Tokyo Apartment & Guest House

Ieyasu Tokugawa won the battle of Sekigahara in 1600, the most important battle in the history of Japan, and soon took control of the country. In 1603, he established his government in Edo.

Kyoto remained as the official capital, for the emperor stayed there, but it was the Shogun Ieyasu who was the most powerful man in the country.
Soon, people and economy started to gather in the new city in the east.

Ieyasu dedicated his life in making the basis of Tokugawa family Shogunate which he succeeded, and his successor kept on ruling the country for more than 250 years, until 1867.

This was the period called Edo era. People lived mostly in peace, and culture like Kabuki or Ukiyo-e bloomed. The population of the city was already over a million in the 18th century.

In 1853, American general Perry came over to Japan with 4 battle ships huge enough to frighten people of Edo, who had not experienced war for over 2 centuries. Perry demanded Edo government to open the country, that had been closed long against foreign countries.

This started the Meiji restoration - end of Tokugawa shogunate and the
restoration of imperial rule, through civil wars and great confusion.
In 1868, the emperor moved to Edo and renamed the city to Tokyo. Thus, Tokyo became the capital of Japan both officially and substantially.


Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa era (1868-1945)

From the hunger for foreign culture, and the fear of the country falling more behind from western countries, people of Japan, especially those in Tokyo, absorbed western civilization greedily. Telecommunication service started in 1869 and the steam locomotive in 1872. People started paving roads, and built western styled buildings with bricks and stones.

Nothing seemed to stop the modernization, but in September 1923, Great Kanto Earthquake broke down the city. Actually it was more the fire that caused the damage - 140,000 deaths and 440,000 building demolitions, equivalent to 1.4 times the national budget at that time.

People had to build up the city once again from rubble, but their desperateness lead to the opening of subway in 1927, Haneda airport in 1931, and Tokyo port in 1941.
But at the same time, Japan started to follow militarism, and the war with the United States, began. Tokyo was air-bombed nearly 130 times, among which the largest attack on March 10th 1945, killing 100,000 Tokyo residents.

When Tokyo fell into the hands of American troops in August 1945, the population of the city had fallen to 3 million, about the half of the number before the war.


Showa and Heisei era (1946-)

Under the control of general McAurther and the American GHQ (general headquarters), Tokyo started its third regeneration. In 1947 the new constitution came into effect, and in 1949, the 23 special ward system started in the present style.

In 1952, GHQ left Tokyo and Japan regained its sovereignty. But it was the Tokyo olympic games in 1964 that made Japanese people feel the real restoration. Same year, Shinkan-sen (bullet train) started its service between Tokyo and Osaka.

This period through 60's and 70's that gained rapid growth is called "high-level economic growth period". Though it came to an end in 1973 by the oil shock, Japan's economy started to boom again in the 80's - but this time, thing were different.

Land and stock prices went sky high. Banks were so confident that the rise would never stop, so they would ask companies to make huge loans to buy more land. It seemed impossible for an average citizen to buy a house in Tokyo.

But, the next decade came with the burst of the economic bubble. No one believed that a bank would go bankrupt, but even major banks had to face tough realities.
90's in Japan is called "a decade lost". The economy remained stagnant, or went even worth.

Now, four years after the arrival of the new century, signs of recovery started to show at last.

And Tokyo is trying to open a new phase, as a true international city. Under the government run "Yokoso! - welcome Japan campaign", Tokyo is trying to archive visits of foreign people more than ever. The goal is 10 million people annually by the year 2010.