Tokyo Transformed: A Before-and-After Photographic Journey: Volume 1: Ginza, Nihonbashi and Marunouchi

During the Edo Period, Tokyo—then known as the “Kyoto of the East”—was a carefully planned city built by reclaiming vast wetlands and weaving countless canals throughout the landscape.With its dense network of waterways and distinctive wooden architecture, the cityscape was sometimes described as the “Venice of the East.”However, two major waves of destruction in the 20th century—the Great Kanto Earthquake and World War II—followed by large-scale redevelopment during Japan’s postwar period of rapid economic growth, dramatically transformed the city.Most canals were filled in and replaced by arterial roads and elevated expressways, while low-rise wooden buildings gave way to concrete high-rises. In the span of just 150 years, Tokyo’s scenery shifted from that of a historic city to a futuristic metropolis.In this book, I explore that transformation by comparing Before-and-After photographs—taken from the same locations whenever possible—across different eras. By placing images from the Edo, Meiji, Taisho, and Showa periods alongside contemporary photographs from the Reiwa era, this collection aims to capture the unique beauty of a city that has been radically and repeatedly reconfigured.This book includes 92 historical photographs and 7 ukiyo-e prints from the prewar period, along with 72 contemporary photographs.All historical images are sourced from public-domain materials such as prewar postcards and prints. The contemporary photographs were taken by the author, who carefully identified the original locations and revisited them to recreate the same viewpoints.I hope this visual dialogue between past and present conveys the distinctive charm of a city that has been, in many ways, continuously reinvented. Read more