Tokyo - A History Trivia Quiz

Answer: Edo Castle

Today, much of Edo Castle has been declared a national historic site by the Japanese government. The Imperial Palace of Japan now occupies some of the space Edo Castle once did.

Answer: Tokugawa Ieyasu

Despite only reigning for two years (1603-1605), Tokugawa Ieyasu still controlled Edo's power until his death in 1616. He had abdicated in favor of his son. The reason for his abdication is not clear, but historians believe it is either so he could remain hidden from his enemies or due to his advanced age.

Answer: A monsoon flooded the city killing 25,000 people

There are no known injuries in Edo (Tokyo) from the eruption of Mount Fuji in 1707 as the mountain is about 60 miles away.

The Great Fire of Meireki occurred in 1721. No one is sure how the fire started but legend has it a priest started it when he was burning a cursed kimono, which then set the building on fire. Although the fire was initially small, strong winds and the crowdedness of the city caused it to spread. By the end, over 100,000 people died and the entire city had to be rebuilt.

In 1855, Edo was struck by a massive earthquake. In addition to the massive loss of life, over 50,000 homes and temples were destroyed by fires caused by the earthquake.

Answer: U.S. Commodore Perry arrived in Japan with superior technology

This part of Japanese history is called the Meiji Restoration. Meiji means "enlightened." When Commodore Perry arrived in Edo, his ships far surpassed those of Japan, and Perry attempted to open trade with Japan. The goal of the Meiji Restoration was to take the best from the eastern and western worlds and combine them.

Answer: Eastern Capital

This was to distinguish Tokyo from Kyoto, which simply means "capital." For a few years, Kyoto was renamed Saikyo, meaning "Western Capital," but the name never caught on.

Answer: Koreans

When Tokyo was destroyed, looting ran rampant. Japanese, at the time, were anti-Korean and blamed them for the looting. Anti-Korean sentiments were also fueled by Korean movements for independence. Also killed in the chaos were many Chinese and Japanese people from outside Tokyo who were mistaken for Koreans.

Answer: Doolittle Raids

The attack was named after its planner, Lieutenant Colonel James Doolittle. The attack was revenge for the bombing of Pearl Harbor in 1941. Prior to this, Tokyo was thought to be defendable against any attack, but this raid proved that wrong.

Answer: General MacArthur

General MacArthur had control over all of Japan, even Emperor Hirohito. His headquarters was in the Dai Ichi Life Insurance Building, which is now called the DN Tower.

Answer: Skyscrapers and high-rise apartments were built.

Prior to this time, Tokyo did have some skyscrapers, but most buildings were constructed narrowly so as to not cause traffic to increase. But with the boom, this system wouldn't work. The extreme need for such buildings caused the government not to regulate the construction very well and traffic and pollution became the norm in Tokyo. Also common were real estate scams where developers would construct buildings using shoddy material or unsafe insulation to cut costs. People also purchased apartments in complexes that were never to be built.

Answer: Summer Olympics

Tokyo previously hosted the games in 1964. It had also been awarded the games in 1940 but was stripped of them when Japan invaded Manchuria. Tokyo defeated Istanbul and Madrid to earn the 2020 Games.

The 1964 Games in Tokyo were considered Japan's redemption as it was the first time Japan had taken the world stage since its actions World War II and its defeat.