Tokyo: Geography, History, and Culture (Contemporary World Cities)

This indispensable one-volume narrative examines the history, culture, environment, economy, politics, future, and more of the city of Tokyo, Japan's political and cultural capital.

Tokyo has endured and moved beyond horrible disasters in the 20th century, first an earthquake in 1923 and later the events that unfolded during World War II, to grow into one of the most populated cities in the world. This volume examines Tokyo's history, politics, culture, and more.

Narrative chapters cover a wide breadth of topics, including Tokyo's location and geography, peoples, history, politics, economy, environmental issues and sustainability initiatives, local crime and violence, security issues, natural hazards and emergency management, culture and lifestyle, pop culture, and the future. Inset boxes entitled "Life in the City" include interviews with those who have lived in Tokyo as well as those who have traveled to the city, allowing readers to get a better idea of what daily life is like in this global megacity. A chronology, sidebars, and bibliography complete the text. The perfect one-stop resource for high school and undergraduate students, this volume is also suited to general readers interested in learning more about Tokyo and its role as a global city.

• Provides a Chronology of succinct, at-a-glance timeline of events in the history of the city
• Offers "Life in the City" inset boxes to help readers to gain a better understanding of what life is like in the city, told from the viewpoint of city inhabitants and visitors
• Uses sidebars to reveal fun facts about the city, such as interesting laws and cultural taboos
• Illustrates the text using photos of important sites, people, and cultural traditions found in the city
• Narratives in an accessible and engaging, ideal for students as well as general readers
• Features a complete table of Tokyo's past leaders highlighting their defining accomplishments within the context of Japan's history