Tokyo
Tokyo is the capital of Japan and one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world, blending ultramodern technology with historic temples and traditions.
Twice reduced to rubble within a single century — first by earthquake, then by wartime bombing — Tokyo has rebuilt itself so thoroughly each time that little visible trace of either disaster remains today.
From Fishing Village to Shogunate Capital
Tokyo began as a small fishing village called Edo. Its transformation began in 1603, when the Tokugawa shogunate established its seat of military government there, rapidly growing Edo into one of the largest cities in the world during Japan's Edo period, even as the emperor's official capital remained in Kyoto.
Becoming the Imperial Capital
Following the Meiji Restoration in 1868, which ended the shogunate and restored imperial rule, Emperor Meiji moved his official residence to Edo, renaming it Tokyo, meaning "Eastern Capital." The city rapidly modernized, adopting Western technology and infrastructure as Japan opened to the outside world after centuries of relative isolation.
Rebuilt Twice
Tokyo has been devastated and rebuilt twice in the past century — first by the catastrophic Great KantΕ earthquake of 1923, which killed over 100,000 people, and again by extensive firebombing during World War II. Each time, the city rebuilt itself into an increasingly modern metropolis, emerging by the late 20th century as a global center of technology, finance, and popular culture.
A Global Stage
Tokyo made history as the first city to host the Summer Olympics twice, in 1964 and 2020 (the latter delayed to 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Today it remains one of the world's leading cities for transportation efficiency, culinary excellence, and technological innovation, home to the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world at Shibuya.
