Tokyo population surpasses 13 mln

The population of Tokyo has surpassed 13 million for the first time, according to an estimate released on Wednesday by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government.

The population for Japan's capital city, which is calculated by using the 2005 population census and is resident registry numbers, stood at 13,010,279 in April, according to the city's government.

Tokyo's population surpassed 12 million in 2000, meaning it has grown by around 1 million in the last decade.

The government cited new students coming to Tokyo for the beginning of the school year and the development of high-rise residential areas across the city as contributing factors to the increase in population.

The city's population reached the 10 million mark in 1962, as Tokyo became a major financial center during the economic boom after World War II.

The government said that the month on month increase for April was around 25,000 people.

Source: Xinhua