Changes

The oldest Buddhist temple in the city, [[Senso-ji|Sensô-ji]], founded in [[628]], sat in the northeast corner of the city, a traditional location for powerful temples believed to defend a city from demonic or evil forces emerging from that direction. Beyond the temple district were ''[[eta]]'' districts, including pottery kilns where roof tiles were made; this was considered a "dirty" profession, and dangerous - due to the fires and temperatures involved, and the wood & paper nature of the city's architecture - and so this was kept outside of the city borders proper. Beyond those districts, in turn, lay the [[Yoshiwara]]<ref>Or, more correctly, the Shin-Yoshiwara, or New Yoshiwara, built there after the Old Yoshiwara, or Moto-Yoshiwara, burned down in the early 17th century.</ref> pleasure districts.

The oldest Buddhist temple in the city, [[Senso-ji|Sensô-ji]], founded in [[628]], sat in the northeast corner of the city, a traditional location for powerful temples believed to defend a city from demonic or evil forces emerging from that direction. Beyond the temple district were ''[[eta]]'' districts, including pottery kilns where roof tiles were made; this was considered a "dirty" profession, and dangerous - due to the fires and temperatures involved, and the wood & paper nature of the city's architecture - and so this was kept outside of the city borders proper. Beyond those districts, in turn, lay the [[Yoshiwara]]<ref>Or, more correctly, the Shin-Yoshiwara, or New Yoshiwara, built there after the Old Yoshiwara, or Moto-Yoshiwara, burned down in the early 17th century.</ref> pleasure districts.

[[Nihonbashi]], meanwhile, located between the castle to its west, and the river to its east, was the center of commercial activity in the city, and the official center of the entire country, from which all distances were (and still are) measured. The area was connected to the Sumidagawa, and by extension to the port and to access to incoming and outgoing trade, by a canal. Nihonbashi also marked the starting point of five major [[highways]], known collectively as the ''Gokaidô'', or "Five Highways," chief among them the [[Tokaido|Tôkaidô]], linking Edo with Kyoto (and numerous locations in between), and beyond it with Osaka. The city's main fish market district was located just north of Nihonbashi, and stretched from Hon-Fune-chô and Hon-Odawara-chô. Merchants here included the [[goyo shonin|official suppliers]] to the shogunate, as well as the chief suppliers to the rest of the city; fish and other seafood sold here came not only from the Sumidagawa and Edo Bay, but from the entire Kantô area.<ref name=kuramae/>

[[Nihonbashi]], meanwhile, located between the castle to its west, and the river to its east, was the center of commercial activity in the city, and the official center of the entire country, from which all distances were (and still are) measured. The area was connected to the Sumidagawa, and by extension to the port and to access to incoming and outgoing trade, by a canal. Nihonbashi also marked the starting point of five major [[highways]], known collectively as the ''Gokaidô'', or "Five Highways," chief among them the [[Tokaido|Tôkaidô]], linking Edo with Kyoto (and numerous locations in between), and beyond it with Osaka. The city's main fish market district was located just north of Nihonbashi, and stretched from Hon-Fune-chô and Hon-Odawara-chô. Merchants here included the [[goyo shonin|official suppliers]] to the shogunate, as well as the chief suppliers to the rest of the city; fish and other seafood sold here came not only from the Sumidagawa and Edo Bay, but from the entire Kantô area.<ref name=kuramae/> The city's oldest horse-riding grounds were located nearby, in a neighborhood still known today as Bakurô-chô.<ref>Gallery labels, National Museum of Japanese History.[https://www.flickr.com/photos/toranosuke/15868339057/sizes/h/]</ref>

==History==

==History==