Sunday, May 15, 2005

Edo period (1615-1868)

Edo is the ancient name for Tokyo. During the reign of the Tokugawa Shoguns, Japan's emperor reigned in secluded majesty at the imperial capital in Kyoto; however, the true center of power, government, the economy and social life was Edo, where the Shogun lived and ruled the country. For most people in Japan, Edo is more than just a historical city. It also has a symbolic image and meaning. It represents nearly everything that they consider a part of their "traditional" culture. For the Japanese, Edo has a romantic image that one could compare to the Italian's image of Renaissance Venice, the British image of Victorian London and the American image of the Wild West, all rolled into one.
Although modern Tokyo may look very "Western" on the surface, in its heart the spirit of Edo still lives on. And this picture reminded me a Tokyo I never saw, but I still feel from time to time

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