Tokyo Before Tokyo : Power and Magic in the Shogun’s City of Edo

A rich and original history of Edo, the shogun's city that became modern Tokyo. Tokyo today is one of the world's mega-cities and the center of a scintillating, hyper-modern culture—but not everyone is aware of its past. Founded in 1590 as the seat of the warlord Tokugawa family, Tokyo, then called Edo, was the locus of Japanese trade, economics, and urban civilization until 1868, when it mutated into Tokyo and became Japan's modern capital. This beautifully illustrated book presents important sites and features from the rich history of Edo, taken from contemporary sources such as diaries, guidebooks, and woodblock prints. These include the huge bridge on which the city was centered; the vast castle of the Shogun; sumptuous Buddhist temples, bars, kabuki theaters, and Yoshiwara—the famous red-light district. "Founded in 1590 as the seat of the warlord Tokugawa family, Tokyo, then called 'Edo,' was the locus of Japanese trade, economics and urban civilization until 1868, when it mutated into Tokyo and became Japan's modern capital. This illustrated book presents important sites and features from the rich history of Edo, drawn from contemporary sources such as diaries, guidebooks and woodblock prints. These include the huge bridge on which the city was centred, the vast castle of the shogun, sumptuous Buddhist temples, bars, kabuki theatres and the Yoshiwara, Edo's famous red-light district"--Proporcionado por el editor "Founded in 1590 as the seat of the warlord Tokugawa family, Tokyo, then called 'Edo,' was the locus of Japanese trade, economics and urban civilization until 1868, when it mutated into Tokyo and became Japan's modern capital. This illustrated book presents important sites and features from the rich history of Edo, drawn from contemporary sources such as diaries, guidebooks and woodblock prints. These include the huge bridge on which the city was centred, the vast castle of the shogun, sumptuous Buddhist temples, bars, kabuki theatres and the Yoshiwara, Edo's famous red-light district."-- Résumé de l'éditeur Contents Introduction One The Ideal City Two The Centre of the Shogun’s Realm Three Edo as Sacred Space Four Reading Edo Castle Five The City’s Poetic Presence Six A Trip to the Yoshiwara Epilogue From Edo to Tokyo References Selected Sources and Further Reading General Bibliography Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index