Abstract

★Tokyo Today Exists Because Ieyasu Cared About Making the City Look Impressive
★How Would the Urban Planning of the Tokugawa Shoguns Score?

The Tokugawa shoguns devised grand schemes to shape the city of Edo. Ieyasu did more than develop the city’s moats: he made Ginza’s main street narrower and added covered arcades to create a lively atmosphere and an attractive streetscape. Hidetada oversaw the construction of Edo Castle’s main keep, while Iemitsu pursued an ambitious outer moat plan, taking urban development in directions that even surpassed Ieyasu’s original vision.

Focusing on the early Edo period, when the city’s basic framework took shape, this book closely examines the urban planning initiatives and responses to urban disasters implemented by the first six Tokugawa shoguns. Drawing on a wealth of historical maps and other visual materials, it explores how their decisions shaped the city we know today.

Written by a specialist in urban architecture, this is a distinctive and thought-provoking take on Japanese history that offers a fresh perspective on the making of Tokyo.

Author’s Information

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