Taiko

Taiko (太鼓) is the most populous and capital city of Kaisan. Taiko is in the centre of the Taiko Metropolitan Area, and one of the largest metropolitan area in Asia. As of June 2010, the city had a population of 8.2 million. Inhabitants of Taiko are called Taikoites. The metropolis is located on the large natural bay known as Ushiku Bay, with the centre positioned on the Haso River. It is the seat of the Kaisanese government and the old Imperial Palace. Taiko is in the Tokai Province on the eastern side of mainland Kaisan. Taiko consists of 5 districts which are Shihama, Hamazu, Daigu, Haso and Minamiguchi.

Taiko-Itomi Airport, the main passenger airport, is the busiest in Kaisan and the Port of Taiko is Kaisan's second busiest seaport for containerised and general cargo.

Land reclamation projects in Ushiku Bay have also begun to be popular in Taiko. The most prominent is the Minato area, now a major shopping and port centre combined together.

Etymology
Taiko was named after the Emperor Taiko Oshimata who led to forming what is today known as Kaisan after a battle against the Chinese Empire.

Geography
The city of Taiko has its south side open to Ushiku Bay. It is otherwise completely surrounded by two smaller cities, all of them in the Taiko Metropolitan Area.

Climate
Taiko is on the the north temperate zone, and is part of the Intertropical Convergence Zone. April to October is the active period for tropical storms and typhoons, most of which occur between August and September. May to October is the rainy season with most rainfall coming in September. Despite its location, the city has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cwa), falling just short of a tropical climate. Nevertheless, the area has hot summers and warm winters, usually with high humidity.

Districts
Taiko has 5 districts:


 * Shihama
 * Hamazu
 * Daigu
 * Haso
 * Minamiguchi

Parks
Most of Taiko is surrounded by a green belt which include parks and waterways. Capital Park is a huge park located in the heart of Taiko and has a few small lakes. The park offers people to catch a breath of air from the dense metropolis of Taiko.

Transportation


Taiko, as the centre of the Taiko Metropolitan Area, is Kaisan's largest domestic and international hub for rail, ground, and air transportation. Public transportation within Taiko is dominated by an extensive network of clean and efficient trains, with rapid transits, buses, monorails, ferries and trams playing a secondary feeder role.

There are two airports that serve the city, Chiyoko International Airport and Itomi International Airport. They are both important hubs for international and domestic airlines. Kaisan's flag carrier is Kaisanese Airlines.

Rail is the primary mode of transportation in Taiko, which is an extensive urban railway network. The railways in Taiko are operated by two railway companies, KRL Mainland and Metro Taiko. The rapid transit system is also operated by Metro Taiko.

Expressways link the capital to other points in the Taiko Metropolitan Area and the other cities in Mainland Kaisan. The KaisanHSR also connects Taiko to a few other cities towards Nanning.

Notable people

 * Chin Kiyoshi - actress
 * Frank Chan - former President of the Republic of Kaisan
 * Tensu Makuto - philosopher
 * Fei Li - singer