

|
Tokyo, Japan
Japan’s capital and the world’s most populous
metropolis.It is also one of Japan’s 47 prefectures, consisting of 23
central city wards and multiple cities, towns and villages west of the
city center. The Izu and Ogasawara Islands are also part of Tokyo.
Prior to 1868, Tokyo was known as Edo. A small castle town in the
16th century,Edo became Japan’s political center in 1603 when Tokugawa
Ieyasu establishedhis feudal government there. A few decades later, Edo
had grown into one of theworld’s most populous cities. With the Meiji
Restoration of 1868, the emperor and capital moved from Kyoto to Edo,
which was renamed Tokyo (“Eastern Capital”).Large parts of Tokyo were
destroyed in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 and inthe air raids of 1945.
Today, Tokyo offers a seemingly unlimited choice of shopping,
entertainment, culture and
dining to its visitors. The city’s
history can be appreciated in districts such as Asakusa,
and in many excellent museums, historic temples and gardens.
Contrary to common perception, Tokyo also offers a number of
attractive green spaces in the city center and within relatively short train rides at its outskirts.
|