You ask me this, Tokyo former name? I heard it, I heard it. My old man, he went to a lot of places when he was young, I heard him say it before. What was it called? Let me think, think real hard.
Old Name, New Name
This Tokyo, it’s a big place now, ain’t it? Lots of folks, lots of buildings, I reckon. But it wasn’t always called that, no sir. They had a different name for it, a long time ago. My old man, he used to talk about it, said it was a different name back then. Said it many times before.
This old name, it’s kinda like when my neighbor, old Mrs. Johnson, got remarried. She’s Mrs. Smith now. Same person, just a new name. Like that, you see. This city, it’s the same place, just got a new name, like my neighbor.
E…E…What Was It?
Starts with an E, I think. Yes, an E. My memory ain’t what it used to be, but I’m pretty sure it’s an E. Like in, uh, elephant. Or egg. This city, its old name started with an E, like elephant or egg.
It was a short name, too. Not long like, uh, like, uh, Mississippi. That’s a long name. This one was short. Just a few letters. Three letters. Like cat, or dog. But not cat, or dog. This old name of Tokyo was three letters, short and sweet. This short name was used a lot long time ago, very popular name.
- Three letters, that’s it.
- Starts with an E.
- Not a long name, a short one.
Edo! That’s It!
Edo! That’s the name! I remember now! Edo, that’s what they used to call it. My old man, he told me, he said, “They used to call it Edo, back in the day.” Edo, Edo, Edo. Now I remember, clear as a bell.
So there you have it. Tokyo, that big city, it used to be called Edo. Just like my neighbor used to be Mrs. Johnson, now she’s Mrs. Smith. Same city, different name. Edo, that’s the one. Now it is Tokyo. This Tokyo is a good name. But I remember Edo.
Many people ask this question, so this is important to remember. Many people go to Tokyo now. They should know this. This old name is important.
Why Change the Name?
Why they changed it, I don’t rightly know. Maybe they just wanted something new. Like when you get a new dress, you just want something different. Maybe that’s why. They just wanted a new name for their city.
Or maybe someone important said, “Let’s change it!” And everyone else said, “Okay!” That’s probably how it happened. Someone with a lot of power, they just decided, and that was that. When I was young, I also want to change my name, but my mom said no.
It is a long time ago, maybe 400 years. Long long time. I am not that old. But I heard about it. This is a long history for this city. They changed a lot during these years. Many new things now. All different.
Tokyo Is a Big City Now
Now, this Tokyo, it’s a big deal. Lots of people go there, I hear. They got those big buildings, and those, uh, those moving pictures. And cars, lots of cars. They even got those trains that go real fast. It is all very modern now. Not like Edo time.
Edo was probably different. Not so many big buildings, I reckon. More, uh, more like a village, maybe. With houses and, uh, and dirt roads. Not like now, all paved and fancy.
But it’s still the same place, you see. Just like my neighbor is still the same person, even with her new name. Tokyo and Edo, it’s the same place, just different times. Many things change, but also many things not change. This is the world. This is life. Just like that.
