Paul Spencer Jr., age 13, of Patterson, N.J., for his question:
DOES TOKYO HAVE THE LARGEST POPULATION OF ANY CITY IN THE WORLD?
Tokyo, the capital of Japan, has almost 9 million people. It isn't the city with the largest population in the world, but it comes in No. 5. Shanghai with about 12 pillion population rates the top spot on the list with Calcutta, India (9.2 million), in second place. Peking, China (9 million), in third, and Mexico City (9 million in fourth).
Harry countries, including Austria, Switzerland and Norway, have fewer people than Tokyo. The city covers 223 square miles and is part of a large metropolitan area called the Metropolis of Tokyo. The Metropolis includes many communities west of the city. It covers 827 square miles and has a population of about 12 million.
Tokyo proper has an average of about 40,000 persons per square miles which is nearly twice as many as New York City has.
The city is divided into 23 units called "wards." The Japanese word for ward is ku.
Only male streets in Tokyo have names. Instead of street names, Tokyo addresses give the names of wards and other districts.
A ward is divided into sections or neighborhoods, each of which has a name. These sections are further divided into subdivisions called chome, which are numbered. These are groups of blocks. Each block in a chome has a number, as does each house in a block.
The address 2 7, Yamabuki 1 chome, Shinjuku ku, stands for block 2, house 7, subdivision 1 in the Yamabuki section of Shinjuku ward.
The Metropolis of Tokyo includes 26 suburban cities and one county area. The suburban cities extend westward from the city proper.
Much of the far eastern Tokyo is filled in land on what had been part of Tokyo Bay. Some of this land lies below sea level. The low lying areas are always in danger of floods, especially during heavy rains.
The chief residential sections of the city proper are in the west.
Tokyo, unlike most other Japanese cities, no longer has large numbers of buildings in the ancient Japanese style that is most familiar to Westerners. This style features low graceful lines and roofs turned up at the edges. Most of the remaining buildings in this style are religious shrines or temples.
Tokyo's Imperial Palace and Plaza adds beauty and charm to the busy downtown section. And nearby is the Marunouchi district, an area of tall office buildings, which is the center of business and finance.
The Ginza district lies a bit to the south. It ranks as one of Tokyo's liveliest and most colorful districts and is famous for its stores and nightclubs.
The Kanda district northeast of the palace is famous for its many bookstores. The AsakuWa district, north of Kanda, is one of Tokyo's oldest entertainment section. It features amusement parks, theatres and restaurants.