Which Asian capital was called Edo until 1868?

Which Asian capital was called Edo until 1868? Tokyo was called Edo until 1868.

Edo was the city’s name during the Tokugawa era. In 1868, the Meiji government renamed it Tōkyō, meaning “Eastern Capital,” after imperial rule was restored and Emperor Meiji’s residence moved there from Kyoto.

Edo had grown around Edo Castle, which Tokugawa Ieyasu made the seat of his shogunate after his victory at Sekigahara in 1600 and appointment as shogun in 1603. The city became the political centre of Japan, even though Kyoto remained the emperor’s traditional residence and ceremonial capital.

Under Tokugawa rule, Edo expanded through land reclamation, canals, planned streets, and large samurai districts. Its population exceeded one million by the early 18th century, making it one of the world’s largest cities. The name change is why historical references to Edo often describe the same urban area now known as Tokyo. Nara, Osaka, and Kyoto were important Japanese cities, but none was called Edo.