Tokyo
Published on 30. January 2025
Book
Hardback
288 pages
978-1-108-84576-2 (ISBN)
Description
From sleepy fishing village to samurai capital to vibrant global metropolis, Eiko Maruko Siniawer takes readers through Tokyo's rich history, revealing four centuries of transformation deeply woven into its fabric. This accessible guide introduces a world of shoguns and Kabuki theater, riots and earthquakes, wartime devastation and reconstruction, booms and busts, bright lights and skyscrapers, all viewed through the lived experiences of those who have inhabited and shaped a city of distinctive neighborhoods and different personalities. Emphasizing the city's human heart, Siniawer conveys a vivid sense of time, culture, and place through ten moments that have shaped Tokyo's many lives.
Reviews / Votes
'This animated social and cultural depiction of Tokyo, from its shogunal and imperial pasts to its global cosmopolitan present, is the perfect companion for anyone exploring the city in person or from afar.' Carol Gluck, Columbia University 'This is a beautifully written, briskly paced introduction to the world's largest city. It illuminates the vibrant, diverse, and often surprising history of Tokyo, making cutting-edge scholarship uniquely accessible to general readers.' Amy Stanley, Northwestern University '... traces Tokyo's development from its origin as a castle town to its existence today as a global metropolis, technologically advanced and culturally fun. For each era, Siniawer draws attention to how the city's inhabitants lived, providing finely detailed descriptions of their homes, clothing, food, recreation, and, for the past century, their aspirations to middle-class status. To create these finely grained pictures, Siniawer draws on a wealth of recent scholarship ... Recommended.' S. A. Hastings, ChoiceMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Illustrations
Worked examples or Exercises
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 20 mm
Weight
535 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-108-84576-2 (9781108845762)
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
Person
Eiko Maruko Siniawer is Class of 1955 Memorial Professor of History at Williams College, specializing in the history of modern Japan. Her previous publications include Ruffians, Yakuza, Nationalists: The Violent Politics of Modern Japan, 1860-1960 and Waste: Consuming Postwar Japan.
Content
Prologue; 1. Founding the shogun's capital; 2. Becoming the city of Edoites; 3. Seismic shocks; 4. Modernizing the nation's capital; 5. The politics of public space; 6. Tokyo modern: Destruction and reconstruction of the cosmopolitan city; 7. The militarized city; 8. Dreams and disappointments; 9. Global capital; 10. Past and present.