Tokyo

Tokyo is Japan’s largest city, with more than 37 million people in the greater area.

Here, you can ride through Shinjuku, the busiest train station in the world, shop in skyscrapers, and step into quiet shrines only blocks away.

Earthquakes, fires, and wars have tried to destroy the city, but Tokyo always rebuilds.

The city began as a small fishing village called Edo. In 1603, the Tokugawa shogun made it his capital. At the center stood Edo Castle, now part of the Imperial Palace grounds.

Edo grew into one of the world’s largest cities, filled with merchants, artisans, and theaters.

In 1868, Japan’s emperor moved from Kyoto to Edo, renaming it Tokyo, meaning “Eastern Capital.” This ended centuries of shogun rule and began Japan’s modern era.

The Meiji leaders built railroads, schools, and industries that turned Tokyo into the country’s driving force of change.

Tokyo has faced devastating disasters. The Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923 killed over 100,000 people and leveled much of the city.

During World War II, American firebombing raids flattened neighborhoods and killed even more.

Yet Tokyo rose again, and by 1964 it was ready to host the Olympics, a symbol of Japan’s recovery.

Today, visitors can walk the Imperial Palace grounds where shoguns and emperors once ruled. They can climb Tokyo Tower for views of Mount Fuji or visit Sensoji Temple in Asakusa, the city’s oldest.

Kids enjoy the Samurai Museum, teens flock to Akihabara’s arcades, and families ride boats along the Sumida River or stroll through Ueno’s gardens.