Special wards of Tokyo

are one of the basic local entities of Japan.  There are 23 municipalities in the core of the capital of Japan.  They are "special wards" because they are different from the  of other major Japanese cities.

## History

In 1889, 15 wards were established in the city of Tokyo.  The number of wards grew to 35 in 1932.  The number of wards became 23 in 1947.

The traditional districts of Tokyo evolved as the city grew during the Edo period. There are many districts in Tokyo's special wards.

## List of special wards

|Name|width="55px" class="unsortable"|Kanji|Population (2007)|Density|Area|class="unsortable"|Major districts|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|Adachi|足立区|629,392|11,830.68|53.20|Ayase, Kitasenju, Takenotsuka|||
|Arakawa|荒川区|194,777|18,262.25|10.20|Arakawa, Machiya, Nippori, Minamisenju|||
|Bunkyō|文京区|194,933|16,009.28|11.31|Hongō, Yayoi, Hakusan|||
|Chiyoda|千代田区|43,802|3,763.06|11.64|Nagatachō, Kasumigaseki, Ōtemachi, Marunouchi, Akihabara, Yūrakuchō, Iidabashi|||
|Chūō|中央区|104,997|10,344.53|10.15|Nihonbashi, Kayabachō, Ginza, Tsukiji, Hatchōbori, Shinkawa, Tsukishima, Kachidoki, Tsukuda,|||
|Edogawa|江戸川区|661,386|13,264.86|49.86|Kasai, Koiwa|||
|Itabashi|板橋区|529,059|16,445.72|32.17|Itabashi, Takashimadaira|||
|Katsushika|葛飾区|428,066|12,286.62|34.84|Tateishi, Aoto|||
|Kita|北区|330,646|15,885.67|20.59|Akabane, Ōji, Tabata|||
|Kōtō|江東区|436,337|10,963.24|39.8|Kiba, Ariake, Kameido, Tōyōchō, Monzennakachō, Fukagawa, Kiyosumi, Shirakawa, Etchūjima, Sunamachi, Aomi|||
|Meguro|目黒区|267,798|18,217.55|14.70|Meguro, Nakameguro, Jiyugaoka|||
|Minato|港区|205,196|10,088.30|20.34|Odaiba, Shinbashi, Shinagawa, Roppongi, Toranomon, Aoyama, Azabu, Hamamatsuchō, Tamachi|||
|Nakano|中野区|312,939|20,097.82|15.59|Nakano|||
|Nerima|練馬区|702,202|14,580.61|48.16|Nerima, Ōizumi, Hikarigaoka|||
|<span style="display:none">Ota</span>Ōta|大田区|674,590|11,345.27|59.46|Ōmori, Kamata, Haneda, Den-en-chōfu|||
|Setagaya|世田谷区|855,416|14,728.23|58.08|Setagaya, Kitazawa, Kinuta, Karasuyama, Tamagawa|||
|Shibuya|渋谷区|205,512|13,337.13|15.11|Shibuya, Ebisu, Harajuku, Hiroo, Sendagaya, Yoyogi|||
|Shinagawa|品川区|353,887|15,576.01|22.72|Shinagawa, Gotanda, Ōsaki, Hatanodai, Ōimachi|||
|Shinjuku|新宿区|309,463|16,975.48|18.23|Shinjuku, Takadanobaba, Ōkubo, Kagurazaka, Ichigaya|||
|Suginami|杉並区|534,981|15,725.49|34.02|Kōenji, Asagaya, Ogikubo|||
|Sumida|墨田区|237,433|16,079.49|13.75|Kinshichō, Morishita, Ryōgoku|||
|Taitō|台東区|168,277|16,139.38|10.08|Ueno, Asakusa|||
|Toshima|豊島区|256,009|19,428.44|13.01|Ikebukuro, Komagome, Senkawa, Sugamo|||
|colspan="2"|***Overall***|_8,637,098_|_13,890.25_|_621.81_||||

