03Cities and regions

The capital

Tokyo, where towers crowd the ground

Tokyo is Japan’s capital and largest city. The administrative capital had 14,254,039 residents in May 2025 across roughly 2,194 square kilometers. The wider metro is far larger still. Here the journey rises in another way: Skytree reaches 634 meters, opened in 2012, and is the country’s tallest broadcast tower. Tokyo Tower is older, completed in 1958 at 332.9 meters, and held the height record until Skytree arrived. Minato shows a night face of towers and walkways. Haneda serves the greater area with Narita farther east. A day for towers and waterfronts, and a day for neighborhoods, make a solid introduction before you leave the capital west or toward the mountain. The city is neither tropical island nor alpine valley; its rhythm is train lines and towers seen from the Sumida River. If time is short, pair Skytree by day with Minato by night, and keep a day for the train west. Population and towers here measure capital density before you shift to a quieter pace in Kyoto or Hakone.

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Tokyo population

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Skytree height

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Tokyo Tower height