Shinagawa Ward Office Daisan-Chosha office 4th floor, 2-1-36 Hiromachi,Shinagawa-ku, Tokyo 140-0005 Japan (Map) TEL:+81-3-5742-6517 MAIL:info@sifa.or.jp Top Page > Introduction of Cities > Geneva, Swiss Confederation What is the City of Geneva like? Location Geneva is located in the west part of Switzerland and is the capital city of the Canton of Geneva. The city is located on the west side of the largest lake in　Switzerland, "Lake Leman" and is surrounded by the Alps and Jura Mountain Ranges. Area 15.89 square kilometers Population 205,000 (Geneva is the 3rd largest city in Switzerland behind Zurich and Basel)  Climate Since many parts of Switzerland are mountainous areas, the difference in temperature between daytime and evening is significant. The temperature in each season is almost the same as that in Aomori prefecture in Japan. You may feel chilly during the cooler days of summer, but it is typically pleasant with low humidity. Time difference Minus 8 hours to Japan (8 hours behind Japan) For example, when it is noon in Japan, Geneva is 4:00 a.m. on the same day. * Daylight-saving time starts on the last Sunday in March and ends on the last Sunday in October. During daylight-saving time, Geneva is 7 hours behind Japan. The flag of Geneva Zoom Matterhorn in a magnificent view Zoom Geneva is an international city which has many international organizations located throughout it. The city has an abundance of water and greenery and is a place for peace and culture. Geneva is the largest city in the Canton of Geneva surrounded by the Alps and Jura Mountain Ranges. The city is located on the west side of Lake Leman and overlooks the beautiful sceneries and panoramic view of the Alps. On the left bank of the Rhone River there are shopping centers and office buildings. Located on a small hill are the old town, which tells stories of its old history and culture. The European head office of the United Nations, the head office of the International Federation of the Red Cross and many other international organizations are located on the right bank of the river. The city is known as a place for many international conferences. Although Geneva is located in an area where French is spoken, German, Italian, and Romansch are also recognized as four official languages, as Switzerland is surrounded by France, Germany, Austria and Italy. Many people in Switzerland speak English as their second language and English has been used as a common language there. Ariana Museum in Geneva Zoom Lake Leman Great Water Fountain in Geneva Zoom Shinagawa Ward and Geneva The Bell of Honsen-ji Temple located in the south part of Shinagawa Ward was found in the Ariana Museum. The Bell was lost after the Paris Exposition (1867). In 1930, the Bell was retuned to Honsen-ji Temple by the courtesy of the City of Geneva. With the return of the Bell, Shinagawa Ward signed a "Friendship Charter" with the City of Geneva on September 9, 1991 and started friendship city for the purpose of developing their relationship wishing for world peace. ▲Page Top