Gu are similar to London's or New York's boroughs or Tokyo's 23 special wards, and a gu's government handles many of the functions that are handled by city governments in other jurisdictions.
Istilah Gu sama dengan borough-nya London atau New York, dan pemerintah gu menangani banyak fungsi yang ditangani oleh pemerintah kota di yurisdiksi lain.