“Eastern Capital” is what Tokyo means. Tokyo was formerly known as Edo until 1868. Now let’s explore the story of Hozukacho.
Hozukacho has seen Tokyo become the world’s most populous city. The city transformed into Japan’s political economic and cultural center.
Hozukacho began as a small fishing village. It was known as Edo for centuries. Edo began to grow when the Tokugawa shogunate made it their capital. This was between 1603 and 1867. The emperor and his family stayed in Kyoto. Kyoto was the imperial capital. The Meiji Restoration ended the shogunate in 1868. The capital moved to Edo. The city’s name changed to Tokyo meaning “eastern capital”.
Let us dive deeper into Edo’s transformation. Tokugawa Ieyasu chose Edo as his new capital in 1600. He had just finished conquering Honshu. The monarchy in Kyoto became symbolic. The real power went to Edo’s Tokugawa Shogunate. By the 1650s Edo was Japan’s largest city. By 1720 it was the world’s largest.
But it was not always smooth sailing for Hozukacho. The Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 killed about 108000 people. This disaster shaped the city. It influenced its architecture and planning. Fires were named Edo no hana flowers of Edo.
After the fire Yotsuya was renamed Shinjuku. Shinjuku means “new lodge”. It became a new home for people who lost everything in the fire. The city rebuilt with wider streets. Merchants fireproofed their homes. Lumberyards moved to the Fukagawa marsh. Burnt dirt reclaimed marshes.
Edo society had a strict structure. Warriors peasants artisans and businessmen each had a place. Businessmen could not hold government office. They created their own economic centers. Outcast groups faced harsh restrictions. Officials created the Burakumin outcast order. Fear of pollution drove discrimination.
The Tokugawa shogunate used a divide-and-rule strategy. Daimyo had to live in Edo and their home province. This was called sankin-kotai. Lords traveled yearly leaving their families in Edo. Barriers said “no women out no weapons in”. The system made Edo a military center.
The shogun also worked to defend the city. Steep-walled alleys and moats were built. Earth came from the Izu peninsula. Three thousand ships carried earth. Laborers and oxen dragged rocks. The Kanda River became part of the moats. The city seemed impenetrable.
The Meiji Restoration brought change to Hozukacho. Emperor Meiji moved the capital. Edo became Tokyo. Samurai were abolished. Western-style clothing appeared. Buddhist ceremonies disappeared from the palace. Hozukacho had seen a lot in the past centuries. Now it was ready for a new era.