Did you know? · Tokyo
Tokyo fun facts
Things you might not know about Tokyo. Every fact comes from an official or primary source, named alongside it.
Updated October 2026
Edo becomes Tokyo
In 1868 the city of Edo was renamed Tokyo, “eastern capital”, and the following year it became the seat of the emperor (Tokyo Metropolitan Government, History of Tokyo).
Where Japan’s roads begin
The Nihonbashi bridge was the starting point of the five great highways of Edo, and a marker in the middle of the bridge still marks the zero point of Japan’s road network (Chūō City).
634 metres
Tokyo Skytree is 634 metres tall, the tallest structure in Japan; its two observation decks stand at 350 and 450 metres (tokyo-skytree.jp).
Japan’s first railway
Japan’s first railway opened in 1872 between Shimbashi and Yokohama (JR East).
The first bullet train
The Tōkaidō Shinkansen, the world’s first high-speed railway line, opened between Tokyo and Shin-Osaka on 1 October 1964 (JR Central).
A forest planted by hand
The forest around Meiji Jingū was planted when the shrine was built, from trees donated from all over Japan; the shrine completed in 1920 (meijijingu.or.jp).
Questions and answers
When did Edo become Tokyo?
In 1868.
How tall is Tokyo Skytree?
634 metres.