Hachiōji, Tokyo

Hachiōji (八王子市, Hachiōji-shi) is a city in Tokyo, Japan, about 40 kilometers west of the center of the 23 special wards of Tokyo.

As of June 30, 2014, the city had an estimated population of 563,265 and a population density of 3,023.26 persons per km². The total area is 186.31 km².

It is the eighth largest city in the Greater Tokyo Area. The city is surrounded on three sides by mountains, forming the Hachioji Basin which opens up toward the east in the direction of Tokyo. The mountain ranges in the southwest include Mount Takao (599 m) and Mount Jinba (857 m), two popular hiking destinations which can be reached by train and bus, respectively. Two major national roads, Route 16 (which connects Kawagoe in the north with Yokohama in the south) and National Route 20, the former Kōshū Kaidō.

History

Although Hachioji only gained city status on September 1, 1917, it has been an important junction point and post-town along the Kōshū Highway, the main road that connected the historical Edo (today's Tokyo) with Western Japan since medieval times, especially during the Edo period. For a short period of time, a castle, Hachioji Castle existed in the area. The castle was built in 1584 by Hōjō Ujiteru, but was soon destroyed in 1590 during General Toyotomi Hideyoshi's attempt to gain control over all of Japan. During the Meiji period, Hachioji prospered as an important location for the production of silk and silk textiles. The industry faded away, however, in the 1960s. Today, Hachioji mainly serves as a commuter town for people working in Tokyo, and as a location for many large colleges and universities.

Tokyo!

Tokyo! is a 2008 anthology film containing three segments written by three non-Japanese directors, all of which were filmed in Tokyo, Japan. Michel Gondry directed "Interior Design", Leos Carax directed "Merde", and Bong Joon-ho directed "Shaking Tokyo".

Plot

"Interior Design"

Directed by Michel Gondry. It is an adaptation of the short story comic "Cecil and Jordan in New York" by Gabrielle Bell.

Hiroko and Akira (Ayako Fujitani and Ryō Kase) are a young couple from the provinces who arrive in Tokyo with limited funds, short-term lodging and what appears to be a solid and mutually supportive relationship that will seemingly carry them through any challenge. Akira is an aspiring filmmaker whose debut feature will soon screen in the city — and hopefully lead to a more solid career; in the interim, he lands work wrapping gifts at a local department store. After securing short-term housing in the cramped studio apartment of old school chum Akemi (Ayumi Ito) — a career girl with a demanding boyfriend who grows weary of Akemi's houseguests — Hiroko hits the streets of Tokyo in search of a suitable apartment, finding a series of rat-infested hovels that neither she nor Akira can afford on their limited salaries. After Akira's film screens to dubious acclaim, one spectator informs Hiroko of the inherent struggles in relationships between creative types: often, one half of a couple feels invisible, useless, or unappreciated, something Hiroko relates to wholeheartedly in the wake of her numerous trials and tribulations in the unfamiliar city of Tokyo. She starts to question her role in the relationship, resulting in a startling transformation in which she turns into a wooden chair, and is taken in by a young man.

Tokyo

Tokyo (東京, Tōkyō, "Eastern Capital") (Japanese: [toːkjoː], English /ˈtoʊki.oʊ/), officially Tokyo Metropolis (東京都, Tōkyō-to), is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan, and is both the capital and largest city of Japan. The Greater Tokyo Area is the most populous metropolitan area in the world. It is the seat of the Emperor of Japan and the Japanese government. Tokyo is in the Kantō region on the southeastern side of the main island Honshu and includes the Izu Islands and Ogasawara Islands. Formerly known as Edo, it has been the de facto seat of government since 1603 when Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu made the city his headquarters. It officially became the capital after Emperor Meiji moved his seat to the city from the old capital of Kyoto in 1868; at that time Edo was renamed Tokyo. Tokyo Metropolis was formed in 1943 from the merger of the former Tokyo Prefecture (東京府, Tōkyō-fu) and the city of Tokyo (東京市, Tōkyō-shi).

Tokyo (Danny Saucedo song)

"Tokyo" is a 2007 single released by Swedish artist Danny Saucedo better known as Danny.

In 2008, Danny participated with the song in Polish Sopot International Song Festival

Chart performance

The song entered and peaked at #4 on Swedish Trackslistan on 24 February 2007 and charted for six weeks. The song peaked at #1 on the Swedish singles chart on 22 February 2007.

Charts

References