1917

TOKYO
The capital of Japan [until the Restoration called Yedo] is situated, at the north of
the Bay of Yedo, has a circumference of 27 miles, and covers a surface of forty square
miles. The river Sumida runs through the city, the larger part lying to the west
of this waterway, while on the east lie the two wards named lion jo and Fukagawa.
Tokyo as viewed from the bay is a pleasant-looking city, being well situated on
undulating ground, and possessing abundant foliage. The city is divided into fifteen
ward divisions, and its suburbs into six divisions. It was, in fact, until recently more
like an aggregation of towns than one great city, but every year sees greater congestion
and conditions more approximating to the crowded cities of the West. The Castle of
Tokyo occupies a commanding position on a hill a little to the westward of the city. It
is enclosed in double walls and surrounded by a fine broad moat. Within the Castle
formerly stood the Shogun’s Palace and several public offices, but the destructive fire of
the 3rd of April, 1872, levelled these ancient and massive buildings, leaving only the
lofty turrets and walls. A new palace on the old site has been constructed and the
Mikado took up his residence .there in January, 1889. The Imperial Garden called
Fukiage is situated within the enclosure of the castle. It is tastefully laid out in the
pure native style, and contains fine forest trees, rare and beautiful plants of all kinds,
a large pond, cascades, etc.
Between the castle and the outer walls a large area was formerly occupied by the
numerous palaces of the Daimios, but nearly all these feudal erections have now given
place to brick or stone buildings, used as public offices, barracks, Government schools,
etc., so that at the present time very few of the Daimios’ palaces remain to illustrate
what old Yedo was like in the time of the Shogunate. They are large long buildings of
a single storey high, plain but substantial, with no pretensions to architecture, but
interesting as reminiscences of feudal Japan.
Several portions of the city outside the walls are very densely inhabited, and
comprise the commercial and industrial “ slum,” and the more pretentious residential
districts. The most important part of the business quarter is on the east of the castle,
and is traversed by a main street running from the north to the south-west under
different names. A considerable length of this thoroughfare, part of which is called
Ginza, is lined with brick buildings in the European style; the road is wide but not
well kept, the pavement broad and planted with trees on either side. As it is in close
contiguity to the principal railway station it is always very animated and thronged
with vehicles and foot passengers. Its importance, however, will be considerably
diminished with the opening of the new Central Station this year, which will shift the
centre of traffic opposite the Imperial Palace.
A section well worth a visit is the public park or garden named Uyeno, where
formerly stood the magnificent temple founded and maintained by the Shoguns, and
which was destroyed by fire during the War of Restoration in July, 1868. In these
grounds the Industrial Exhibition of 1877 was held, when the gardens were converted
into a public pleasure resort hy the Government. Several exhibitions have since been
held here and have proved very successful. In Uyeno is also situated the fine Imperial
Museum (Haku-butsu-kwan).
Among the places much resorted to by visitors is the ancient temple of Kwannon,
at Asakusa, not far from Uyeno, one of the most popular and most frequented temples
in Japan. The temple is elevated about 20 feet from the ground. A flight of steps
gives access to the interior. There is a chief altar at the extreme end of the temple,
with side chapels at its right and left, containing a great number of wooden images
and ex votos. The interior is not very large, and is not so conspicuous for cleanliness as
most of the public buildings in Japan. At the right of the temple there is a fine old
Pagoda, and near it two colossal stone statues. A new park was also opened close tn
the temple about the same time as that of Uyeno. Thus, with Shiba, in the south¬
west, where are to be seen some of the splendid shrines of the Shoguns, among the-
chief glories of Tokyo, there are three large public gardens within the city. The fine
buildings of the Imperial University (Teikoku Daigaku) stand in the district of Kongo-