Edo

Tokugawa Ieyasu chose the site for Edo, present-day Tokyo so that he could easily trade by the sea with Kyoto and Osaka. The other reason that he chose this spot was that it was a good port and it was easy to defend it. Edo was the city of water; channels and canals were dug to help travel around the city and connect to the harbor.the Bakufu initiated new policies.

Edo was also the center of the shogun's military government. At times, there were over 250 daimyos, along with their families and servants, living in Edo. The land behind the castle was reserved for the upper class while the land near the sea was for the working class. Artisans and merchants came from all parts of Japan to cater to their needs and the needs of the shotgun and the government. By the 18th century, the city grew to over 1000000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world. To sustain the cities needs, the Bakufu initiated new policies that would allow for greater production and trade in non-agricultural areas.