The Japanese call Tokyo… 東京 — pronounced Tōkyō (とうきょう).
🇯🇵 Breakdown of the Name:
- 東 (tō) = east
- 京 (kyō) = capital
- So, 東京 = “Eastern Capital”
Why? Because Tokyo became the new capital in the 19th century, replacing Kyoto (京都), which means “Capital City”. So literally:
- Kyoto = Old capital
- Tokyo = Eastern capital
🧠 Fun Fact:
- Before it was called Tokyo, the city was known as Edo (江戸), which means “estuary” or “bay entrance.”
- In 1868, when the Emperor moved the imperial seat from Kyoto to Edo during the Meiji Restoration, the city was renamed Tokyo to reflect its new status.
So in casual Japanese, people just say:
- 東京 (Tōkyō) — the same as how we say “Tokyo” in English, just with Japanese pronunciation.