Tokyo is 400 years old

Some Facts About Tokyo as It Celebrates 400th Birthday
The Associated Press - Nov 8, 2003


Some facts about Tokyo as Japan's capital celebrates 400th birthday:

BIG CROWDS - Population is 12.3 million. According to the United Nations, the greater Tokyo area, with more than 26 million people in 2000, is the world's largest urban area, surpassing Mexico City's 18 million.

GLITTERING WEALTH - Tokyo's annual GDP in 2000 was $771 billion, or about 17 percent of all Japan's and higher than Canada's. One square foot of real estate in Tokyo's main business district costs nearly $12,000 - and that's after 12 years of economic decline.

SHAKY LOCATION - Crime is relatively rare, but Tokyo has been rocked by earthquakes and is overdue for another, seismologists say. The Big One in 1923 killed 109,000 people in the greater capital area, and a fire afterward gutted 377,000 houses. Mount Fuji, an active volcano, is only about 60 miles away and has dusted the city in ash during previous eruptions.

TIMID TOURISTS? - In 2002, fewer than 3 million foreigners visited Tokyo, compared with Paris' 10.3 million. Even post-Sept. 11 New York did better than Tokyo, with 4.5 million. The government is trying to improve things, but one obstacle is Tokyo's notorious prices. A cup of coffee in the glitzy Ginza district can cost $8.

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