1.
Tokyo metropolitan area; greater Tokyo; capital region
The region centered on Tokyo. Legally it includes Tokyo and seven surrounding prefectures (Kanagawa, Saitama, Chiba, Ibaraki, Tochigi, Gunma, Yamanashi); in everyday use it usually means Tokyo plus Kanagawa, Saitama, and Chiba, home to about 37 million people.
Frequently appears in news and weather forecasts. The formal definition under the Capital Region Development Act includes Tokyo and seven surrounding prefectures. In everyday use, it often refers more narrowly to Tokyo and the three adjacent prefectures (神奈川, 埼玉, 千葉). Related terms: 関東 (the Kanto region, a broader geographical term), 都心 (central Tokyo), 近畿圏 (Kinki/Kansai metropolitan area).