Political+Characteristics

In Japan, prefectures are the main units of regional government. The Tokyo Metropolitan Prefecture is made up of four areas. One area is the city, also known as the ward area, which is divided into 23 wards. The second area is the 25 suburban cities west of the ward area. The third area is several towns in a mountainous area on the far western edge of the prefecture. The final areas are the Izu Islands and the Bonin Islands which are small islands south of the prefecture. Most of the prefecture's residents live in the ward area or the suburban cities.

Each ward in the prefecture has its own representative in the Metropolitan Assembly, which is the chief lawmaking body of Tokyo. The wards all have some form of local government that provides services that the prefecture does not. The prefecture government limits the powers of the local governments.