Britannica Student Encyclopedia - 2010

Japan’s main island, Honshu. The city

A photograph from the early 1900s shows

a Tohono O’odham woman carrying a basket

on her head.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Tokyo 75

 

lies on Tokyo Bay, which is part of the

Pacific Ocean. Tokyo is one of the largest

cities in the world. It is Japan’s center

of industry, culture, and education.

The city of Tokyo is part of the huge

Tokyo metropolitan area. It includes the

countryside around Tokyo as well as

several islands. The Tokyo metropolitan

area also includes three other major

cities—Yokohama, Kawasaki, and

Chiba.

Cityscape

Tokyo has several distinct districts. At

the heart of the city is the Imperial Palace,

the home of the emperor of Japan.

Many other national government buildings

are in the nearby Kasumigaseki

district. Marunouchi is a business district.

Shinjuku is a center of entertainment

and shopping. The Ginza district

is world famous for its expensive stores.

Economy

Tokyo is Japan’s main center of manufacturing,

banking, and business management.

Many companies have

headquarters in the city. Publishing is a

leading industry. Factories in Tokyo

make such products as computers, televisions,

and other electronics. Factories

in the metropolitan area produce metals,

chemicals, and machinery.

History

In ancient times the city was named

Edo. It was a small village until the

Tokugawa family began ruling Japan in

the early 1600s. The Tokugawa rulers

made Edo their headquarters. The city

then grew greatly. In the 1800s more

than a million people lived there. However,

Japan’s official capital was the city

of Kyoto.

The emperor Meiji began ruling Japan

in 1868. Edo was then renamed Tokyo

and made the official capital. Under

Meiji’s rule the city was made more

modern.

An earthquake severely damaged Tokyo

in 1923 and killed at least 100,000

people. Bombing destroyed much of the

city in the 1940s, duringWorldWar II.

But Tokyo was soon rebuilt. In the second

half of the 1900s it developed into

an industrial center. It also became

known for its many modern skyscrapers.

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Japan

Tolkien, J.R.R.

J.R.R. Tolkien wrote popular books of

fantasy fiction. The most famous of his

Shibuya is a lively shopping district in Tokyo.

76 Tolkien, J.R.R. BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA

 

books are The Hobbit and The Lord of

the Rings.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on

January 3, 1892, in South Africa. At

age 4 he moved with his family to

Great Britain. Tolkien graduated from

Oxford University in 1915. Soon

afterward he left to fight for the British

in World War I.

In 1925 Tolkien began teaching at

Oxford. His classes dealt with the roots

of the English language. He studied old

fables, myths, and legends. During this

time Tolkien began writing fantasy stories.

Part of this writing included making

up an entire language called Elvish.

The characters called elves in Tolkien’s

stories speak this language.

Tolkien published The Hobbit in 1937.

He wrote it partly to amuse his four

children. The main character of the

book is a short, furry-footed creature

called a hobbit. The story takes place in

a fantasy world called Middle-earth.

The Lord of the Rings, published in 1954

and 1955, also takes place in Middleearth.

This novel is sometimes divided

into three parts: The Fellowship of the

Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of

the King.

Tolkien died on September 2, 1973. He

had started another book about Middleearth,

called The Silmarillion, but did

not finish it. Tolkien’s son Christopher

published this book in 1977.

Toltec

The ancient Toltec people developed a

great civilization in what is now central

Mexico. From the AD 900s to the 1100s

they were the most powerful Native

Americans in the region.

The capital city of the Toltec was Tula.

Historians do not know exactly where

Tula was. However, they know that it

J.R.R. Tolkien

Stone columns that stand 15 feet

(4.6 meters) high were carved

by the Toltec in Mexico.

BRITANNICA STUDENT ENCYCLOPEDIA Toltec 77

 

was in the area of what is now Mexico

City. As many as 40,000 people lived in

Tula.

The Toltec built houses out of clay

bricks. These bricks kept the heat out in

the summer and the cold out in winter.

In Tula the Toltec also built great pyramids

and palaces.

The Toltec farmed for most of their

food. They grew corn and squash. They

also grew cotton and plants that they

used to make medicines.

The Toltec settled in what is now central

Mexico in about AD 900. In the 1100s

other Indian groups began invading

Toltec lands from the north. The invaders

were called the Chichimec. The

Chichimec destroyed Tula in about

1160.

The Chichimec took on many Toltec

ways of life. Among the Chichimec

groups were the Aztec. They created the

next great Indian civilization in central

Mexico.

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Aztec • Native Americans

Tomato

Tomatoes are commonly called vegetables,

but they are actually fruits. They

are eaten raw or used in cooking.

Canned tomatoes and tomato juice are

also popular. Tomatoes are grown in all

mild regions of the world. They belong

to the nightshade family.

Tomato plants generally have many

spreading branches. The leaves are hairy

and have a strong smell. The flowers are