OVERVIEW OF TOKYO

TOKYO'S GEOGRAPHY, HISTORY AND POPULATION

The history of the city of Tokyo stretches back some 400 years. Originally named Edo, the city started to flourish after Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa Shogunate there in 1603. As the center of politics and culture in Japan, Edo grew into a huge city with a population of over a million during the eighteenth century. Throughout this time, the Emperor resided in Kyoto, which was the formal capital of the nation. The Edo Period lasted for nearly 260 years until the Meiji Restoration in 1868, when the Tokugawa shogunate ended and imperial rule was restored. The Emperor moved to Edo, which was renamed Tokyo. Thus, Tokyo became the capital of Japan.

During the Meiji period (1868-1912), Japan began its voracious absorption of Western civilization. Buildings made of stone and fired tiles were built on the sites of the mansions of feudal lords, and the roads of major cities were paved with round stones. In 1869, Japan's first telecommunications line was opened between Tokyo and Yokohama, and the first steam locomotive started running in 1872 from Shimbashi to Yokohama. Western hairstyles replaced the traditional topknot worn by men, and bowler hats, high collars and wide skirts were the height of fashion. In 1882, Japan's first zoological gardens were opened in Ueno. In 1885, the cabinet system of government was adopted and Ito Hirobumi became Japan's first prime minister. With the promulgation of the Constitution of the Empire of Japan in 1889, Japan established the political system of a modern nation-state.

During the Taisho period (1912-1926), the number of people working in cities increased, and an increasing proportion of citizens began to lead consumer lifestyles. Educational standards improved, and the number of girls going on to study at higher schools increased. Performing arts such as theater and opera thrived.

In September 1923, Tokyo was devastated by the Great Kanto Earthquake. The fires caused by the earthquake burned the city center to the ground. 140,000 people were reported dead or missing, and 300,000 houses were destroyed. After the earthquake a city reconstruction plan was formulated, but because the projected costs exceeded the national budget only a small part of it was realized.

Beginning shortly after the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Showa period (1926-1989) started in a mood of gloom. Even so, Japan's first subway line was opened between Asakusa and Ueno in 1927, and in 1928 the first general elections for the House of Representatives of the Diet were held. In 1931 Tokyo Airport was completed at Haneda, and in 1941 the Port of Tokyo was opened. By 1935, the number of people living in Tokyo had reached 6.36 million, comparable to the populations of New York and London.

However, in 1941 the Pacific War broke out. Up until that time Tokyo had a dual administrative system, but in order to prosecute the war this system was abolished and the two were consolidated to form the Tokyo Metropolitan Government (TMG) in 1943. The metropolitan administrative system was thus established and a governor was appointed. In the final phase of World War II, Tokyo was bombed 102 times. The heaviest air raid was on March 10, 1945, in which there was great loss of life and material damage. The war came to an end on August 15, 1945 when Japan accepted the terms of the Potsdam Declaration. Much of Tokyo had been laid waste by the bombings and by October 1945 the population had fallen to 3.49 million, half its level in 1940.

In May 1947, the new Constitution of Japan took effect, based on the principle that sovereignty resides with the people. The same year, the Local Autonomy Law was promulgated, and Seiichiro Yasui was elected first Governor of Tokyo under the new system. In 1949, the present 23 special-ward system* began in Tokyo Metropolis.

The 1950s were a time of both recovery and growth. Television broadcasting began in 1953, and Japan joined the United Nations in 1956. Economic recovery was aided in particular by the special procurement demand arising from the outbreak of the Korean War in 1950, and by the start of the 1960s Japan had entered a period of high-level economic growth. Due to technological innovations and the introduction of new industries and technologies, this period saw the beginning of mass production of synthetic fibers and household electric appliances such as televisions, refrigerators and washing machines. As a result, people's everyday lives underwent considerable transformation. In 1962 the population of Tokyo broke the 10 million mark. In 1964, the Olympic Games were held in Tokyo and the shinkansen ("Bullet Train") line and the Metropolitan Expressway were opened, forming the basis for Tokyo's current prosperity.

By the beginning of the 1970s, the excesses of high-level economic growth became apparent as the country was beset by widespread pollution of the air and water, as well as high levels of noise pollution. At the same time, the Oil Shock of 1973 brought the period of high-level economic growth to a halt.

In the 1980s, Tokyo again enjoyed rapid economic growth as a result of its increasingly international outlook, and the emergence of the information society. Tokyo became one of the world's most vital major cities, boasting advanced technology, information, culture and fashion, as well as a high level of public safety. On the other hand, this rapid growth exacerbated urban problems such as pollution, traffic congestion and disaster prevention. From 1986 onwards, land and stock prices spiraled upwards, a phenomenon known as the "bubble economy."

Japan enjoyed tremendous growth under the bubble economy, but the bubble burst at the beginning of the 1990s. Since then the economy has been in recession, tax revenue has decreased, and the metropolitan finances are now facing a critical situation. The advent of the 21st century marks a historical watershed, and various pioneering measures are being tackled with a view to finding a way out of the crisis currently facing Tokyo, and creating a city that attracts a great many residents and visitors.

*See this page for an explanation of the 'special ward' system.