## History of wards

|colspan="2"|1889 - 1920 (15 wards)|colspan="2"|1920 - 1932 (15 wards)|1932 - 1936 (35 wards)|1936 - 1947 (35 wards)|23 special wards of Tokyo Metropolis|
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Kojimachi|rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Chiyoda**||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Kanda||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Nihonbashi|rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Chūō**||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Kyobashi||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Shiba|rowspan="3" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Minato**||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Azabu||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Akasaka||||||
|colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffff80|Yotsuya|colspan="4" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#ffff80|Yotsuya|rowspan="7" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Shinjuku**||
|colspan="2" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Naito-shinjuku Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Ushigome||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Yodobashi town, Toyotama District|rowspan="4" colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffff80|Yodobashi||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Okubo Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Totsuka Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Ochiai Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Koishikawa|rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Bunkyō**||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Hongo||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Shitaya|rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Taitō**||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Asakusa||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Honjo|rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Sumida**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Terashima Town, Minami-Katsushika District|colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#ffff80|Mukojima||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Azuma Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Sumida Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="6" bgcolor="#ffff80|Fukagawa|rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Kōtō**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Kameido Town, Minami-Katsushika District|colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#ffff80|Joto||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Ojima Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Suna Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Shinagawa Town, Ebara District|colspan="2" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#ffff80|Shinagawa|rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Shinagawa**||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Oi Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Osaki Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Ebara Town, Ebara District|colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffff80|Ebara||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Meguro Town, Ebara District|colspan="3" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Meguro**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Hibusuma Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Omori Town, Ebara District|colspan="2" rowspan="5" bgcolor="#ffff80|Ōmori|rowspan="9" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Ōta**||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Iriarai Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Magome Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Ikegami Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Higashi-Chofu Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Kamata Town, Ebara District|colspan="2" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#ffff80|Kamata||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Yaguchi Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Rokugo Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Haneda Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Setagaya Town, Ebara District|rowspan="4" bgcolor="#ffff80|Setagaya|rowspan="6" colspan="2" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Setagaya**||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Komazawa Town, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Matsuzawa Village, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Tamagawa Village, Ebara District||||||
|colspan="5" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Kinuta Village, Kita-Tama District||||||
|colspan="5" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Chitose Village, Kita-Tama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Shibuya Town, Toyotama District|colspan="3" rowspan="3" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Shibuya**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Sendagaya Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Yoyohata Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Nakano Town, Toyotama District|colspan="3" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Nakano**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Nogata Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Suginami Town, Toyotama District|colspan="3" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Suginami**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Wadabori Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Iogi Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Takaido Town, Toyotama District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Sugamo Town, Kita-Toshima District|colspan="3" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Toshima**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Nishi-Sugamo Town, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Nagasaki Town, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Takada Town, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Takinogawa Town, Kita-Toshima District|colspan="2" bgcolor="#ffff80|Takinogawa|rowspan="3" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Kita**||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Ouji Town, Kita-Toshima District|colspan="2" rowspan="2" bgcolor="#ffff80|Oji||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Iwabuchi Town, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Minami-Senju Town, Kita-Toshima District|colspan="3" rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Arakawa**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Mikawashima Town, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Nippori Town, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Ogu Town, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Itabashi Town, Kita-Toshima District|colspan="2" rowspan="9" bgcolor="#ffff80|Itabashi|rowspan="4" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Itabashi**||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Kami-Itabashi Village, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Shimura Village, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Akatsuka Village, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Nerima Town, Kita-Toshima District|rowspan="5" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Nerima**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Kami-Nerima Village, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Nakaarai Village, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Shakujii Village, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Oizumi Village, Kita-Toshima District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Senju Town, Minami-Adachi District|colspan="3" rowspan="10" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Adachi**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Umejima Town, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Nishiarai Town, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Kohoku Village, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Toneri Village, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Ikou Village, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Fuchie Village, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Higashi-Fuchie Village, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Hanahata Village, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Ayase Village, Minami-Adachi District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Honden Town, Minami-Katsushika District|colspan="3" rowspan="7" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Katsushika**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Okudo Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Minami-Ayase Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Kameao Village, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Niijuku Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Kanamachi Town, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Mizumoto Village, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Komatsugawa Town, Minami-Katsushika District|colspan="3" rowspan="7" bgcolor="#00ff00|**Edogawa**||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Matsue Village, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Mizue Village, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Kasai Village, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Shikamoto Village, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#99CCFF|Shinozaki Village, Minami-Katsushika District||||||
|colspan="4" bgcolor="#66FFFF|Koiwa Town, Minami-Katsushika District </TABLE> ==Related pages== * Capital of Japan * Administrative division * Urban area * Municipalities of Japan * Wards of Japan ==References== ==Other websites== * Tokyo Metropolitan Government, http://www.metro.tokyo.jp/ENGLISH/PROFILE/overview06.htm * Council of Local Authorities for International Relations, _Local Government in Japan_ *  ; graphic shows special wards of Tokyo compared with other Japanese city types at p. 1||||||

## Infobox (settlement)

- **name**: Special wards of Tokyo
東京特別区
- **image map**: TokyoMap.svg
- **subdivision type**: Country
- **subdivision name**: Japan
- **subdivision type2**: Regions of Japan, Region
- **subdivision name2**: Kanto region, Kantō
- **subdivision type1**: List of islands of Japan, Island
- **subdivision name1**: Honshu, Honshū
- **subdivision type3**: Prefectures of Japan, Prefecture
- **subdivision name3**: Tokyo
- **area total sq mi**: 240.1
- **population as of**: January 1, 2009
- **total type**: 23 special wards
- **population total**: 8,742,995
- **population density km2**: 14,061
- **population density sq mi**: 36,418
- **image map1**: TokyoSpecialWardsMap.svg