Minato (港区, Minato-ku) [minato] is a special ward of Tokyo, Japan. It is also called Minato City in English.
Minato was formed in 1947 as a merger of Akasaka, Azabu and Shiba wards following Tokyo City's transformation into Tokyo Metropolis. The modern Minato ward exhibits the contrasting Shitamachi and Yamanote geographical and cultural division. The Shinbashi neighborhood in the ward's northeastern corner is attached to the core of Shitamachi, the original commercial center of Edo-Tokyo. On the other hand, the Azabu and Akasaka areas are typically representative Yamanote districts.
As of 1 September 2025, Minato had an official population of 269,708, and a population density of 13,235 persons per km2. The total area is 20.37 km2.
Known as one of Tokyo's largest business areas, Minato is home to the headquarters of many large domestic companies, including Honda, Mitsubishi Motors Corporation, NEC, Nikon, SoftBank Group, Sony and Fujitsu. Minato is also known for being one of the wealthiest residential areas in Japan, and for its relatively high concentration of foreign expats due to the number of embassies and multinational corporations located in and around the area. Notable neighborhoods and districts of Minato include Akasaka, Aoyama, Azabu, Roppongi and Toranomon.
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Geography
Minato is located southwest of the Imperial Palace and has boundaries with the special wards of Chiyoda, Chūō, Kōtō (in Odaiba), Shinagawa, Shibuya, and Shinjuku.
History
The ward was founded on March 15, 1947, with the merger of Akasaka, Azabu, and Shiba Wards. Various names were considered for the new ward, such as Atago, Aoyama, Aoba, Iikura, Mita, and Higashiminato. Higashiminato was chosen, meaning "East Harbor", but then Higashi was cut leading to the name Minato, simply meaning "harbor".
Demographics
Per Japanese census data, the population has recently begun rising after decades of rapid decline.
Politics and government
In June 2024, Ai Seike beat Masaaki Takei in mayoral elections. Takei, mayor since 2004, was seeking his sixth term and received support from the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. Seike, previously a member of the ward assembly, is the first female mayor of Minato.
The ward assembly has 34 members.
Elections
2008 Minato mayoral election
Districts and neighborhoods
Notes:
* - formerly part of Shiba Area
a - 1-chōme
b - 1, 2, 3-chōme
c - 2, 3-chōme
d - 4, 5-chōme
Education
Colleges and universities
Jikei University School of Medicine Nishi Shinbashi campus
Kanazawa Institute of Technology Graduate school; Toranomon campus
Keio University
Kitasato University Shirokane campus
Meiji Gakuin University Shirokane campus
National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies (GRIPS)
Shibaura Institute of Technology
Temple University Japan Campus
Tokyo Institute of Technology Tamachi Campus
Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology Shinagawa campus
University of Tokyo Institute of Medical Science
Primary and secondary schools
The local public high schools are operated by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Board of Education.
Akasaka High School (東京都立赤坂高等学校) (since merged with another school)
Mita High School (東京都立三田高等学校)
Roppongi High School
Shiba Commercial High School (東京都立芝商業高等学校)
The city's public elementary and junior high schools are operated by the Minato City Board of Education (港区教育委員会).
Combined elementary and junior high schools:
Odaiba Gakuen (お台場学園)
Shirokane-no-oka Gakuen (白金の丘学園)
Junior high schools:
Elementary schools:
Former schools:
There are also a variety of private schools, including:
Public libraries
The city operates the Minato Library, the Mita Library, the Azabu Library, the Akasaka Library, the Takanawa Library, and the Konan Library.
The metropolis operates the Tokyo Metropolitan Library Central Library in Minato. The library opened in 1973.
Economy
Companies with headquarters in Minato include Air Nippon, All Nippon Airways (ANA), ANA & JP Express, All Nippon Airways Trading, Animax, Asmik Ace Entertainment, Bandai Namco Holdings, Brainlab, Cosmo Oil Company, COVER Corporation, Daicel,
Dentsu, Euglena (company), FamilyMart, Fujifilm, Fuji Xerox, Fujitsu, Haseko, Hazama Ando, Honda, Japan Tobacco, Kajima, Kaneka Corporation, Konami, KYB Corporation, Kyodo News, Mitsubishi Motors, Mitsui Chemicals, Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, Mitsui Oil Exploration Company, NEC, Nippon Sheet Glass, NYK Line, Obayashi Corporation, Oki Electric Industry, Pizza-La, The Pokémon Company, THK, Toagosei, Toraya Confectionery, Sato Pharmaceutical, Sega Sammy Holdings, Sigma Seven, Sony, SUMCO, Toraya Confectionery, Toyo Suisan (owns the branch Maruchan), TV Tokyo, WOWOW, and Yazaki. In addition ANA subsidiary Air Japan has some offices in Minato.
Foreign companies
The Japanese division of CB&I, the Japanese division of Aramark and Aim Services, Google Japan, Yahoo! Japan, and the main Japanese offices of Hanjin and Korean Air are located there. Air France operates an office and ticketing counter in the New Aoyama Building in Minato. The Japanese division of Deutsche Post, DHL. Air France's Minato office handles Aircalin-related inquiries. Air China has operations in the Air China Building in Minato. Asiana Airlines operates a sales office on the sixth floor of the ATT New Tower Building. Hawaiian Airlines has its Japan offices in the Eagle Hamamatsuchō Building (イーグル浜松町ビル, Īguru Hamamatsuchō Biru) in Minato. Iran Air has its Tokyo office in Akasaka.
