Tokyo

 

Tokyo is the capital of Japan and the most populous city in the world with a population of over 14 million residents as of 2023.

The site of Tokyo has been inhabited since ancient times; the small fishing village of Edo existed there for centuries. 

Edo’s development into a city did not occur until the Tokugawa period (1603–1867), when it became the capital of the Tokugawa shogunate. 

During this period, however, the imperial family remained in Kyōto, the ancient imperial capital. 

With the Meiji Restoration of 1868, which ended the shogunate, the capital was moved to Edo. 

The city was renamed Tokyo, meaning “eastern capital.” Edo had been Japan’s largest city since the 17th century. 

Tokyo’s population exceeded one million in the late 19th century, and as Japan’s political, economic, and cultural Centre it became one of the world’s most populous cities in the 20th century.

The city is built on low, alluvial plains and adjacent upland hills. 

The climate is mild in winter and hot and humid in the summer. 

Early summer and early autumn are rainy seasons; two or three typhoons usually occur during September and October.

The metropolitan area is the largest industrial, commercial, and financial Centre in Japan. 

Many domestic and international financial institutions and other businesses are headquartered in central Tokyo. 

The city is an important wholesale center, where goods from all parts of the country and the world are distributed. 

Tokyo is part of the Keihin Industrial Zone, centered on the western shore of the bay, which has become the country’s leading manufacturing region. 

Light and labor-intensive industries predominate in the city, notably printing and publishing and the manufacture of electronic equipment.