TOKYO.
The capital of Japan [until the Restoration called Yedo] is situated at the north of the Bay of Yedo, has a circumference of 24 miles, and covers a surface of nearly 36 square miles. The Sumida, or Great River, runs through the city, dividing Tokyo proper from the districts on the east side called Honjo 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 grand divisions, each of which is again subdivided into smaller sections. It is in fact more like an aggregation of towns than one great city. The Castle of Tokyo occupies a commanding position on a hill a little to the westward of the centre of the city. It is enclosed in double walls, and surrounded by a fine broad moat. Within the Castle formerly stood the Imperial Palace and several public offices, but the destructive fire of the 3rd of April, 1872, levelled these ancient and massive buildings, leaving only the surrounding lofty turrets and walls. Since this great disaster, by which more than 5,000 houses were destroyed, the Mikado has taken up his residence temporarily in one of the Daimios' palaces at Akasaka, while the public offices are now located in new brick or stone buildings in various places near the Castle. A new Imperial Palace on the old site is in course of construction. 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, &c., and is most carefully kept. This fine garden well repays inspection, and admission can readily be obtained twice a week by visitors with orders granted by the different Legations.
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Between the Castle and the outer walls, a large area was until recently occupied by the numerous palaces of the Daimios, but nearly all these feudal erections have now given place to smart brick or stone buildings, used as Public Offices, Barracks, Government Schools, &c., 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. Some of those that remain, near the Castle, have been converted into Government Offices. They are large long buildings of a single high storey, plain but substantial, with no pretensions to architecture, but interesting as reminiscences of feudal Japan.
The remaining portion of the city outside the walls is very densely inhabited, and may be called the commercial district of Tokyo. It has a circumference of 24 miles and covers an area of about 29 square miles. 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, which is called Guinza, is lined with newly built brick buildings in the European style; the road is wide and well kept, the pavement broad and planted with trees on either side. As it is in close contiguity to the railway station, it is always very animated and thronged with vehicles and foot passengers.
The north end of the main street leads to the new public park or garden named Uyeno, which was formerly occupied by the magnificent Temple founded and main- tained by the Shoguns, and which was destroyed by fire during the revolution in July, 1868.
In these grounds the Industrial Exhibition of 1877 was erected, when the gardens were converted into a public pleasure resort by the Government. Several exhibitions have since beeu 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 Quannon, 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