TOKYO, JAPAN

Capital and the largest city of Japan (pop. 9,000,000), situated on east-central Honshu, at the head of Tokyo Bay. Tokyo is the administrative, financial, and cultural centre of Japan. It is a world economic centre that rivals New York and London. Founded in the 12^th century as Edo, it was the capital of the shogunate from 1603 to 1868, when the emperor was restored to power and made Edo the nation’s capital, renaming it Tokyo. In 1923 an earthquake and fire destroyed nearly half the city. Heavy allied bombing in World War II devastated much of Tokyo, including nearly all of its industrial plants. Today’s Tokyo is also one of the world’s foremost educational cities with over 100 colleges and universities. Frequent rebuilding in the wake of disasters has made it one of the world’s most modern cities.