Geography Reference
In-Depth Information
Eastern capital
EDO (TOKYO), c.1853
Tokyo today is one of the world's great metropolises and the core of one of the most densely
populated urban areas on Earth. Yet, just a few centuries ago, it was a small, coastal settle-
ment called Edo (or Yedo), meaning 'bay entrance'. Edo's rise to economic and political im-
portance began around 1600 when the leaders of the Tokugawa shogunate decided to base
their military government there. The ancient city of Kyoto remained the official capital of
Japan and the seat of its Emperors, who at that time had a symbolic role without real power.
When the Meiji Emperor regained political control from the shogunate in 1868, he moved
