Special wards (特別区, tokubetsu-ku) are a special form of municipalities in Japan under the 1947 Local Autonomy Law. They are city-level wards: primary subdivisions of a prefecture with municipal autonomy largely comparable to other forms of municipalities.
Although the autonomy law today allows for special wards to be established in other prefectures, to date they exist only in Tokyo, which consists of 23 special wards and 39 other, ordinary municipalities (cities, towns, and villages).[1] The special wards of Tokyo occupy the land that was Tokyo City in its 1936 borders before it was abolished under the Tōjō Cabinet in 1943 to become directly ruled by the prefectural government, then renamed to "Metropolitan". During the Occupation of Japan, municipal autonomy was restored to former Tokyo City by the establishment of special wards, each with directly elected mayor and assembly, as in any other city, town or village in Tokyo and the rest of the country.
In Japanese, they are collectively also known as "Wards area of Tokyo Metropolis" (東京都区部, Tōkyō-to kubu), "former Tokyo City" (旧東京市, kyū-Tōkyō-shi), or less formally the 23 wards (23区, nijūsan-ku) or just Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō) if the context makes obvious that this does not refer to the whole prefecture. Today, all wards refer to themselves as a city in English, but the Japanese designation of special ward (tokubetsu-ku) remains unchanged. They are a group of 23 municipalities; there is no associated single government body separate from the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which governs all 62 municipalities of Tokyo, not just the special wards.
^Tokyo Metropolitan Government: "Municipalities Within Tokyo" Archived 2017-12-13 at the Wayback Machine.
and 23 Related for: Special wards of Tokyo information
only in Tokyo, which consists of 23 specialwards and 39 other, ordinary municipalities (cities, towns, and villages). The specialwardsofTokyo occupy...
boundaries ofTokyo City are now occupied by the specialwardsofTokyo. The newly-merged government became what is now Tokyo, also known as the Tokyo Metropolis...
Many wards have affiliated residents' organizations for a number of tasks, although these do not have any legal authority. The specialwardsofTokyo are...
the seat of both the Japanese government and the Emperor of Japan. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government administers Tokyo's central 23 specialwards (which...
also known as wards. But, unlike the specialwardsofTokyo, these wards are not municipalities. The status of a municipality, if it is a village, town...
dissolution ofTokyo City in 1943, Tōkyō-fu (Tokyo Prefecture) was upgraded into Tōkyō-to and the former Tokyo City's wards were upgraded into specialwards. The...
Demographia. At the centre of the main urban area (approximately the first 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) from Tokyo Station) are the 23 specialwards, formerly treated...
temporary arrangement. The special cities were not the same as the specialwardsofTokyo. They were also different from the special (designated) cities (特別市...
neighborhoods of the specialwardsofTokyo. Japanese schoolchildren on class trips typically visit Tokyo Tower. Cultural offerings in Tokyo include both omnipresent...
within the specialwardsofTokyo. Administratively, the island is part of Ogasawara, Tokyo. C. ^ Nishitōkyō is not within the specialwardsofTokyo. It is...
Rivers, and Ebaradai south of the Tachiai River. The Ward lies on Tokyo Bay. Its neighbors on land are all specialwardsofTokyo: Kōtō to the east, Minato...
prefecture, were to be dissolved and – similarly to the specialwardsofTokyo – subdivided into specialwards which had a status as municipalities but left some...
IPA: [ɕibɯja] ) is a specialward in the Tokyo Metropolis, Japan. A major commercial and finance center, Shibuya houses two of the busiest railway stations...
responsibilities of municipal parliaments. This is to ensure efficient and unified urban administration for the 23 specialwards that cover the former Tokyo City...
the wards are determined by municipal ordinances. The 23 specialwardsofTokyo are not part of this system, as Tokyo is a prefecture, and its wards are...
(杉並区, Suginami-ku) is a specialward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself as Suginami City in English. As of June 1, 2022, Suginami...
adjoining Turkish culture center located in the Ōyama-chō district of Shibuya ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is the largest mosque in Japan. Originally built in...
This is a list of high schools in Tokyo Metropolis, including the 23 specialwards, West Tokyo, and the Tokyo Islands (Izu Islands and Ogasawara Subprefecture)...
Hepburn: chikatetsu) operate in Tokyo: Tokyo Metro and the Toei Subway. Most of the network is located in the 23 specialwards, with portions extending into...
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