Tokyo in Depth - Tokyo - page 11

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the past years, is still negligible when com-
pared to levels in the United States, and
Tokyo remains one of the safest cities in
the world. (According to an article pub-
lished September 11, 2007, in the Yomiuri
Shimbun, the number of thefts and bur-
glaries in the Tokyo metropolitan area
decreased 30% to 50% after the arrest in
2006 of 16 Chinese suspected of operating
two burglary rings.)
Although it's true that I am more care-
ful than I was 20 years ago—I guard my
purse in crowded subways and I avoid
parks after dark—for Americans, such
precautions seem merely self-evident. But
while I'm cautious about theft and purse-
snatching, I never worry about personal
safety when I'm walking the streets of
Tokyo. In fact, it never even crosses my
mind. Violent crime—especially against

strangers—remains virtually unheard of in
Japan.
Moreover, while Tokyo remains one of
the most expensive cities in the world, it
now offers something that would have
been unthinkable during the spend-happy
1980s, when only designer goods would
do and expense accounts seemed unlim-
ited: bargains. Tony French restaurants
serve value-conscious fixed-price lunches,
there are buffets virtually everywhere, sec-
ondhand clothing stores sell last year's
designer wear, 100-Yen discount shops do
a brisk business, and many hotels offer
bargain rates on their websites.
Despite what the future may bring, I'm
convinced Tokyo at street level will remain
as it's always been—humming with energy,
crowded beyond belief, and filled with acts
of human kindness.

2 LOOKING BACK AT TOKYO

2

EARLY HISTORY
Archaeological finds show that the region
was inhabited as early as 30,000 b.c., but
it wasn't until the 6th century that Japan
began spreading its cultural wings. Taking
its cues from China, its great neighbor to
the west, Japan adopted Buddhism, the
character system of writing, and Chinese
art forms and architecture, and molded
them into a style of its own.

In a.d. 794, the Japanese Imperial fam-
ily established a new capital in Heiankyo
(present-day Kyoto), where it remained
for more than 1,000 years. The arts flour-
ished, and extravagant temples and pavil-
ions were erected. Noh drama, the tea
ceremony, flower arranging, and landscape
gardening developed. But even though
Kyoto served as the cultural heart of the
nation, it was often the nation's capital in

DATELINE
■ 794 Kyoto becomes Japan's
capital.
■ 1192 Minamoto Yoritomo
becomes shogun and estab-
lishes his shogunate govern-
ment in Kamakura.
■ 1333 The Kamakura shogu-
nate falls and the Imperial
system is restored.
■ 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu
becomes shogun and estab-
lishes his shogunate in Edo

■ 1853 Commodore Matthew
C. Perry of the U.S. Navy per-
suades the Japanese to sign
a trade agreement with the
United States.
■ 1867 The Tokugawa regime
is overthrown, bringing
Japan's feudal era to a close.
■ 1868 Emperor Meiji
assumes power, moves his
Imperial capital from Kyoto
to Tokyo, and begins the
industrialization of Japan.

(present-day Tokyo), marking
the beginning of a 264-year
rule by the Tokugawa clan.
■ 1612 Silver mint opens in
the Ginza.
■ 1633 Japan closes its doors
to foreign trade and subse-
quently forbids all foreigners
from landing in Japan and all
Japanese from leaving.
■ 1787 The population of
Tokyo reaches 1.3 million.

continues