OVERVIEW OF TOKYO

THE STRUCTURE OF THE TOKYO METROPOLITAN GOVERNMENT (TMG)

For administrative purposes, the country is divided into areas called ";local public entities." There are two types: ordinary local public entities and special local public entities. Tokyo Metropolis, and each of the municipalities which are a part of Tokyo, are ordinary local public entities; the city's 23 special wards are special local public entities.

Ordinary Local Public Entities

Ordinary local public entities consist of two tiers: prefectures, and the municipalities that make up the prefectures.

Prefectures
Japan is made up of 47 prefectures. Most of these are called ken in Japanese - for example, Akita-ken, or Aomori-ken - although there are exceptions. Tokyo is slightly different, and is known as Tokyo-to in Japanese. Although it is usual to think of Tokyo as a city, strictly speaking it is a metropolitan prefecture. This distinction is important because there are a number of cities within the metropolitan prefecture of Tokyo.

Municipalities
Municipalities are local public entities which have a strong and direct relationship with local residents. They are classified as shi , cho or son in Japanese; these are usually translated respectively as ";city," ";town" and ";village" in English.

Prefectures and municipalities are both local public entities of equal status, with the prefectures in charge of broader regional administration and the municipalities handling affairs directly related to the residents. Both prefectures and municipalities cooperate in local administration according to their share of duties. At present (as of April 1, 2003) there are 677 shi (including Designated Cities), 1,961 cho and 552 son in Japan; in Tokyo there are 26 shi, 5 cho and 8 son.

To be recognized as a shi, a municipality must have a population of 50,000 or more, as well as meeting various other requirements. Cho must also meet certain conditions prescribed by prefectural ordinances.

Designated Cities
Some cities (shi) with a population of at least 500,000 have been designated by the central government as ";designated cities." In order to cope with the problems of large cities, designated cities have more freedom than regular cities to put into place special measures or regulations. As of April 1, 2003, there are 13 designated cities in Japan: Osaka, Nagoya, Kyoto, Yokohama, Kobe, Kitakyushu, Sapporo, Kawasaki, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Sendai, Chiba and Saitama.

Core Cities
Some cities (shi) with a population of at least 300,000, and an area of 100 square kilometers or more in cities where the population is less than 500,000, have been designated by the central government as ";core cities." Core cities are empowered to take charge of all duties which can be carried out by designated cities, with the exception of work which can be more effectively undertaken by the prefectures. As of April 1, 2003, 35 cities have been designated as core cities.

Special Cities
Some cities with a population of 200,000 or more are designated by the central government as "special cities." They are authorized to take charge of some of the administrative work delegated to core cities. As of April 1, 2003, 39 cities have been designated as special cities.

Special Local Public Entities

Special local public entities have been established for specific objectives relating to local government. They differ from ordinary local public entities in regard to their area, their organization, and the authority they carry. They consist of the following:

Special Wards
Tokyo has 23 special wards (known as ku in Japanese). They are special local public entities found only in Tokyo. The 23 special-ward area of Tokyo in some respects functions as a single administrative area comprising the center of the capital. It is divided into the wards, which in principle are subject to the same regulations which apply to shi (cities), but which actually come under a special system designed to meet the needs of the large metropolis. The TMG carries out some of the administrative work which would usually be carried out by shi - for example, TMG levies and collects a portion of municipal taxes.

	Cooperatives: These are formed by bodies which jointly carry out some of the work of local public entities.
	Public property districts: These manage and dispose of public property or facilities.
	Public corporations for local development: These carry out public works projects jointly with the local public entities concerned.