What does the name Tokyo mean in Japanese?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Tokyo-Yokohama Metropolitan Area Portion of the Tokyo skyline at dusk; Tokyo Tower is at the right.

In Japanese, the name Tokyo (written as Tōkyō) means "eastern capital".12

The city was formerly known as Edo, a name that signifies "estuary" or "inlet". The name was changed to Tokyo in 1868 during the Meiji Restoration, when the seat of the imperial family was moved to the city from Kyoto, which was traditionally known as the "capital city".312