Publisher's Synopsis
The long and fascinating history of Japan's modern capital spans from the first forest clearances on the vast Kanto plain, through the wars and intrigues of the samurai era, and up to the preparations for the 2020 Olympics. Tokyo, meaning 'Eastern Capital', has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Before then, it was the site of Edojuku ('Estuary Camp'), a medieval outpost designed to keep watch over rich farmlands. Whereas the imperial court ruled Japan from the sleepy city of Kyoto, the landowners of the Kanto plain held the true wealth and power, which they eventually asserted in a series of bloody civil wars. Known as Edo in the early modern period, the Tokyo region became the administrative centre of Japan's Shogun overlords and the site of a vibrant, vivid urban culture of theatres, taverns and brothels. After the Meiji Restoration in 1868, it became Japan's true capital, home to the emperors, the seat of government and a site of rapid urban growth.
