A Short History of Tokyo
Published on 6. July 2020
Book
Paperback/Softback
170 pages
978-1-912208-97-5 (ISBN)
Description
Tokyo, the 'Eastern Capital', has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Before then, it was Edo, a sprawling town by the bay. Earlier still, it was Edojuku, a medieval outpost overlooking farmlands. And, thousands of years ago, its mudflats and marshes were home to elephants, deer and marine life.
Jonathan Clements traces Tokyo's fascinating history from the first forest clearances and the samurai wars to the hedonistic 'floating world' era - and onwards to the twentieth century with its destruction and redevelopment, boom and bust. So entwined is Tokyo with the history of Japan that it can be hard to separate them - its position at the nexus of power and people for over a thousand years has made it crucial to the events of the whole country.
Jonathan Clements traces Tokyo's fascinating history from the first forest clearances and the samurai wars to the hedonistic 'floating world' era - and onwards to the twentieth century with its destruction and redevelopment, boom and bust. So entwined is Tokyo with the history of Japan that it can be hard to separate them - its position at the nexus of power and people for over a thousand years has made it crucial to the events of the whole country.
Reviews / Votes
'It is light in tone and fast in pace. For anyone who wants a quick introduction to the spirit of the city as it has developed over the centuries, then Clements provides a fine place to look.' -- Japanese Studies JournalMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Product notice
Paperback (UK-B)
Illustrations
3 maps
Dimensions
Height: 195 mm
Width: 125 mm
Thickness: 17 mm
Weight
158 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-912208-97-5 (9781912208975)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Jonathan Clements
A Short History of Tokyo
E-Book
05/2020
The Armchair Traveller at the BookHaus
€22.99
Available for download
Person
JONATHAN CLEMENTS is an author and TV presenter specialising in the history and cultures of the Far East. He speaks both Chinese and Japanese, and has been a consultant and talking head on numerous TV programmes, including New Secrets of the Terracotta Warriors (Channel 4), Koxinga: Sailing into History (National Geographic), China's Jade Empire (Channel 4), and TheChinese Chariot Revealed (PBS). Since 2016, he has fronted the award-winning series Route Awakening (National Geographic Asia). His most recent documentary as presenter is Shandong: Land of Confucius, also for National Geographic.
Content
Introduction // 1
1. The Kanto Plain: Prehistory to the 1200s // 9
The Yayoi People // 12
The Flying Head // 16
2. The Growth of a City: 1200s-1657 // 23
Ieyasu's Folly // 27
Alternate Attendance // 34
The Flowers of Edo // 39
3. The Floating World: 1657-1853 // 43
The Place Without Night // 44
The Children of Edo // 54
The Magic Hour // 58
4. The Eastern Capital: 1854-1923 // 63
The Black Ships // 64
Edo Becomes Tokyo // 72
The Banishment of Shadows // 81
The Cloud-Surpassing Tower // 87
5. Tokyo at War: 1923-1952 // 93
After the Quake // 95
X Marks the Spot // 100
Appeasing the Nation // 105
6. The Japanese Miracle: 1952-1989 // 109
The Olympic Dream // 111
The Oil Shocks // 116
The Bubble Era // 121
7. Austerity Tokyo: 1989-2020 // 125
Skyscrapers and the SkyTree // 129
Hope Lights Our Way // 135
Holy Lands // 139
8. Chronology of Major Events // 145
9. Further Reading and References // 155
Index // 165
1. The Kanto Plain: Prehistory to the 1200s // 9
The Yayoi People // 12
The Flying Head // 16
2. The Growth of a City: 1200s-1657 // 23
Ieyasu's Folly // 27
Alternate Attendance // 34
The Flowers of Edo // 39
3. The Floating World: 1657-1853 // 43
The Place Without Night // 44
The Children of Edo // 54
The Magic Hour // 58
4. The Eastern Capital: 1854-1923 // 63
The Black Ships // 64
Edo Becomes Tokyo // 72
The Banishment of Shadows // 81
The Cloud-Surpassing Tower // 87
5. Tokyo at War: 1923-1952 // 93
After the Quake // 95
X Marks the Spot // 100
Appeasing the Nation // 105
6. The Japanese Miracle: 1952-1989 // 109
The Olympic Dream // 111
The Oil Shocks // 116
The Bubble Era // 121
7. Austerity Tokyo: 1989-2020 // 125
Skyscrapers and the SkyTree // 129
Hope Lights Our Way // 135
Holy Lands // 139
8. Chronology of Major Events // 145
9. Further Reading and References // 155
Index // 165