyo (Japan takes a leading position in the world in terms of development of transport and speed of trains).If we take the example of three of the central area - Minato, Chuo and Chiyoda, then at night there are no more than 300 thousand people, while during the day, this figure increases to six or seven times.In general, because of the substantial daily migration, the population of the Japanese capital, depending on the time of day, can increase and decrease by 3 million people.Therefore, to answer the question of how many people in Tokyo at one time or another, is not so simple.
Agglomeration
As noted above, to determine the line from the Japanese capital from neighboring prefectures quite difficult.It does not provide a clear answer, even satellite images.The fact that the integrally fused industrial areas, sleeping quarters, transport infrastructure and so on.Residential quarters of the city and captured the neighboring Tokyo Prefecture - Yamanashi, Ibaraki, Chiba, Tochigi, Gunma, Saitama and Kanagawa.As a result, formed the world's largest urban agglomeration with a population of 36 million people.This indicator can not boast of no other megacities in the world.
Other indicators
Japanese capital occupies a leading position in the world, not only by the number of inhabitants.If we consider just the city (District 23), it is also a most gustozaselёnnym on Earth.The population density of Tokyo is more than six thousand people per square kilometer.With this and the associated very high cost of local real estate.Eloquent include the fact that the price of land, as a rule, comparable to the amount of money that will be enough to cover it with a layer of gold.Compared with the rest of the prefectures of the State whose agricultural lands are assigned the smallest part of the territory - only 8460 hectares.Request for the capital's residents in flowers, fruits and vegetables that are grown here, these lands are able to meet only partly.On the other hand, in such indicators as GDP, second only to the capital prefecture three countries - Germany, the US and Japan itself as a whole.
distressful
What else is typical of Tokyo - the population of the prefecture is a very long-suffering.In the history of the local people often become victims of natural disasters (volcanic eruptions and earthquakes).For example, in 1923 there was a strong underground storm, which resulted in the deaths of 140 thousand people.The city itself was destroyed.Much more tragic was the spring of 1945, when the main purpose of the American planes began bombing when it was Tokyo.The city's population then declined to 250 thousand people, since a huge amount of incendiary bombs were dropped on residential areas of the Japanese capital.
Interesting facts, studies and forecasts
According to many scientists and researchers, its peak level of population will reach Tokyo in 2020.It is expected that if the city will be home to approximately 13.35 million.Only after that the number of local residents begin to gradually decrease.
Another interesting fact is that if today the proportion of older people here is around 21%, in five or six years, it will rise to 24%, and in twenty years will reach 28.9%.The explanation for this is quite simple.The fact is that for the country as a whole is characterized by a very low birth rate.In this regard, the government is already taking steps to ensure the safety of older people, including helping them to find work.
Scientists believe that in ten years to reach the maximum value and the number of families in the Japanese capital - about 6.63 million.
In 1920 took place the first national census of the inhabitants of Tokyo.The city's population then was 3.7 million.Only forty years later the figure rose to the level of 10 million inhabitants.The result was an excessive concentration of population and the deterioration of their living conditions (growth in house prices, inflation and so on).As a result, between 1980 and 1995, there was a demographic decline.
from 2000 to 2010.Tokyo has become characteristic of the massive influx of migrants from other prefectures.This has led to an increase in population during this period by 9%.
Due to the limited amount of available land the government of the capital of the Japanese prefecture is actively working on the creation in Tokyo Bay artificial islands.
