The beginning
Archaeological evidence shows that the Japanese archipelago was inhabited at the end of the last glacial period. Composed of five major islands (Hokkaido, Honshu, Kyushu, Shikoku and Okinawa) and roughly 7,000 smaller ones, the country is about 1,45,000 square miles of land, with 75% comprising steep slopes that rest on four tectonic plates. The shifting plates have resulted in volcanoes, earthquakes and tsunamis, creating Japan’s lush forests, valleys and mountains.
Historians divide Japan’s early history into three eras: The Jomon era, which lasted until 400 B.C., had a hunter-gatherer culture. The Yayoi era (300 B.C to 300 A.D.) saw the beginning of settlements. The Kofun era (300 A.D. to 710 A.D.) saw territorial expansion and dominance of the Yamato clan, followed by the emergence of new political and administrative patterns, with Nara becoming the first permanent capital of Japan. After 1185, the shoguns, or military leaders, who are technically appointed by the Emperor, started gaining power. In 1192, shogun Minamoto Yorimoto established the military government, with its capital in Kyoto. The shogun rule lasted an uninterrupted 700 years. Its final era was led by the Tokugawa dynasty, founded by Tokugawa leyasu, who moved the capital from Kyoto to Edo, originally a fishing village. Soon, Edo became the centre of economic, political and cultural power. In the 1720s, with a population of over a million people, Edo was one of the largest cities in the world.
Gets its name
In 1868, with the shogunate period ending, Emperor Mutsuhito officially renamed Edo Tokyo, meaning ‘Eastern Capital’. The Emperor’s Meiji, or “enlightened rule”, era spanned the years 1868 to 1912 – a period of rapid modernization that commenced with the first telecommunications line established between Tokyo and Yokohama in 1869. The construction of roads, modern buildings and the introduction of steam locomotives followed, accelerating Japan’s (and Tokyo’s) progress, until the Great Kanto earthquake stuck Tokyo in 1923. Measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, it demolished nearly half of the city, killing almost 1,40,000 citizens. The quake not only sparked off a fire but also caused a tsunami. Forty-ft high waves destroyed hundreds of houses and killed several hundred people.
It was a mammoth undertaking to pull Tokyo back on its feet. But amidst the rubble and ruin, some people saw the opportunity to build a city of the future. Within six years, Tokyo was rebuilt. A subway like was inaugurated in 1927. Tokyo Airport opened its gates in 1931, and Tokyo Port, in 1941. By 1935, with a population of six million, Tokyo had entered the league of London and New York.
Within a decade, the city was back to rubble. On 10 March 1945, 15 square miles of Tokyo was demolished and half the population killed in the World War II bombing raid by the U.S. On that single night, the population went down by half. The heat generated by the explosives melted buildings, metal and caused canals to boil over. The devastation caused by the raid far exceeded any other during the War.
Falling and getting up. Again
During the 1950s, rose again from the ashes: television broadcasting began in 1953, and in 1956, Japan joined the United Nations. The 1960s saw rapid economic growth, technological innovation and manufacturing industry expansion, with Tokyo producing everything from household appliances to transport equipment, automobiles, cameras, furniture, textiles, publishing and printing equipment. By 1962, Tokyo was a megacity, with a population over 10 million. By 1964, the bullet train was operational.
Through the 1970s and 80s, Tokyo was unstoppable. It became a global presence and one of the world’s most attractive cities with common citizens’ lives enhanced by cutting-edge, innovative technology. Despite its vast population, Tokyo has the best infrastructure and is one of the safest cities in the world. School children with backpacks larger than themselves take public transport – buses, monorail, railroad – by themselves and 10 million people go to work and back using the subway ferries every day.
One of the best, today!
For nearly, 50 years now, Tokyo has been the top economic city (New York is second). In 2018, it ranked third in the Global Power City Index, a measure of its attractiveness as the preferred location for businesses. While environmental pollution is a problem that Tokyo shares with other megacities, its citizens do their bit to keep it in check – preferring bicycles for transport, guarding their packs and nature spots and ensuring that corporate pay heavy penalties for pollution. With regular earthquake drills, Tokyo is ready to respond to and overcome natural disasters while constantly reinventing itself to improve its place in the world. No wonder this global city has come so far from its origins as a fishing village!
Picture Credit : Google