Tokyo's Origins: From Edo's Humble Beginnings to the Heart of Shogunate Power

Tokyo, originally known as Edo, was a small fishing town during the early 12th century. It began to grow in importance in the early 1600s, when Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa shogunate, established his government there in 1603. Edo became the seat of political power, as the Tokugawa shogunate ruled Japan for over 250 years, overseeing a period of peace and stability known as the Edo period.