Tokyo is a vast metropolis, and it would take more than a lifetime to properly get to know it. Here is a collection of basic facts about Tokyo for a 5-minute overview of Japan's capital city.

Tokyo is the capital city of Japan, and the biggest city in Japan in terms of population and area. Tokyo is located roughly in the middle of the Japanese archipelago facing the Pacific Ocean. Tokyo is on the Kanto plain, bordering Tokyo Bay, 35 degrees 41 minutes north latitude and 139 degrees 46 minutes east longitude.

The Tokyo Megalopolis Region, or Greater Tokyo Area (Shutoen 首都圏), comprises Tokyo and the three adjacent prefectures of Chiba, Saitama, and Kanagawa. The Tokyo region contains about 26% of Japan's total population. Another definition of "Shutoen" is, in English, the National Capital Region and comprises Tokyo and seven surrounding prefectures: Chiba, Saitama, Kanagawa, Gunma, Tochigi, Yamanashi, and Ibaraki.

Two major rivers flow through Tokyo: the Sumida River, running north-to-south into Tokyo Bay, and the Tama River, running west-to-east, and forming the border between Tokyo and Kawasaki. The other major rivers are the Edo, Arakawa, and Kanda rivers.

Tokyo has a total land area of 2187.42 square km (about 845 square miles) and is home to about 10% of the population of Japan. Including the neighboring prefectures of Saitama, Chiba and Kanagawa, the Tokyo conurbation has a total population of over 37 million inhabitants, one of the largest population agglomerations in the world.

Tokyo climate and weather

Tokyo has an average temperature of about 16.5 degrees Celsius (62 degrees F), an average minimum temperature of about 13 degrees Celsius (55 degrees F), and an average maximum temperature of about 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees F). Average humidity is about 60%.

January and February are the coldest months in Tokyo with an average of 5 degrees Celsius (41 degrees F) and average humidity of 44%. January is the sunniest month, with an average of 55% sunshine hours.

Summer in Tokyo is sweltering: very hot and humid. July is the hottest month in Tokyo with an average of about 26 degrees Celsius (79 degrees F) and average humidity of 74%. Daytime temperatures in summer in Tokyo are typically in the lower 30 degrees Celsius (86 - 95 degrees Fahrenheit). July is also the cloudiest month in Tokyo, with an average of 13% sunshine hours.

Tokyo's total rainfall in 2018 was 1651.5 mm. September and October often form the wettest period, with April not far behind. February is often the driest month.

Tokyo time

Tokyo's time zone is 9 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time. Tokyo does not have daylight saving.

Tokyo earthquakes

Tokyo experiences numerous earthquakes. Before the March 11 2011 Tohoku earthquake, 2005 was the year when Tokyo had had the most earthquakes of over 1 on the Richter scale, with 85 earthquakes. The Tohoku earthquake was an upper 5 on the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) scale and the aftershocks over the next two months were innumerable. The yearly average for earthquakes over 1 on the Richter scale in Tokyo is about 50.