Brief History of Tokyo
Pre-1869
This time period is also known as "Edo period" during which Tokyo was not the capital of Japan, instead it was a small fishing village named Edo that was fortified by the Edo clan in the late twelfth century. During this period, Japan was filled with clans that were mostly trying to get fortified to be protected by attacks from enemy clans.
The Edo Castle
The Edo Castle
The Edo Castle, also known as Chiyoda Castle, is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan, who was a samurai warrior-poet. Flatland Castles were built in the middle of an open plain to make it possible to start a government and make communication between cities easier. They had no natural defenses, so the moats and walls of these castles were built bigger and stronger than other types of castles. The Edo Castle was the residence of the shōgun (the military dictator of Japan) and functioned as the military capital during the Edo period.
Pax Tokugawa
Pax Tokugawa was a prolonged period of peace as there was no serious military threat to the city. During this period, Edo devoted the majority of its recourses to rebuilding which was required due to a wake of consistent fires, earthquakes, and other devasting natural disasters. Even though during the Edo period Edo grew into one of the largest cities in the world, still it was not the capital of Japan. When the American commodore Matthew C. Perry arrived at Edo in 1853, he forced open the ports of Shimoda and Hakodate which led to a severe rise in inflation. This social unrest led to widespread rebellions that eventually caused the overthrow of the last shōgun in 1867 after which the Pax Tokugawa came to an end.
Views of Edo
1869-1943
Imperial Palace 1908
In 1869, the 17-year-old Emperor Meiji moved to Edo, and in accordance, the city was renamed Tokyo (meaning Eastern Capital). Tokyo was already the nation's political and cultural center, and the emperor's residence made it the imperial capital as well, with the former Edo Castle becoming the Imperial Palace. The city of Tokyo was officially established on May 1, 1889. In 1923 Tokyo suffered by the Great Kantō earthquake that left 140.000 people dead or missing.
Nihonbashi after Great Kanto Earthquake 1923
Tokyo Prefectural Office and City Hall 1894
1943-1945
In 1943, the city of Tokyo merged with the prefecture of Tokyo to form the "Metropolitan Prefecture" of Tokyo. Since then, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government served as both the prefecture government for Tokyo, as well as administering the special wards of Tokyo, for what had previously been Tokyo City. World War II wreaked widespread destruction of most of the city due to the persistent Allied air raids on Japan and the use of incendiary bombs. The bombing of Tokyo in 1944 and 1945 is estimated to have killed between 75,000 and 200,000 civilians and left more than half of the city destroyed.
Aftermath of Tokyo Bombing 1945
Nihonbashi 1946