Tokyo History - In 1603 Edo was under control of a very powerful man, Leyasu. He wanted to make it the most powerful city in the country. On this he held very strong beliefs.

By the 17th century it was not only the largest city in Japan it was also the largest in the world. Since he was very strict and rigid in his rules he actually ended up isolating the city from the rest of the world.

In 1657, the "meireki" fire destroyed a lot of the area.

In 1853, US Commodore Matthew Perry demanded Japan open its doors to foreign trade.

In 1867, the head of government, (Edo Shogun) resigned and power was handed to Emperor Meiji. He renamed the city Tokyo. He died in 1912, but he had already begun a huge transformation of the city before he passed away.

September 1st 1923 a huge earthquake caused a catastrophe and many lives and land were lost. It was so devastating to the area that many thought nothing could be done. The fires after the earthquake destroyed even more of the land. But alas, the area quickly began to rebuild.

In September 1945 the American occupation began.

In the 1960's the Olympics were the inspiration for even more rebuilding and prosperity.

Now there are skyscrapers and wonderful places of interest. The city has a huge tourist industry and it does fantastic and many businesses do well in the area. The Tokyo of today is modern yet attached to its past and you will love seeing all the wonderful new and old in the same city. It is why many visit again and again. It is why so many people call this city their home. It respects its roots and yet looks toward the future and everyone who goes there can see that.