Edo (Tokugawa Shogunate Capital)

Timeline

1. 1603Edo Castle · KantōTokugawa Ieyasu was granted the title of shogun and made Edo the shogunate's headquarters, beginning the eastward shift of the political center from Kyoto; the castle and system of samurai residences were gradually established.
2. 1630–1639Edo castle town · KantōUnder the third shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu, the castle town expanded toward the Sumida River and Nihonbashi area; merchant districts prospered commercially, the population surpassed one million, and Edo became one of the world's largest cities of its time.
3. 1635–1640Nihonbashi–Fukagawa area · KantōUnder the sakoku policy, Edo still maintained limited foreign trade through windows such as Nagasaki, and by relying on sankin-kōtai and the movement of the daimyō processions, consolidated its position as the nation's hub for goods distribution and consumption.