Tokyo Prefecture, Administrative territorial entity in central Japan
Tokyo-To is a prefecture in the central part of the main island of Honshu and includes both densely populated urban wards and wide rural areas on the mainland and remote islands. The administrative unit reaches from central city wards to volcanic islands in the Pacific Ocean more than a thousand kilometers from the mainland.
The prefecture was created in September 1868 during the Meiji Restoration and replaced the previous administrative system of the Edo period. In 1943, the city of Tokyo and the prefecture merged into a single administrative unit.
The prefecture maintains numerous municipal libraries, museums, theaters, and educational centers that demonstrate Japanese values through programs and exhibitions.
The administrative unit has a wide network of railway stations and connections linking all city wards and surrounding areas. Trains and subways run from early morning until late at night, with peak commuting hours on weekdays being particularly crowded.
The twenty-three inner city wards each have their own mayors and administrations, similar to independent cities in other parts of the country. This special status within the prefecture has no direct equivalent in other Japanese administrative areas.
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