Changes

Edo was the political center of Japan under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], and a major center of economic power and of developments in popular culture (e.g. [[publishing]], [[kabuki]], [[Yoshiwara|pleasure districts]]), along with [[Kyoto]] and [[Osaka]]. Edo rivaled [[Beijing]] for the honor of largest city in the world (by population) from the 18th into the 19th century; in [[1868]], Edo was renamed [[Tokyo]] as the imperial capital was moved there from Kyoto.

Edo was the political center of Japan under the [[Tokugawa shogunate]], and a major center of economic power and of developments in popular culture (e.g. [[publishing]], [[kabuki]], [[Yoshiwara|pleasure districts]]), along with [[Kyoto]] and [[Osaka]]. Edo rivaled [[Beijing]] for the honor of largest city in the world (by population) from the 18th into the 19th century; in [[1868]], Edo was renamed [[Tokyo]] as the imperial capital was moved there from Kyoto.

Due to the presence of the shogunate government, and the ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' system (and the many [[daimyo yashiki|daimyo mansions]] in the city as a result), Edo was a very samurai-heavy city. Commoners accounted for roughly half of the city's population,<ref>Schirokauer, et al., ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 135.</ref> and were of enormous cultural and economic significance, but commoner spaces occupied a mere one-fifth of the urban area.<ref>Conant, Ellen (ed.). ''Nihonga: Transcending the Past''. The Saint Louis Art Museum, 1995. p16.</ref>

Due to the presence of the shogunate government, and the ''[[sankin kotai|sankin kôtai]]'' system (and the many [[daimyo yashiki|daimyo mansions]] in the city as a result), Edo was a very samurai-heavy city. Commoners accounted for roughly half of the city's population,<ref>Schirokauer, et al., ''A Brief History of Japanese Civilization'', Wadsworth Cengage (2013), 135.</ref> and were of enormous cultural and economic significance, but commoner spaces occupied a mere 20% of the urban area,<ref>Conant, Ellen (ed.). ''Nihonga: Transcending the Past''. The Saint Louis Art Museum, 1995. p16.</ref>, with ''daimyô'' mansions accounting for around 35%, and the rest of the samurai districts comprising another 35%, and containing as many as 20,000 homes.<ref>Miyazaki Katsumi 宮崎勝美, ''Daimyô yashiki to Edo iseki'' 大名屋敷と江戸遺跡 (Tokyo: Yamakawa shuppansha, 2008), 2.</ref> The remaining 10% was occupied mostly by temples and shrines.

==Geography==

==Geography==