How Tokyo Has Changed In The Past 50 Years

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 industrialisation to world power. After its defeat during World War II, cities like Tokyo and Osaka, which 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 50 years!

Pictures: 2ch