History of Tokyo - Edo Period

Edo Period

The Edo period (Edo jidai) began when Tokugawa Ieyasu became shogun in 1603. This period was marked by continuous growth which was interrupted by natural disasters, including fires, earthquakes and floods.

The outer enclosures of Edo Castle were completed in 1606. and it continues to remain at the core of the city.

Fires were so commonplace that they came to be called the "blossoms of Edo". In 1657, the Great Fire of Meireki destroyed much of the city; and another disastrous fire in 1668 lasted for 45 days.

The Hoei eruption of Mount Fuji spewed ash on Edo in 1707.

In 1721, Edo's is the world's largest city with an estimated population of 1.1 million. In part because of Edo's growth, the Great Meiwa Fire of 1772 caused an estimated 6,000 casualties.

In 1855, the Great Edo Earthquake caused considerable damage.

The bakumatsu era saw an increase in political activity in Edo. In 1860 Ii Naosuke, who favored opening Japan to the West, was assassinated by an anti-foreign rebel samurai. Japan's last shogun, Tokugawa Yoshinobu caused an end to the shogunate when he surrendered power to the emperor in 1867.

In 1868, the emperor traveled to Tokyo for the first time; and Edo castle became an Imperial palace.