Chiyoda area introduction
Chiyoda ward is geographically located in the centre of Tokyo Prefecture’s 23 wards. At its heart lie the Imperial Palace and its vast gardens, a few of which are open to visitors, while others are closed to the public. Besides the home of the Imperial Family, Chiyoda also houses the National Diet Building, the Prime Minister’s office and residence, and the Supreme Court, alongside a number of government offices ministries.
Historically, many samurai had residences here to keep political ties to the palace. The area remains a political power centre even today with a concentration of embassies and headquarters of both major foreign and Japanese corporations.
Chiyoda is a small ward of 11.66 km2 featuring the Imperial Palace in the middle and a ring of neighbourhoods around the palace grounds. East of the palace is the famous Tokyo Station area that includes the Marunouchi, Otemachi, and Hibiya neighbourhoods, which are bustling business districts by day. They have been recently injected with new life at night and on weekends thanks to several redevelopment projects of multi-use high-rise buildings that unite office space with shopping, dining and entertainment.
On the other side of the palace are the Kioicho and Nagatacho areas where the government buildings are located. This side is characterised by ample green spaces and mid-rise buildings. Besides government offices, you can also find a high density of law offices and some of Japan’s distinguished universities.
During the Edo era, samurai residences were located in the areas of Bancho, Kojimachi, Kudan and Ichigaya. Today, they are upscale residential neighbourhoods populated by company CEOs and ambassadors.
Outside of the area's political activity, Chiyoda City (as it's also known) is also popular with tourists. Besides the palace and Tokyo Station, visitors flock to world-famous Akihabara, known for its Electric Town shopping strip and otaku culture. The Jimbocho area is a bookworm's haven with its many secondhand book stores and classic Showa-era atmosphere.
Demographics of area
Most of the ward is occupied by public buildings and companies, limiting space for residential areas. The Imperial Palace alone takes up about 15% of the land. So it comes at no surprise that it is by far the least populated ward, with only 61,875 residents calling Chiyoda their home. While the population density is only 5,250/km2, it is a bustling area during the day frequented by tourists, office workers and government officials alike. Its foreign population of 2,858 is largely made up by those in diplomatic services. The average age in Chiyoda ward is 42.4 years, making it one of Tokyo's younger wards.
Amenities and attributes
While the number of hospitals, clinics, pharmacies and police stations in Chiyoda is the highest per 10,000 residents among all of Tokyo’s wards, it is mainly tailored toward the local population. There are no international hospitals, but neighbouring Minato and Chuo wards have several options for English speakers.
There are also no exclusively international supermarkets, but Seiyo Ishii and Kaldi Coffee Farm stock import goods and have several branches across the ward. Japanese supermarket chains Meidiya and Daimaru Peacock have an upscale selection with global choices and are popular among expats.
There is no shortage of gyms in the ward. The 24-hour chain Anytime Fitness operates branches in Chiyoda ward and Gold’s Gym has a Yotsuya branch.
There are no international schools located in Chiyoda, but several in neighbouring Minato and nearby Shibuya. However, a small number of international pre-schools are located here.
Chiyoda real estate details
As one of Tokyo's C5W (central five wards), and with a history as the residence of samurai and international diplomats, it comes as no surprise that properties in Chiyoda don’t come cheap. About half of the residential property in the ward is owner-occupied, while the other half is rented. Newer properties up to 5 years old sell for an average of JPY 1,350,000/m2. Naturally, the price drops off for older real estate, on average priced at JPY 1,220,000/m2 for 10-year-old homes, JPY 1,030,000/m2 for 20 years, and finally JPY 910,000/m2 for units that are 30 years or older.
Both apartment units and detached houses for diplomats command high rents in this prestigious area. A new place will set you back JPY 4,900/m2 every month, while older places are more affordable: JPY 4,550/m2 for a place built 10 years ago, JPY 4,100/m2 for a 20-year-old unit and JPY 3,900/m2 on average for older properties of 30 years or more.
Chiyoda area overview
By Mareike Dornhege
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