Tokio
to'ke-o, formerly Yedo, the capital of Japan. It is situated at the head of a fine harbor on the east coast of the Island of Nippon. A river enters the harbor at this point. Many of the streets are occupied by canals, forming islands in place of squares. A central island is occupied by the emperor's palace, the most notable edifice in the city. It is surrounded by fine gardens. The canals are crossed by many bridges. The government buildings and residences of the foreign ministers are on an outer circle of islands. The city has suffered severely from earthquakes. Shocks average one a day. For this reason, no doubt, the city is a vast aggregation of one story wooden houses, not likely to shake down. The walls are of sliding bamboo sections. The roofs are of red tiling. In warm weather the walls and partitions are slid aside, leaving the houses open like sheds. There are no tables or chairs. The inhabitants eat, sleep, sit, and sell goods on mats. The people are cleanly. There are over 1,000 public baths, in which half a million baths are taken daily at a fee of one and one-fourth cents each. Watchmen on high towers guard against the outbreak of fires. Goods pass through the streets on drays pulled and pushed by men. The ordinary cab is the jinrikisha, a light, two wheeled cart drawn by one or more swift, stout-legged runners.
The city is well provided with water, gas, electric lights, street railways, paved streets, public libraries, and attractive parks. A complete system of education has been established on the German model. There are common schools, high schools, and a university attended by 3,000 students. There are numerous native temples and several European churches.
Tokio became the home of the emperor in 1868. Its commerce and manufactures are carried on at the port of Yokohama, situated at the mouth of the bay seventeen miles distant. Trade in opium is forbidden. Tokio had a population in 1903 of 1,818,655. The city is growing rapidly.