A Short History of Tokyo by Jonathan Clements (English) Paperback Book

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The long and fascinating history of Japan's modern capital spans from the first forest clearances on the vast Kanto plain, through the wars and intrigues of the samurai era, and up to the preparations for the 2020 Olympics.

FORMATPaperback LANGUAGEEnglish CONDITIONBrand New Publisher Description

Tokyo, which in Japanese means the "Eastern Capital," has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Until the middle of the nineteenth century, the city that is now Tokyo was a sprawling fishing town by the bay named Edo. Earlier still, in the Middle Ages, it was Edojuku, an outpost overlooking farmlands. And thousands of years ago, its mudflats and marshes were home to elephants, deer, and marine life. In this compact history, Jonathan Clements traces Tokyo's fascinating story from the first forest clearances and the samurai wars to the hedonistic "floating world" of the last years of the Shogunate. He illuminates the Tokyo of the twentieth century with its destruction and redevelopment, boom and bust without forgoing the thousand years of history that have led to the Eastern Capital as we know it. Tokyo is so entwined with the history of Japan that it can be hard to separate them, and A Short History of Tokyo tells both the story of the city itself and offers insight into Tokyo's position at the nexus of power and people that has made the city crucial to the events of the whole country.

Author Biography

Jonathan Clements is a British author, novelist, and scriptwriter. His numerous books about Japan include A Brief History of the Samurai, Modern Japan: All That Matters, and biographies of Admiral Togo and Prince Saionji.

Table of Contents

Tokyo, the 'Eastern Capital', has only enjoyed that name and status for 150 years. Before then, it was Edo, a sprawling town by the bay. Earlier still, it was Edojuku, a medieval outpost overlooking farmlands. And, thousands of years ago, its mudflats and marshes were hometo elephants, deer and marine life. Jonathan Clements traces Tokyo's fascinating history from the first forest clearances and the samurai wars to the hedonistic 'floating world' era – and onwards to the twentieth century with its destruction and redevelopment, boom and bust. So entwined is Tokyo with the history of Japan that it can be hard to separate them – its position at the nexus of power and people for over a thousand years has made it crucial to the events of the whole country.

Review

"Clements' skillset--Asian specialist, linguist, historian and foodie--might have been designed specifically for his newly published Armchair Traveller's History of Tokyo, combining as it does a history of the city from a time of myth, conjecture and hazy record to the current year 2018 with a gazetteer containing a selection of the sights and attractions of the city."--Helen McCarthy, author of All the Anime

Review Quote

"This is a fascinating historical tour of one of the world's great cities, exploring Tokyo's long past with an eye to its present form and its bustling contemporary population. Clements digs deep into place names, and into the wider context of Japan's long history, to offer an account that visitors to Tokyo--whether first-timers or old regulars--will no doubt find invaluable in helping them to make sense of a city that can sometimes feel overwhelming in its size and vibrant complexity."

Details ISBN1912208970 Author Jonathan Clements Publisher Haus Publishing ISBN-10 1912208970 ISBN-13 9781912208975 Format Paperback Imprint Haus Publishing Place of Publication London Country of Publication United Kingdom DEWEY 952.135 Series Armchair Traveller Language English NZ Release Date 2020-07-06 Pages 212 Year 2020 Publication Date 2020-07-06 UK Release Date 2020-07-06 Illustrations 3 maps Audience General AU Release Date 2020-09-25 We've got this

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