Tokyo was formerly known as Edo, and from 1603 it served as the "seat of power of the Tokugawa shogunate" and was thus the political center of Japan (Naito, 2003). Edo was a cultural hub and Naito asserts that "much of what is now thought of as traditional Japanese culture found its final form in Edo." Edo started life as a village when it was chosen as the site for a castle by Iesayu Tokugawa. The town arose around the castle. As the political center of the country, Edo soon became one of the largest towns in the country. In 1868, it was renamed Tokyo, meaning "Eastern capital." Tokyo today is the world's largest city, with a metro population over 30 million people. The city is classed as an Alpha world city and is one of the economic and cultural hubs of the planet. Tokyo is one of the most multi-faceted cities on the planet. It is known as a foodie paradise for the diversity and high quality of its cuisine, and the Tsukuji Fish Market is a famous attraction. The city is an architectural wonderland, with both avant garde buildings and one of the world's highest number of skyscrapers. The shopping is reported to be fantastic. Essentially, modern Tokyo is a place for the visitor or resident to do just about anything, for a price (Traulein et al., 2013).

While the visitor may seek out the fascinating and sublime, everyday life in Tokyo is much more ordinary, if on a much larger scale. The Japan News is full of stories...

The local government has rejected a request to help fund a new stadium, which is to be built for the 2020 Olympics, the rights to which Tokyo recently won. There are stories about banking executives, the local stock exchange and the local baseball team. The Emperor and Empress are visiting India. In short, Tokyo is much like any other city for those who live there, except of course that it is Tokyo and therefore nothing like an ordinary city.
Tokyo is divided into twenty-three wards, and each one is run a little bit like its own city. These are centered around Edo Bay, but extends in a western direction inland. The city is situated about halfway down the island of Honshu, on the eastern (Pacific) side. The city also includes a number of islands in the area. Despite being a global city, Tokyo has a relatively low rate of diversity in its population. There are very few foreign born residents -- less than in the city of Vancouver, by comparison. Most immigrants come from China and Korea, with minor communities of Filipinos and ex-pats from the West, most of whom are in Tokyo for business.

Tokyo is an economic hub, and has the highest GDP of any city in the world, partly a function of its size and partly because most major Japanese corporations are located in the city. Tokyo is also a major global cultural hub, exporting everything from comic books and animation…