Minato (港区) is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English. Minato 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. , Minato had an official population of 243,094, and a population density of 10,850 persons per km2. The total area is 20.37 km2. Known as one of Tokyo's largest business areas, Minato is home to the headquarters of many large domestic companies, including Honda, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, NEC, Nikon, SoftBank Group, Sony and Fujitsu. Minato is also known for being one of the wealthiest residential areas in Japan, and for its relatively high concentration of foreign expats due to the number of embassies and multinational corporations located in and around the area. Notable neighborhoods and districts of Minato include Akasaka, Aoyama, Azabu, Roppongi and Toranomon.

Geography

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

History

The ward was founded on 15 March 1947, with the merger of Akasaka, Azabu, and Shiba Wards. Various names were considered for the new ward, such as Atago, Aoyama, Aoba, Iikura, Mita, and Higashiminato. Higashiminato was chosen, meaning "East Harbor", but then Higashi was cut leading to the name Minato, simply meaning "harbor".

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population has recently begun rising after decades of rapid decline.

Politics and government

In June 2024, Ai Seike beat Masaaki Takei in mayoral elections. Takei, mayor since 2004, was seeking his sixth term and received support from the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. Seike, previously a member of the ward assembly, is the first female mayor of Minato. The ward assembly has 34 members.

Elections

Districts and neighborhoods

Notes: a - 1-chōme b - 1, 2, 3-chōme c - 2, 3-chōme d - 4, 5-chōme

Education

Colleges and universities

Primary and secondary schools

The local public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education. The city's public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Minato City Board of Education (港区教育委員会). Combined elementary and junior high schools: Junior high schools: Elementary schools: Former schools: There are also a variety of private schools, including:

Public libraries

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), ANA & JP Express, All Nippon Airways Trading, Animax, Asmik Ace Entertainment, Bandai Namco Holdings, Brainlab, Cosmo Oil Company, COVER Corporation, Daicel, Dentsu, Euglena (company), Fujifilm, Fuji Xerox, Fujitsu, Haseko, Hazama Ando, Honda, 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 (owns the branch Maruchan), 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 (イーグル浜松町ビル) 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 (later Japan Air System and later Japan Air Lines), 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.

Places

Transportation

Rail

Road

Ferry

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

Notable people from Minato