As home to nearly 38 million people in its metropolitan area, futuristic skyscrapers, cutting-edge technology and more Michelin-starred restaurants than anywhere else on the planet, it’s hard to believe that Tokyo was once a small fishing village.
Here we trace the city’s fascinating history back to its humble beginnings before it became the mega-metropolis it is today. Tokyo is not only a city that elegantly blends the old and the new, but also a city that promises an unforgettable experience to all its visitors. If you plan on traveling to this magnificent city, finding the right place to stay can significantly enrich your visit.
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The Japanese capital was known as Edo, fortified by the Edo clan in the late 12th century. Edo was found in the old Musashi province on the east coast of Japan, comprised of what we know today as the Tokyo Metropolis and the prefectures of Saitama and Kanagawa. Seen here is a depiction of the harbour from the 1830s.
During the Edo period (from around 1600 toward the middle of the 19th century), the city enjoyed a prolonged era of peace and kept secluded from the rest of the world, putting its resources towards reconstructing the city following several natural disasters.
Shown here is a depiction from around 1832 with ships sailing into the harbour at Okido at Takanawa, known as the gateway to Edo.
"One of the most dramatic transformations in Japanese history was the transition from the medieval period (13th to 16th century) to the early modern era (1600-1867)," explains Haruo Shirane in the book Early Modern Japanese Literature: An Anthology 1600-1900.
"The 17th century brought not only a dramatic rise in the standard of living for almost all levels of society but also a dramatic change in the nature of cultural production and consumption," Mr Shirane writes.
"A salient feature of the late 17th century was the growth of an urban culture. Particularly significant was the enormous growth of Edo, Osaka and Kyoto."
Its period of peace (known as Pax Tokugawa) was disrupted by the arrival of AmericanCommodore Matthew Perry who began negotiating the opening of ports in the city. This painting above depicts his first arrival in 1853.Pax Tokugawa officially came to an end around 1867.
"Merchants and artisans gathered in Edo to supply this substantial population, which was a large source of their income. After the Great Meireki Fire of 1657, which destroyed most of Edo, including Edo Castle, the city was redesigned and reconstructed, leading to further expansion and growth," explains Mr Shirane.
Portrayed here are bridges in Edo around 1863, against the backdrop of Mount Fuji. Distances from Edo were measured from this bridge, in the same way all distances from Paris were measured from Notre Dame, a practice which continues today in both Tokyo and the French capital.
The Ommaya riverbank by Ando Hiroshige.
"By the mid-18th century, Edo had become a centre for not only consumption but also commerce and production. In 1634, the population of Edo was about 150,000. By 1721, it has more than tripled to exceed 500,000 and by 1873 the inhabitants of Edo numbered nearly 600,000. By contrast, the population of Paris in 1801 was 548,000," notes Mr Shirane.
Local women depicted washing in public baths in Edo around 1863.
Edo was renamed Tokyo (meaning Eastern Capital) after the Emperior Meiji moved to the city back in 1869. Captured here is a street scene in Tokyo during the early Meiji era, which began in 1868 and lasted through 1912.
Here is a vibrant Japanese hand-coloured wood-cut piece from around 1880 depicting a horse race in Ueno Park, as spectators cheer from the stands.
Established back in 1873, Ueno was one of Japan's first public parks and is celebrated today especially in spring for its cherry blossom displays.
Collated here are the first and third segments of a colourful Japanese triptych print from around 1881. It portrays a scene at Ueno Park during the unveiling of Japan's second national industrial exhibition. Most visitors are gathered around a fountain with goldfish seen at the bottom centre of the print.
Existing brothels at the time were placed in around 20 designated licensed quarters across the country in an effort to clamp down on prostitution, explains Mr Shirane.
Seen here is a colourised postcard from 1900 of a street in Yoshiwara, a famed pleasure district in Edo.
Yoshiwara was one of the four largest licensed quarters in the country (the others being in Kyoto, Osaka and later in Nagasaki).
"The licensed quarters, particularly those in the three largest cities, played a major role in Japan's early modern culture," notes Mr Shirane.
They were "usually located on the periphery of the large cities, surrounded by a mall or moat" and each "had only one large gate, which controlled the clientele entering and prevented the courtesans from leaving at will," he adds.
Tokyo Station opened its doors in 1914 and much of it was destroyed by a firebombing in 1945, including its striking rooftop domes. The original station is found in the Marunouchi district of central Tokyo, while its more recent eastern extension is just outside the Ginza commercial district.
Today it is the busiest station the country, operating more than 3,000 trains per day, and the fifth busiest in eastern Japan by total passenger numbers.
A colourised postcard of cherry blossoms at Asukakayama Park in Tokyo around 1915.
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The Nihonbashi business district seen here in 1922, with theNihonbashi bridge linking the two sides of theNihonbashi River.
A postcard view of Asakusa Park in 1922, which formed the heart of Tokyo's main theatre and entertainment district. Pictured in the centre is the Sensō-ji temple, which is dedicated to the Zen Buddhist deity known as bodhisattva Kannon (the Goddess of Mercy).
Today the district is home to several other temples and hosts several festivals throughout the year.
A lively street seen in Tokyo during the early 1900s.
A busy day at Kamakura Beach just outside Tokyo in August 1930.
Tokyo's historic Imperial Hotel, captured here in 1935, was first built in the 1880s to cater to an increasing number of Western visitors to Japan, located just south of the Imperial Palace.
The original hotel was designed by Japanese architect Yuzuru Watanabe but it was destroyed by a fire in 1922, after which it was redesigned by acclaimed American architect Frank Lloyd Wright with a Maya Revival architectural style, featuring pyramid-like structures and Mayan motifs.
The fire that destroyed the Imperial Hotel took place on the day Edward VIII, the Prince of Wales, was visiting Japan. He's pictured here in 1922 leaving Tokyo Station for the Imperial Palace.
Captured here is a street scene in Tokyo on July 7, 1954, a day of gala ceremonies and parties staged by children throughout Japan in observance of the Tanabata Festival.
Crown Prince (later Emperor) of Japan, Akihito and Michiko Shoda (later Empress Michiko) driving through Tokyo after their wedding at Tokyo Imperial Palace on April 10, 1959.
After the Second World War, the city was completely rebuilt. It hosted the 1964 Summer Olympics and is due to host the 2020 Summer Olympics, becoming the first Asian city to hold the Olympic Games twice.
Today the city has a "hyperactive skyline that changes as regularly as the sun rises and sets," according to Danielle Demetriou, Telegraph Travel's Tokyo expert.
"As a result of the upcoming Olympics, not only is the mood refreshingly upbeat, but a raft of new developments, hotels and infrastructure upgrades are in the pipeline," she adds.