 |
 |
 |
 |
||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
About Tokyo Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the country's most populous city, with about 8 of the 12 million inhabitants of Japan. Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. Edo existed as a small castle town in the 16th century, and became Japan's political center in 1603 when Tokugawa Ieyasu established a feudal government. A few decades later, Edo had grown into the world's most populous city. During the Meiji Restoration of 1868, the emperor and the capital were moved from Kyoto to Edo, where it was renamed Tokyo ("Eastern Capital"). Large parts of Tokyo were destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and also during the air raids of World War II. The city miraculously brought itself out of the ashes to become one of the most vibrant metropolises in the world. The incredible level of energy is the most striking aspect of Japan's capital city. Tokyo is a place where the urgent rhythms of consumerism collide with the quieter moments of tradition. Close to the soaring office blocks exist pockets of another Tokyo – an ancient wooden house, a Japanese inn, an old lady in a kimono sweeping the pavement outside her home with a straw broom. While it's true that the exciting vibe has a somewhat depressing flip side - shoebox housing estates and office blocks traversed by overhead expressways crowded with traffic - Tokyo remains a glittering example of the 'miracle' of post-WWII Japan. Despite mega-construction, the average Tokyo suburb has not yet fallen prey to supermarket culture; streets are lined with tiny specialist shops and bustling restaurants, most of which stay open late into the night. Top Sights of Tokyo
Learn More |
 |
||||||
|
||||||
|
||||||
