The Virtual Tour of Edo

August 24, 2002 9:35 PM

The Virtual Tour of Edo allows you explore the city that would one day become Tokyo, Japan. Classical images illustrate short descriptions of life in this 18th century metropolis. Although modern Tokyo may look very "Western" on the surface, in its heart the spirit of Edo still lives on!
posted by Joey Michaels (6 comments total)

It has always struck me that "modernity" of a sort came early to Japan. 18th century Edo had department stores.
posted by rschram at 11:23 PM on August 24, 2002

Modern Tokyo is a patchwork quilt of styles borrowed from many countries. But mainly, Tokyo is very much a utilitarian city, without much aesthetic appeal (I've been living here for 2 years).
posted by SpaceCadet at 7:28 AM on August 25, 2002

I agree for the most part, SpaceCadet. This is part of the reason why I enjoyed getting an idea of what it was like during the Tokugawa period.

... the 18th Century was during the Tokugawa Period, wasn't it?
posted by Joey Michaels at 1:42 PM on August 25, 2002

I really enjoyed the art work. I kept thinking of how I would like to have students at my school work with this.
posted by tio2d at 3:44 PM on August 25, 2002

Although modern Tokyo may look very "Western" on the surface, in its heart the spirit of the concrete industry calls the shots.

rschram, check out the Harvard Design School Guide to Shopping for a *very* interesting piece on the co-evolution of Tokyo's department store chains and subway lines in the 1920s.
posted by adamgreenfield at 6:36 PM on August 25, 2002

Wow. The amount of detail is amazing (why eating out is so popular, how prostitution works, etc). Thanks for this; my head feels like it just downloaded a short course about 18th century Japanese culture. Some of the layout is clunky, but the content rocks. Can't wait to dive into the rest.
posted by mediareport at 9:20 PM on August 25, 2002