Former economic operations
Japanese companies that formerly had headquarters in Minato include Air Next, Airtransse, Asatsu, Jaleco Holding, Ricoh, Toa Domestic Airlines (later Japan Air System and later Japan Air Lines),
On December 22, 2008, operations of Seiko Epson's Tokyo sales office began at Seiko Epson's Hino Office in Hino, Tokyo. Previously operations were at the World Trade Centre in Minato.
Diplomatic missions
Several countries operate their embassies in Minato.
Places
Akasaka is a large residential and commercial area in northern Minato which includes the Akasaka Palace and surrounding gardens, TBS radio and television studios, Ark Hills complex, Tokyo Midtown, and the embassy of the United States.
Aoyama is home to Aoyama Cemetery, one of Tokyo's largest graveyards, and the Chichibunomiya Rugby Stadium.
Atago Shrine is the highest point in all 23 wards of Tokyo.
Azabu is one of Tokyo's more upscale residential areas, home to many embassies.
Fushimi Sanpō Inari Jinja is a Shinto shrine in Shiba 3-chōme.
Hamamatsuchō is the location of Hamamatsucho Station is the terminal for the Tokyo Monorail to Haneda Airport.
Mita is home to Keio University and several small Buddhist temples.
The National Art Center, Tokyo is a museum that opened in 2007.
Odaiba is one of Tokyo's most popular entertainment areas, featuring the Fuji TV studios, Palette Town shopping complex, Dream Bridge, Tokyo Big Sight, and more. Located on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay, it is connected to central Tokyo by the Yurikamome transit line over the Rainbow Bridge.
Roppongi is Tokyo's best-known nightlife district, especially popular among foreigners; home to National Art Center, also home to the Roppongi Hills complex, which houses the studios of TV Asahi, the J-Wave radio station, the Tokyo Grand Hyatt Hotel, and a shopping complex.
Shiba Park houses the Zojoji temple. Tokyo Tower is located one block away.
Transportation
Rail
Keikyu Main Line (Shinagawa Station)
Toei Subway:
Toei Asakusa Line (Shimbashi Station, Daimon Station, Mita Station, Sengakuji Station, Takanawadai Station)
Toei Oedo Line (Shiodome Station, Daimon Station, Akabanebashi Station, Azabu-juban Station, Roppongi Station, Aoyama-itchome Station)
Toei Mita Line (Uchisaiwaicho Station, Onarimon Station, Shiba-koen Station, Mita Station, Shirokane-Takanawa Station, Shirokanedai Station)
Tokyo Metro:
Tokyo Metro Chiyoda Line (Akasaka Station, Nogizaka Station, Omotesando Station)
Tokyo Metro Ginza Line (Shimbashi Station, Toranomon Station, Tameike-sanno Station, Akasaka-mitsuke Station, Aoyama-itchome Station, Gaienmae Station, Omotesando Station)
Tokyo Metro Hanzomon Line (Aoyama-itchome Station, Omotesando Station)
Tokyo Metro Hibiya Line (Kamiyacho Station, Roppongi Station, Hiroo Station)
Tokyo Metro Marunouchi Line (Akasaka-mitsuke Station)
Tokyo Metro Namboku Line (Tameike-sanno Station, Roppongi-itchome Station, Azabu-juban Station, Shirokane-Takanawa Station, Shirokanedai Station)
East Japan Railway Company (JR East)
Keihin-Tohoku Line/Yamanote Line (Shimbashi Station, Hamamatsucho Station, Tamachi Station, Shinagawa Station)
Road
Shuto Expressway:
No. 1 Haneda Route (Edobashi JCT – Iriya)
No. 2 Meguro Route (Ichinohashi JCT – Togoshi)
No.11 Daiba Route (Shibaura JCT – Ariake JCT)
B Bayshore Route (Namiki – Kawasaki-ukishima JCT)
C1 Inner Loop (Edobashi – Takaracho – Kyobashi – Ginza – Shiodome – Hamazakibashi – Shiba Park – Tanimachi – Kasumigaseki – Daikanmachi – Edobashi)
National roads:
Route 1 (Sakurada-dori)
Route 15 (Dai-Ichi Keihin)
Route 246 (Aoyama-dori)
Other major roads:
Atago-dori
Kaigan-dori
Kyu-kaigan-dori
Gaien-higashi-dori
Gaien-nishi-dori
Hibiya-dori
Roppongi-dori
Ferry
Tokyo's main ferry terminal is located adjacent to Takeshiba Station on the Yurikamome, due east of JR Hamamatsucho Station.
Notable people from Minato
Hirohito, the 124th Emperor of Japan
Takeichi Nishi, an Imperial Japanese Army officer, equestrian show jumper, and Olympic gold medalist at the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics
Kanoko Okamoto (1889–1939), poet, born in Akasaka Ward (present-day Minato)
Hisae Sawachi, writer and activist
Sho Sakurai, actor and singer, affiliated with Arashi
Haruomi Hosono, experimental electronic pop musician, noted for the commissioned Muji background music
Jado, Japanese professional wrestler (New Japan Pro-Wrestling)
Fishmans, a pop and dub band composed primarily of Shinji Sato, Yuzuru Kashiwabara, Kin-ichi Motegi, Hakase-Sun and Kensuke Ojima
Nujabes, real name Jun Seba, a record producer, audio engineer, DJ, composer, arranger and pioneer of the hip hop subgenre chillhop or lo-fi
Taisei Miyashiro, football player
Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Japanese-American actor and producer