The History of Tokyo, Japan: From Ancient Edo to Modern Metropolis
The old City of Edo was then the world's largest in many periods to come. In 1700 its population topped the 1 million mark.
Edo's History
Edo's physical and social changes
Historical Sites
- The official founding date of the city of Edo is 1457
- Edo was located near the mouth of Sumida River and bordering Kanto Plain
- Warlord Ota Dokon--> built a castle overlooking the centuries old fishing village of"Edo", which means river gate,
- The Emperor--> lived in Kyoto--> Edo became the center of activity
- In 1603, Tokyo became the political and military headquarters of the Tokugawa shoguns (military rulers) of Japan.
- During the next 265 years, Edo grew into one of the great cities of the world.
- Tokyo today--> number one megacity in the world
Edo's physical and social changes
- Fire was a constant threat, striking the city about a dozen times in the course of its history.
- The Meireki Fire of 1657, the worst fire, caused the most casualties and the greatest destruction of property.
- The population adapted to the frequency of fires--> each fire became a time of renewal
- The Kanto Earthquake of 1923 also devastated the city
- The rebuilding after each natural disaster was fast and efficient and brought new riches to those in the building business.
Historical Sites
- Religious Landmarks
- Shrines play an important role in Japan's political and military history, as well as the Shinto religion.
- The Meiji Jingu-o Shrine--> honors Emperor Meiji, for whom the Meiji Era was named, and Empress Shoken
- The Yasukuni Shrine--> recognizes the thousands of men who have died serving Japan in wars since 1853.
- Cultural Landmarks
- The Imperial Palace--> Home of the Emperor--> built on site of Edo Castle
- The Tsukiji Fish Market- is where many restaurant and sushi chefs come to bid on the most beautiful pieces of fish.
- Because of rapid increase in visitors, tourists are no longer allowed near the bidding arena
- Visitors can explore other of the market during the day.
- The Tokyo National Museum--> contains a large collection of Japanese and Asian artifacts dating all the way back to Jomon Period in 14,000 B.C.
- Weapons and armor are displayed
- Other Landmarks
- The Tokyo Tower-->modeled after the Eiffel Tower but it is taller and lighter than its French Twin - It's 176 flood lights illuminate Tokyo's night life
The Tokyo Tower lit up at night in the middle of Tokyo.
The Imperial Palace, home of the Emperor. This picture shows you only a part of the palace itself but you can see how large the land and just a part of the palace is.