Everywhere changes. New York, London, and, yes, Tokyo. But perhaps in Tokyo, like many huge cities in Asia, the changes have been more noticeable.
Recently Japan’s biggest web forum 2ch, net users have been posting photos that show how the world’s largest metropolis has changed over the past several decades.
Here, you can see Tokyo Station in 1933. Obviously, this area looked very, very different in, say, 1833.
The changes before the war were enormous, with the country going from feudalism to industrialization to world power. After its defeat during World War II, cities like Tokyo and Osaka, where were bombed and firebombed heavily, were quickly rebuilt. Likewise, the changes were huge.
In the years leading up to the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, there was even more rebuilding. But as the nation became more prosperous during the 1970s and 80s, the face of the cities changed again—and of course, development continues to this day with new building projects, such as Roppongi Hills and Tokyo Midtown.
Via 2ch, let’s have a look:
Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building Area
1962
2014
Yurakucho Station
1963
2011
Shinjuku Station
1963
2011
Shimbashi Station
1965
2011
Shibuya
1974
2011
Ginza
1970
Present Day
Look forward to seeing how these recent Tokyo photos compare to the city’s future incarnations. See you in fifty years!
[All photos via 2ch]
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