Tokyo Day

What Is Tokyo Day?

Every July 17th is "Tokyo Day" (東京の日, Tōkyō no Hi) in Japan. On July 17, 1868, Emperor Meiji issued the imperial edict "Edo wo shōshite Tōkyō to nasu no shōsho" (江戸ヲ称シテ東京ト為スノ詔書) — declaring that Edo (江戸) would henceforth be called "Tokyo" (東京, "Eastern Capital"). This renaming — from Edo, the Tokugawa Shogunate's castle town, to Tokyo, the new imperial capital — symbolized the transformation of Japan's power structure from shogunal to imperial government and marked the physical relocation of Japan's governmental center to what would become the world's largest metropolitan area.

The Renaming of Edo

Edo had been Japan's de facto capital since 1603, when Tokugawa Ieyasu established his shogunate there. The city grew from a modest castle town to the world's most populous city by the 18th century, with a population exceeding one million. Yet throughout the Edo period, Kyoto remained Japan's formal imperial capital — the seat of the Emperor, whose role was ceremonial rather than governmental. The Meiji Restoration's renaming of Edo as Tokyo — "Eastern Capital" — completed the political inversion: the Emperor moved from Kyoto to Tokyo, and the shogunal capital became the imperial capital.

Tokyo's Extraordinary Growth

From its 1868 renaming, Tokyo grew into one of history's great cities. The Meiji era's industrialization, the postwar economic miracle, and continuous migration from rural Japan transformed a feudal castle city into a global megalopolis. Greater Tokyo today — encompassing Tokyo Metropolis and surrounding prefectures — is home to approximately 37-38 million people, the world's largest metropolitan area, and one of the world's great centers of culture, commerce, technology, and cuisine.

Tokyo's Identity

Tokyo's identity is inseparable from its role as Japan's national capital — the concentration of government, finance, media, entertainment, and corporate headquarters that makes it simultaneously the most Japanese and the most globally connected city in the country. "Tokyo vs. the regions" (東京対地方, Tōkyō tai chihō) is a persistent theme in Japanese social policy, as the capital's gravitational pull continues to drain population from regional cities and rural areas.

Fun Facts

• Edo's legacy: Tokyo's downtown area retains its Edo-period street pattern in many places — the city was never subjected to the wholesale rebuilding that American grid cities experienced, and the organic complexity of Edo-era neighborhoods is still visible in Tokyo's dense, winding urban fabric.
• World city rank: Tokyo consistently ranks among the world's top three cities in major global city rankings — alongside London and New York — for its combination of economic power, cultural influence, quality of life, and global connectivity.