Thursday | 8th January 2026
Tokyo may be a futuristic metropolis defined by neon skylines, bullet trains, and cutting-edge technology, but beneath its modern veneer lie roots that stretch back more than four centuries. In the 17th century, the city was known as Edo—a dynamic and densely populated capital of the Tokugawa shogunate that ranked among the world’s largest urban centers. With a population exceeding one million by the early 1700s, Edo rivaled London and Paris, thriving as a hub of commerce, craftsmanship, entertainment, and everyday urban life.
Daily culture in Edo shaped traditions that endure in Tokyo today. Street-side vendors selling freshly prepared nigiri sushi—then considered fast food for townspeople—laid the foundation for the counter-style sushi dining now celebrated worldwide. Kabuki theaters, teahouses, and pleasure quarters fostered a vibrant popular culture, while the landscaped gardens of feudal lords expressed refined aesthetics rooted in Zen philosophy. Together, these elements gave Edo a distinct identity that continues to inform Tokyo’s character.
Edo’s growth was not without hardship. The city was repeatedly tested by natural disasters, most devastatingly the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657, which destroyed more than half of the city and claimed tens of thousands of lives. Rather than halting Edo’s progress, these calamities forged a culture of resilience, adaptability, and ambition. That spirit persists today in modern initiatives such as the TOKYO Resilience Project, which aims to strengthen disaster preparedness and urban sustainability in the face of earthquakes, floods, and climate change.
Centuries later, traces of Edo remain embedded in Tokyo’s urban fabric. The layout of neighborhoods, the curves of canals, and the alignment of major roads all bear the imprint of early city planners. Though much has been rebuilt and reinvented, Tokyo’s present-day form still echoes decisions made during the Edo period.
Echoes of Edo
From districts organized by social roles to waterways that powered commerce, Edo’s urban planning continues to shape the capital’s modern landscape. When Tokugawa Ieyasu established Edo as the seat of his shogunate in 1603, the city was meticulously structured according to social hierarchy and occupation. Samurai families and powerful daimyo were settled closest to Edo Castle—now the Imperial Palace—forming a political and military core. Over time, this land evolved into the site of government ministries, courts, and universities, reinforcing its administrative role.
Encircling these elite zones were neighborhoods for merchants and artisans, whose economic activity fueled Edo’s prosperity. This zoning system reflected Tokugawa-era values of order and stability, and many of Tokyo’s districts still recall their original purposes through their names, functions, and cultural identities.
Nihonbashi, the commercial heart of Edo, remains a financial center today, housing institutions such as the Tokyo Stock Exchange and the Bank of Japan. Ginza, once home to the shogunate’s silver mint, has retained its association with wealth and refinement, now known globally for luxury shopping, dining, and entertainment. Asakusa continues its legacy as a popular entertainment district, echoing its past filled with kabuki theaters, geisha houses, and bustling teahouses. Ryogoku, long associated with spectacle and public gatherings, remains synonymous with sumo wrestling and hosts major tournaments to this day.
Jimbocho offers another example of continuity through transformation. Originally a residential area for lower-ranking samurai, it gradually developed an intellectual character as schools, publishers, and temples took root. Today, Jimbocho is renowned as the world’s largest secondhand book district, with hundreds of specialty bookstores, academic publishers, and literary cafés—a modern reflection of its Edo-era foundations in learning and scholarship.
A Lasting Urban Blueprint
Fire was a constant threat in Edo, where densely packed wooden buildings and open flames were part of daily life. In response, city planners developed sophisticated countermeasures. After the Great Fire of Meireki, authorities introduced wide firebreak plazas, broadened key streets such as Ueno Hirokōji, and constructed tall, tiled walls around temples to slow the spread of flames—features that can still be seen around Tokyo today.
At the same time, defensive concerns shaped the city’s layout. Certain neighborhoods adopted narrow, winding lanes, particularly in districts like Kagurazaka, to impede enemy movement. These labyrinthine streets, once strategic, now contribute to Tokyo’s intimate charm and sense of historical depth.
Edo was designed with the shogun’s castle at its center, from which major roads radiated outward. Nihonbashi served as the official zero point of Japan, where the Gokaidō—the Five Routes—began their journeys across the country. This made it the logistical and economic heart of Edo and later Tokyo. Over time, these arterial roads influenced the development of modern infrastructure. The Yamanote Line, for example, intersects many of the old kaidō routes, transforming former post towns such as Shinjuku, Shibuya, Shinagawa, and Ueno into major urban and transportation hubs.
Waterways were another defining feature of Edo. An extensive network of canals functioned as arteries for trade, enabling the efficient transport of goods and people. Areas with access to water flourished, and marketplaces naturally clustered along canals such as Nihonbashi, which once hosted a thriving fish market. That market later relocated to Tsukiji, lending the area a name that endures as a symbol of Tokyo’s food culture. Even today, reclaimed canals continue to shape the city, with roads like Sotobori-dori tracing the outline of Edo Castle’s former outer moat.
The Tamagawa Aqueduct, an engineering marvel of its time, supplied fresh water from the Tama River to Edo’s growing population. This reliable water source allowed communal bathhouses, or sento, to flourish—not only as centers of hygiene but also as places of social interaction and community bonding. That tradition remains alive, with roughly 430 public bathhouses still operating across Tokyo.
Legacies of Order
Public spaces established during the Edo period remain central to Tokyo’s social, cultural, and spiritual life. Temples and shrines were carefully relocated and distributed across the city to reduce fire risk and enhance security. For example, temples such as Tennoji were moved to Yanaka on the city’s outskirts, while their former inner-city sites were left open as firebreaks—spaces that later evolved into parks and public grounds.
The Tokugawa shogunate also demonstrated an early awareness of environmental management. Forestry regulations, waterworks, and agricultural reforms were introduced to support long-term sustainability in a rapidly growing city. Around the same time, wealthy daimyo constructed expansive strolling gardens around their estates, blending status display with philosophical ideals of harmony and contemplation. These landscapes played a lasting role in shaping Tokyo’s urban form.
Many of those former estates were later converted into public institutions and green spaces. Koishikawa Korakuen Gardens, among the oldest surviving daimyo gardens, and Rikugien, built in 1702, remain treasured examples of Edo-period design. Their principles resonate today in initiatives such as Tokyo Green Biz, promoted by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, which seeks to integrate green infrastructure and sustainability into the modern city.
Neighborhoods like Nihonbashi, Ueno, and Ryogoku still carry their Edo-era names and continue to function as vibrant centers of commerce, culture, and entertainment. They serve as living reminders that Edo is not merely a historical chapter, but an enduring presence that continues to shape Tokyo’s identity.
For those seeking a deeper understanding of this transformation, the Edo-Tokyo Museum—scheduled to reopen in spring 2026—offers large-scale models and reconstructions illustrating the city’s evolution. Its annex, the Edo-Tokyo Open Air Architectural Museum in Koganei Park, preserves historic buildings in a natural setting. Renowned for inspiring scenes in the films of Studio Ghibli director Hayao Miyazaki, the museum allows visitors to step into Tokyo’s past, ensuring that the legacy of Edo continues to inspire future generations.