Tokyo History
I must admit I had a dilemma when deciding how to present the history of Tokyo and which bits of it to include. In the end I decided to write a story about each piece of history that, for me, explains how Tokyo has become the capital city it is today.
Sit back, grab a cup of tea and a biscuit, and soak up a bit of the past.
- Tokugawa Ieyasu - perhaps the most famous Shogun in relation to Tokyo
- Edo Era - Edo was the original name for Tokyo when the captial first changed locations.
- Shogun - and their samurais ruled Japan for years. This was a strictly hierarchical society with rules and conventions that had to be obeyed.
- Tokyo Closes the Door - Japan said 'no' to the rest of the world and isolated itself for the best part of 250 years. Captain Perry and the Black Ships - using the threat of war, forced Japan to accept American ties again in 1853.
- Imperial Palace - the home of the Emperor
- Firebombing of Tokyo - in WWII Tokyo was largely destroyed as the allies looked to stop the Japanese army.
The final impact of history on modern day Tokyo, as I see it, is space. Space is an issue. Tokyo consists of what were, originally, many small villages. As each one grew, their borders bumped into each other. With nowhere else to go, these villages joined forces and formed what is now recognized as Tokyo and Greater Tokyo. Despite this joining, however, each area of Tokyo maintains a distinct character and flavour which you will clearly feel as you explore and discover new Tokyo places.
