Tokyo

Tokyo

The Tokyo area has been inhabited since ancient times, and the small fishing village of Edo has existed here for centuries. It was only during the Tokugawa period that Edo developed into a city, as it became the capital of the Tokugawa shogunate. However, during this period the imperial family remained in the ancient imperial capital of Kyoto. With the 1868 Meiji Restoration, which brought an end to the shogunate, the capital moved to Edo. The name of the city was changed to Tokyo, which means "capital of the East". Edo was Japan's largest city from the 17th century, and Tokyo's population grew to over a million by the end of the 19th century, becoming one of the world's most populous cities in the 20th century as Japan's political, economic and cultural center. 36% of the prefecture's total area was designated as a Natural Parks on 31 March 2008, namely Chichibu Tama Kai, Fuji-Hakone-Izu and Ogasawara National Parks, the latter a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Ogasawara is home to a single native mammal, the critically endangered Bonin Flying Fox. Fourteen of the 195 bird species living in the area are on the IUCN Red List, and of the two terrestrial reptiles, the Ogasawara Snake-Eyed Skink is endemic. The city's most famous urban park, Ueno Park, is home to several museums: the Tokyo National Museum, the National Museum of Nature and Science, the Shitamachi Museum and the National Museum of Western Art. The park is dotted with artworks and sculptures. The park also has a zoo and is a popular destination for cherry blossoming.