16 Maps Of Tokyo That’ll Make Your City Seem Insignificant

With 37.8 million people, Greater Tokyo is Earth’s most populated metropolitan area. Compared to global cities, its scale is unmatched.

Tokyo vs. Major Cities

• New York City – Tokyo dwarfs NYC in size and density.
• London – Europe’s largest city looks small next to Tokyo.
• Sydney – Tokyo’s population is 7x larger.
• Los Angeles – Even LA’s urban sprawl can’t compare.
• Toronto, São Paulo, Mexico City, Paris, Mumbai – Tokyo surpasses them all.

Tokyo vs. Countries

Tokyo has a larger population than Australia (23M) and Canada (35M).

Navigating Tokyo

• Tokyo Metro – One of the world’s busiest and most efficient subway systems.
• Rail Network – Extensive suburban connectivity.

Why Is Tokyo So Big?

Its flat geography allowed massive expansion, making it the ultimate megacity.

Tokyo isn’t just a city—it’s a world of its own. 🌏🚆

1. This is Tokyo.

2. Tokyo is MASSIVE. With 37.8 million people according to the UN, Greater Tokyo is Earth’s most populated metropolitan area.

3. Here’s Tokyo compared to New York (both at 10km scale).

4. Tokyo compared to London.

5. Tokyo and Sydney.

6. And Tokyo with Los Angeles, the nearest equivalent US city by urban area.

7. And here’s Tokyo compared with Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, Sao Paulo, Mexico City, Berlin, Paris, and Mumbai – some of the other cities BuzzFeed has offices!

8. Here’s Greater Tokyo overlaid on Great Britain.

9. Here’s all the countries on Earth with smaller populations than Greater Tokyo. Hello Australia (23 million ) and Canada (35 million).

10. And here’s a detailed breakdown of population density in Greater Tokyo versus London, the most populated city in Europe.

11. Here’s a map of the Tokyo metro to help you find your way around.

12. And a simplified English-language version 😉

13. Want to hit the suburbs? Here’s the metropolitan rail map.

14. This is the Tokyo metropolitan area compared to US cities (SO NOT LIKE WITH LIKE).

15. Here’s a map showing that much of Greater Tokyo is actually relatively sparsely populated.

16. And here’s an (exaggerated) topographic map that goes some way towards explaining why Greater Tokyo has grown so big – it’s the flattest region in mainland Japan.