Tokyo 23 wards, -ku, City | Living in Tokyo

What's the difference between Shinjuku Ward and Shinjuku City? or Shinjuku-ku?

The term "ku" pertains to the 23 special wards of Tokyo. Although it was previously translated in English as "Ward" or with the suffix "-ku", many local governments in these 23 wards have now adopted the term "city" instead. The 23rd ward is classified as a city due to its large population. For instance, Setagaya Ward, which is the most populous of the 23 wards, has around 937,000 residents, making it big enough to be considered a city.

Sinjuku-ku is equvirant to Shinjuku Ward or Shinjuku City.

It can be a little confusing to understand the terms "ward", "city", and "-ku" as they are not used consistently across various articles. To avoid any confusion, "city" will be the preferred term moving forward, but keep in mind that "ward" or "ku" might still pop up from time to time.

23 special wards of Tokyo

digi-joho Tokyo Travel: Map of Tokyo
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