()

suffix
ward, district
1. ward, district, borough
An administrative division of a city.
Tokyo has 23 wards.
I borrowed a book from the Shibuya Ward library.

() is a suffix indicating a ward or administrative district within a city.

TOKYO'S 23 WARDS:

Tokyo has 23 特別区(とくべつく) (special wards), which function similarly to cities. Examples:

  • 渋谷区(しぶやく): Shibuya Ward
  • 新宿区(しんじゅくく): Shinjuku Ward
  • 港区(みなとく): Minato Ward

OTHER CITIES:
Major cities like 大阪(おおさか), 横浜(よこはま), 名古屋(なごや), and 札幌(さっぽろ) also have wards (called 行政区(ぎょうせいく)).

ADMINISTRATIVE HIERARCHY:

  • 都道府県(とどうふけん): prefecture
  • (): city
  • (): ward
  • (ちょう/まち): town
  • (そん/むら): village

NOTE:
区役所(くやくしょ) is the ward office where residents handle registration, taxes, and other administrative tasks.