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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.
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Tokyo, the ‘Eastern Capital’, has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Before then, it was Edo, a sprawling town by the bay. Earlier still, it was Edojuku, a medieval outpost overlooking farmlands. And, thousands of years ago, its mudflats and marshes were hometo elephants, deer and marine life. Jonathan Clements traces Tokyo’s fascinating history from the first forest clearances and the samurai wars to the hedonistic ‘floating world’ era – and onwards to the twentieth century with its destruction and redevelopment, boom and bust. So entwined is Tokyo with the history of Japan that it can be hard to separate them – its position at the nexus of power and people for over a thousand years has made it crucial to the events of the whole country.
About the author
Jonathan Clements is a British author, novelist, and scriptwriter. His numerous books about Japan include
A Brief History of the Samurai,
Modern Japan: All That Matters, and biographies of Admiral Togo and Prince Saionji.
Summary
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.
Additional text
"Clements’ skillset—Asian specialist, linguist, historian and foodie—might have been designed specifically for his newly published Armchair Traveller’s History of Tokyo, combining as it does a history of the city from a time of myth, conjecture and hazy record to the current year 2018 with a gazetteer containing a selection of the sights and attractions of the city."
— Helen McCarthy, author of All the Anime
"Concise, engaging history charmingly told by an expert on Japanese culture, who loves the city and knows its neighbourhoods well. Helpful guide to important leaders and notable places in Tokyo history that will delight both armchair travellers and visitors to the city."
— Alisa Freedman, author of Introducing Japanese Popular Culture
"This is a fascinating historical tour of one of the world’s great cities, exploring Tokyo’s long past with an eye to its present form and its bustling contemporary population. Clements digs deep into place names, and into the wider context of Japan’s long history, to offer an account that visitors to Tokyo—whether first‑timers or old regulars—will no doubt find invaluable in helping them to make sense of a city that can sometimes feel overwhelming in its size and vibrant complexity."
— Chris Harding, author of Japan Story: In Search of a Nation, 1850 to the Present
"Jonathan Clements’s A Short History of Tokyo is a more recent paperback update that includes the impact of COVID-19 on Olympic planning, and summarises the history of Japan’s modern capital in a remarkably entertaining way. He wanders the streets in search of hidden ghosts and anime icons, places once trashed in model form by rubber monsters and the sites of old samurai vendettas."
— All the Anime
"It is light in tone and fast in pace. For anyone who wants a quick introduction to the spirit of the city as it has developed over the centuries, then Clements provides a fine place to look."
— Japanese Studies Journal
