Ten fun facts about Tokyo

Fact 1
Tokyo is not only the center of the Greater Tokyo Area and the capital of Japan but it is also one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world.

Fact 2
When it became the imperial capital in 1868 is when its name changed. It was originally known as Edo.

Fact 3
In 2013, the city of Tokyo was named the third most expensive city to live in for people who are not native to the country, and the world's most expensive city regarding the cost of living.

Fact 4
It is often considered one of the three 'command' centers for the world economy. The other two are New York City and London.

Fact 5
In 1943, Tokyo City merged with the Tokyo Prefecture, forming the metropolitan prefecture. There are 23 special wards of Tokyo, but the three 'core' wards are Chiyoda, Chuo and Minato.

Fact 6
This city homes the busiest metro system in the world, carrying more than 8.7 million commuters a day and 200 miles of track.

Fact 7
Tokyo has many universities and is the headquarters for the United Nations University.

Fact 8
Though the city was nearly demolished in the 1923 earthquake and the bombings after World War 2, the architecture is modern and contemporary and older buildings are hard to find.

Fact 9
During the Meiji period, the city was also called "Tokei". Some English documents still use that spelling, but the pronunciation is now obsolete.

Fact 10
PricewaterhouseCoopers conducted a study of the Tokyo urban area, consisting of 35.2 million people, which had a total GDP of $2.91 trillion in 2012 - the largest metropolitan economy in the world.

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