Tokyo

Tokyo, the capital of Japan, is one of the world's largest cities. More than 11,000,000 people--about one of every 10 Japanese--live within its metropolitan area. Tokyo is the political, cultural, and industrial heart of Japan. Situated on the large island of Honshu, it sprawls for many kilometers over the great Kanto plain, Japan's largest area of level land. Hills and mountains enclose the city on three sides. The majestic peak of Mount Fuji, Japan's highest point, can be seen to the southwest on a clear day.

During the greater part of Japan's history, Kyoto was the capital of the country. In 1603, Tokyo, then known as Edo, became the political and military headquarters of the Tokugawa shoguns (military rulers) of Japan. During the next 265 years Edo grew into one of the great cities of the world. In 1868, Edo became the imperial capital of Japan. It was renamed Tokyo, meaning "eastern capital," to distinguish it from Kyoto, the western capital.

Tokyo underwent many changes after it was made the imperial capital. The new central government was determined to modernize Japan. Tokyo became a model for the entire country. Many of the homes of the former feudal lords were converted into government offices and schools. Numerous Western-style buildings gradually altered the appearance of the city. Some of these buildings are still standing. Others were destroyed by the many earthquakes and fires that strike the city every year. The most terrible of these disasters took place on September 1, 1923. In this great Tokyo earthquake more than 100,000 people were killed or injured. Large parts of the city were reduced to ashes.

During the last months of World War II the city was repeatedly bombed. Much of Tokyo became a vast wasteland, but after the war the city was rebuilt and expanded with remarkable speed. Today Tokyo is larger and more modern than ever before.

Modern Tokyo

Tokyo has many famous buildings and landmarks. The Imperial Palace, home of the Emperor of Japan, is situated in the heart of downtown Tokyo. It is one of the few historic buildings still standing.

South of the palace is the imposing National Diet Building, which houses Japan's parliament. There are also several foreign embassies in this area.

Farther south again is the Tokyo Tower, a tall structure that resembles the Eiffel Tower in Paris but is somewhat higher. The visitor to Tokyo can get a wonderful view of the whole city and the bay from the observation platforms of the tower.

East of the Imperial Palace grounds is the Marunouchi district, where the greatest banks of the country have their headquarters. Close by is the immense Tokyo Railroad Station. Over 1,000,000 passengers use this station every day. North of the Imperial Palace are the sites of several of the country's most famous universities. The most distinguished of these schools is Tokyo University.

The Nihonbashi (Japan Bridge) is also situated to the east of the Imperial Palace. Distances to all places in the country were once measured from this bridge, the traditional center of Japan. The old bridge was replaced by the present stone bridge in 1911. Nearby is the Tsukiji section of the city. One of the world's largest fish markets is in this section.

Like many other great cities, Tokyo is a tremendous cluster of towns, suburbs, and other communities. Many people spend their entire lives in the city or metropolitan area without getting to know all its sections. Because of its unusual size and huge population, Tokyo differs in its government from other Japanese cities. The chief elected official is not a mayor but a governor. Tokyo's chief executive is responsible for governing more people than are found in many countries of the world.

Dwellings

For centuries the average home was no more than one or two stories high. The number of individual homes in Tokyo is enormous. But in recent times more efficient use has been made of the land. Houses with many stories are now being built. In the older sections of the city and in the suburbs, great apartment complexes have been constructed to house many people in a small area. They are made of reinforced concrete and are fireproof. But Tokyo still suffers from a severe housing shortage.

Transportation

Tokyo enjoys an excellent system of transportation. Surface electric trains are speedy and inexpensive. There is a fine subway in the midtown area. Bus and streetcar lines crisscross the city and extend into the suburbs. A monorail system carries passengers between Haneda Airport and the center of the city. Thousands of taxis--small, medium, and large--cruise the streets at all hours of the day and night. Automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, and bicycles are seen everywhere. Traffic jams are frequent because of the great number of vehicles on the narrow streets. Some relief has been provided by a system of elevated highways. Haneda Airport and the New Tokyo International Airport at Narita offer national and international service.

