Tokyo translates literally as Eastern capital. It is
not only the government center of Japan, but
also serves as the capital of entertainment,
education, shopping, finance, commerce and
culture for the entire country. Tokyo is more than
just a city. It is a metropolis or megacity. The
city itself is composed of a population 12
million, which is about 10 percent of Japan's
entire population. If we include the Greater
Tokyo area, the population shoots up to about
35 million, making it the most populated urban
area on the planet. It not just highly populated,
but also quite densely populated. The Tokyo
average is 13,416 people per square kilometer
of land. This density has led to crowded streets,
high rent and cost of living, and unbearable
traffic jams, but it has also brought about a
terrific public transportation system that is used
by all and you can set your watch to.
Tokyo has not always been Japan's capital.
There was a time when it was moved to the
scenic city of Kyoto, but then in 1869 the
17-year old Emperor Meiji moved himself and
the capital back to Edo, which was then renamed
to Tokyo.
In 1923 Tokyo was hit by a major catastrophe,
when the Great Kanto Earthquake leveled the
city. The earthquake was estimated to have had
a magnitude of about 8.0 on the Richter scale.
Evidence suggests that over 100,000 people
died in this tragedy. Tokyo's second major
catastrophe came in 1945 with the firebombings
of WWII. These bombings completely
devastated the city to conditions even worse
than that of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which had
face a direct assault by atomic bombs.
However, Tokyoites persevered and rebuilt the
city. In 1964 Tokyo was able to host the highly
acclaimed Tokyo Summer Olympic games. The
next year Tokyo was became the largest city in
the world (taking the lead from New York).
Tokyo is now a thriving city famous for its bright
lights, crowded streets and fantastic youth
culture. Tokyo's tall skyscapers and remarkably
low crime rate allows it to serve as a beacon for
excitement and modern culture for all of Japan.
