Minato, Tokyo


Minato is a special ward in Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English.
It was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits the contrasting Shitamachi and Yamanote geographical and cultural division. The Shinbashi neighborhood in the ward's northeastern corner is attached to the core of Shitamachi, the original commercial center of Edo-Tokyo. On the other hand, the Azabu and Akasaka areas are typically representative Yamanote districts.
, it had an official population of 243,094, and a population density of 10,850 persons per km2. The total area is 20.37 km2.
Minato hosts many embassies. It is also home to various domestic companies, including Honda, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, NEC, Sony, Fujitsu, and Toshiba, as well as the Japanese headquarters of a number of multi-national firms, including Google, Apple and Goldman Sachs.

Geography

Minato is located southwest of the Imperial Palace and has boundaries with the special wards of Chiyoda, Chūō, Kōtō, Shinagawa, Shibuya, and Shinjuku.

History

The ward was founded on 15 March 1947, with the merger of Akasaka, Azabu, and Shiba Wards. The name Minato means "harbor".

Politics and government

Minato is governed by Mayor Masaaki Takei, an Independent supported by all major parties except the Japanese Communist Party. The city legislative assembly has 51 members and is dominated by the Liberal Democratic Party.

Elections

;Akasaka Area
;Azabu Area
;Shiba Area
;Shibaura-Kōnan Area
;Takanawa Area
Notes:
* - formerly part of Shiba Area

a - 1-chōme

b - 1, 2, 3-chōme

c - 2, 3-chōme

d - 4, 5-chōme

Education

Colleges and universities

The city's public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Minato City Board of Education.
Mita Junior High School opened in 2001 after the merger of Minato Junior High School and Shibahama Junior High School.
The local public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.
There are also a variety of private schools, including:
The city operates the Minato Library, the Mita Library, the Azabu Library, the Akasaka Library, the Takanawa Library, and the Konan Library.
The metropolis operates the Tokyo Metropolitan Library Central Library in Minato. The library opened in 1973.

Economy

Companies with headquarters in Minato include Air Nippon, All Nippon Airways, ANA & JP Express, All Nippon Airways Trading, Animax, Asmik Ace Entertainment, Brainlab, Cosmo Oil Company, Daicel,
Dentsu, Euglena, Fujifilm, Fuji Xerox, Fujitsu, Haseko, Hazama Ando, Japan Tobacco, Kajima, Kaneka Corporation, Konami, KYB Corporation, Kyodo News, Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsui Chemicals, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Mitsui Oil Exploration Company, NEC, Nippon Sheet Glass, NYK Line, Obayashi Corporation, Oki Electric Industry, Pizza-La, The Pokémon Company, THK, Toagosei, Toraya Confectionery, Sato Pharmaceutical, Sega Sammy Holdings, Sigma Seven, Sony, SUMCO, Toraya Confectionery, Toyo Suisan, TV Tokyo, WOWOW, and Yazaki. In addition ANA subsidiary Air Japan has some offices in Minato.

Foreign companies

The Japanese division of CB&I, the Japanese division of Aramark and Aim Services, Google Japan, Yahoo! Japan, and the main Japanese offices of Hanjin and Korean Air are located there. Air France operates an office and ticketing counter in the New Aoyama Building in Minato. The Japanese division of Deutsche Post, DHL. Air France's Minato office handles Aircalin-related inquiries. Air China has operations in the Air China Building in Minato. Asiana Airlines operates a sales office on the sixth floor of the ATT New Tower Building. Hawaiian Airlines has its Japan offices in the Eagle Hamamatsuchō Building in Minato. Iran Air has its Tokyo office in Akasaka.

Former economic operations

Japanese companies that formerly had headquarters in Minato include Air Next, Airtransse, Asatsu, Jaleco Holding, Ricoh, Toa Domestic Airlines,
On 22 December 2008 operations of Seiko Epson's Tokyo sales office began at Seiko Epson's Hino Office in Hino, Tokyo. Previously operations were at the World Trade Centre in Minato.

Diplomatic missions

Several countries operate their embassies in Minato.

Embassies

Rail

Tokyo's main ferry terminal is located adjacent to Takeshiba Station on the Yurikamome, due east of JR Hamamatsucho Station.

Notable people from Minato