It is difficult to find one's way in Tokyo except in the downtown area. The streets of the city form a bewildering maze, and even longtime residents lose their way. To add to the confusion, few streets have names. Buildings and houses on a street are numbered not consecutively but according to the order in which they were built.

Tokyo is divided into 23 wards, each known as a ku. The main subdivision of the ku is the district, called cho or machi. A person's address includes the names of both the ward and the district. The final part of an address is the house number. A visitor going to an unfmiliar address goes first to the ku and then looks for the district. Assistance in finding an address can usually be had at the local police box, or koban. The police officers have the names and addresses of all residents of the neighborhood. When people move to a new home, they immediately notify the nearest koban.

The Ginza

There is always something to do and see in Tokyo, one of the liveliest cities in the world. There are many shopping and recreation centers. The most popular is the downtown area along the Ginza and surrounding streets. Ginza means "silver foundry" and refers to an old coin mint that once stood on what is now the busiest and most famous street in Japan. The big department stores found along Tokyo's "Broadway" are always thronged with people. Elevators and escalators help shoppers move quickly from one floor to another. Some stores have restaurants, amusement areas for children, and nurseries where toddlers may be left while their parents shop.

There are thousands of other large and small stores along the Ginza and its back streets. They sell modern appliances and European-style clothes. There are also many stores that sell traditional goods, such as handicraft items. There is something to fill the needs of every shopper.

Japan's finest theaters are located in the Ginza area. Most of them show movies made in Japan, one of the major film producers of the world. Other theaters specialize in foreign movies, which are always popular. At night the huge flashing neon signs of Tokyo's theaters light up the sky. The downtown section has hundreds of restaurants, coffeehouses, nightclubs, and dance halls. Just east of the Ginza is the elegant building where Kabuki plays are performed.

Parks and Gardens

Tokyo is a city of many parks. The most famous, Ueno Park, boasts lovely gardens, ponds, and a zoo. Hibiya Park, a favorite with the people of Tokyo, is often used for public meetings. Several kilometers west of the Imperial Palace is a great park that contains the Meiji Shrine, dedicated to the emperor Meiji (1852-1912). There are more than 100,000 trees in this park. They were donated by people from every part of Japan when the shrine was built in 1920. The Outer Garden of the Meiji Shrine, now known as Meiji Olympic Park, has many sports facilities. The complex was originally built for the 1964 Olympic Games.

Just west of the city, in Urayasu, is one of Tokyo's newest and most popular parks--Tokyo Disneyland, which has been a popular attraction since 1983.

Tokyo has many museums, including the Tokyo National Museum, the National Science Museum, and the Japanese Folk Art Museum. The National Diet (Parliament) Library is the largest in the country.

Tokyo is the center of Japan's publishing industry, which produces books and magazines distributed throughout the nation and the world. Many different daily newspapers are published and sold in Tokyo. Several radio and television stations broadcast from there. Tokyo Tower, which rises above the city, serves as an antenna for a number of the main radio and television stations.

Problems--Present and Future

Tokyo is one of the major industrial centers of Japan. Plants, mills, and workshops located throughout the city produce iron and steel goods, machines, tools, electrical equipment, chemicals, textiles, optical goods, and foodstuffs. These products are sold all over Japan and are transported in the many ships that leave Tokyo Bay daily. The industrial sections of Tokyo, like those in many other cities of the world, are unattractive. The buildings are often drab and grimy, and clouds of smoke hover above them.

Tokyo is growing very rapidly. The government finds it difficult to keep up with the city's many needs. There is a constant demand for new housing. Thousands of people looking for jobs pour into the capital from all over the country. They need homes. Old houses are being torn down, and slums are being demolished. The transportation problem is becoming increasingly critical. As Japanese industry continues to turn out trucks and automobiles, the streets become more and more crowded. There is a continuing need for new schools, playgrounds, and parks. Demands for telephone service, electricity, gas, and water are almost impossible to meet.

Although Tokyo has many problems that remain to be solved, it is one of the great cities of the world. New buildings are finished every day, and the city is spreading into the farm areas of the suburbs. New land has been created by filling in parts of Tokyo Bay. Because Tokyo is an extraordinary city, its needs will have to be met in unusual ways.