tokyojapanidii

[tokyojapanidii]

TOKYO as Global City

Tokyo ranks as the No. 3 most global city overall behind New York and London 

No. 2 for Business Activity, No. 4 for Cultural Experience Mercer Worldwide Cost of Living Survey (2011): Tokyo comes in at No. 2 in Mercer’s annual ranking of the world’s most expensive cities for expatriates EIU Worldwide Cost of Living Survey (2011): Tokyo ranks No. 1 in the Economist Intelligence Unit’s ranking of the world’s most expensive cities, ahead of Osaka, Kobe, Paris and Zurich.

Tokyo – Japan’s Capital of Business and Politics Tokyo is home to Japan’s financial markets, the headquarters of many leading Japanese multinationals, the most prominent names in Japan’s consumer retail landscape, the national government and the well-endowed Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG).  The Kasumigaseki area of Tokyo is the central location of the ample bureaucratic resources of Japan’s national government apparatus.  The Ministry of Finance (MOF) and Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry (METI), in particular, have tended to exert a significant influence on Japan’s corporate world and business environment.

Despite Japan’s challenging domestic economic environment, many Japanese companies have continued to perform well on the world stage.  As of 2011, Japan counted 68 companies in the Fortune/CNN Money Global 500 ranking of the world’s largest corporations.  Japanese companies in the top 100 of the Fortune ranking include: Toyota Motor, Hitachi, Honda Motor, Nissan Motor, Panasonic, Sony and Toshiba.  Japan’s corporate sector has continued to push the technology envelope in fields such as robotics, medical devices, clean energy, satellite communications and spacecraft, water processing and other high tech industries.

Toyota became the world’s largest car company in 2009, before losing a bit of ground to unprecedented product recalls. Nintendo’s innovative Wii marked a virtual revolution in the large, global market for gaming and family entertainment products.

Japan’s Economy, Business and Development Japan is the world’s third largest economy, having ceded the second spot to China in 2010. Since the collapse of the property bubble in 1989, Japan has faced extended periods of economic stagnation, deflation and relatively high unemployment, at least compared to the nearly full employment Japanese companies managed to sustain for much of the post-WWII era.

Not far from Tokyo Station, the Imperial Palace and its picturesque surroundings are home to the Emperor of Japan and Japan’s Imperial Family, though the Emperor’s role is largely symbolic these days.

Culinary Center Japan is a food-crazed, gourmet nation, and Tokyo is the center of the country’s contemporary romance with all things food.Tokyo is the modern destination of choice for many of the world’s most accomplished chefs and restauranteurs. 

Tokyo and its many sub-cultures also stand out as noteworthy incubators of innovative design and global fashion trends. 

Famous examples of acclaimed, eye-catching Tokyo architecture:

Prada’s luxurious glass emporium by Herzog and de Meuron

Kenzo Tange

Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Tadao Ando’s Omotesando Hills

The youthful, distinctive culture of Tokyo’s Harajuku neighborhood, encompassing Omotesando Ave. and Takeshita St., is a hotbed of global fashion trends.