Tokyo, symbol of the Japanese success story, is a megalopolis
on the Pacific coast of Honshu. In 1590, the city was founded as Edo,
the capital of the shoguns. Following the fall of the shoguns in 1867
(and the restoration of the power of the Emperor), the city was renamed
Tokyo, the Eastern Capital, heralding its rebirth as a dynamic modern
city and the showpiece of a rapidly modernising country. Despite the
catastrophic 1923 earthquake and near obliteration during World War II,
Tokyo was able to rise from the ashes to host the 1964 Olympics and went
on to preside over the Japanese economic miracle.
Tokyo enjoys a temperate climate, with warm although sometimes muggy summers
and mild, dry winters. The balmy spring days of April to May are the best
times to visit the city. |
