Happy birthday, Tokyo
No doubt everyone reading this knows that Tokyo used to be called Edo. But did you know that it changed on this day in 1868, a.k.a. Meiji 1? Yes! Via an Imperial edict affectionately known as the Decree that Named Edo Tokyo (江戸ヲ称シテ東京ト為スノ詔書).
Here is the edict itself, in semi-modernized orthography:
朕今萬機ヲ親裁シ億兆ヲ綏撫ス江戸ハ東國第一ノ大鎭四方輻湊ノ地宜シク親臨以テ其政ヲ視ルヘシ因テ自今江戸ヲ稱シテ東京トセン是朕ノ海内一家東西同視スル所以ナリ衆庶此意ヲ體セヨ
I at this time settle all matters of state myself in the interest of the people. Edo is the largest city in the eastern provinces, a place in which things gather from every direction. It were well that I should personally oversee its governance. Therefore from this time on I shall call it "Tokyo" ("Eastern Capital"). This is so that I might oversee all affairs in the land equally, from east to west. Let the people heed this my will.
Note the emphasis on Imperial self-determinaton, this being the whole point of the Restoration. This isn't just about renaming a city: it's the Emperor announcing that he is serious about getting back into governance, and preparing to move his base of operations as the first step in that direction. Also note use of chin 朕, the [+emperor] first-person pronoun.
There's additional text below the edict itself, but it's mostly about how great and prosperous a town Edo/Tokyo has always been, plus reassurances that Tokyo and by extension Japan's post-restoration future is so bright that everyone in it should be wearing shades. Unfortunately, shades had not yet been invented, so those who could afford it settled for imported bowler hats and umbrellas. True story.
The Meiji Emperor's big move to Tokyo happened the following year, but he never did officially transfer the capital — unlike the previous emperors who had overseen more than a dozen transfers before finally settling on what would later become Kyoto in the Heian period — and so some people argue that technically, the capital is still Kyoto. On the other hand, laws have been passed referring to a "capital area" 首都圏 which is clearly centered on Tokyo. It's complicated, but a purely semantic issue. (Test: Does it bother you that the tomato is technically a fruit, not a vegetable? If not, you don't have to worry about whether Tokyo is really the capital of Japan or not.)
Peter:
朕
What I didn't know about this until today is that the 偏 (hen) of this character is not from 月 (tsuki) or 肉 (niku), but from 舟 (fune; small boat) And the 旁 next to it is supposed to both arms lifting something up high. Hmmm...