Chūō, Tokyo
Chūō
中央区 | |
|---|---|
| Chūō City | |
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Flag Emblem | |
Location of Chūō in Tokyo Metropolis | |
Chūō Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 35°40′N 139°46′E / 35.667°N 139.767°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Kantō |
| Prefecture | Tokyo Metropolis |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Taito Yamamoto |
| Area | |
• Total | 10.21 km2 (3.94 sq mi) |
| Population (October 1, 2020) | |
• Total | 169,179 |
| • Density | 16,569/km2 (42,910/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | Tsukiji 1-1-1 Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-8404 |
| Website | www |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Azalea |
| Tree | Willow |
Chūō (中央区, Chūō-ku; Japanese pronunciation: [tɕɯː.oː, tɕɯː.oꜜː, tɕɯː.oꜜː.kɯ]) is a special ward in the Tokyo Metropolis in Japan. The ward refers to itself in English as Chūō City. It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Kyōbashi and Nihonbashi wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis.
Chūō-ku, as a combination of Kyōbashi and Nihonbashi, is the core of Shitamachi, the original downtown center of Edo-Tokyo. The name Chūō literally means "Central Ward," and it has historically been Tokyo’s main commercial center. However, since the end of World War II, Shinjuku and Shibuya in the west have risen to challenge that position. This is reflected in the fact that Chūō is located entirely outside the Yamanote Line loop, which is now regarded as the inner core of central Tokyo.
Among most known districts in Chūō are the Nihonbashi business district, the Ginza shopping district, and the Tsukiji market district.
As of October 1, 2020, the ward has a resident population of 169,179, and a population density of 16,569 persons per km2. The total area is 10.21 km2. However, because of the concentration of businesses, offices and retail space, the daytime population swells to an estimated 650,000.