江戸
Edo[e̞do̞]
江戸 (Edo) is the former name of Tokyo in Japanese.
江戸 refers to the historical name of the city that is now known as Tokyo.
Meaning: former name of Tokyo (name)
How does it change in a sentence?
When referring to the historical city, 江戸 is used as a proper noun without honorifics.
How do you pronounce it?
Edo
Did you know?
- The adjective edokko refers to a person born and raised in edo and carries a connotation of being spirited, impatient and fiercely proud of their hometown.
- The name 江戸 is a compound of two characters, where 江 means 'cove' or 'inlet' and 戸 means 'entrance' or 'door'.
- Despite being the city's name, the word edo can also refer to a distinct style of traditional arts, suchs as edo kiriko cut glass or edo shitamachi culture.
Examples in context
- この習慣は江戸時代に始まった。This custom began in the Edo Period.This sentence is useful for mentioning when a custom began using 江戸.Tatoeba #221253 by bunbuku, translation #58576 by CK
- 江戸時代には、観月会がとても人気だった。In the Edo period, moon-viewing parties were very popular.This sentence is useful for describing the popularity of moon-viewing parties during the Edo period using 江戸.Tatoeba #1671295 by Scott, translation #328937 by fcbond
- 外国人の一団が江戸、つまり東京に到着した。A group of foreigners arrived in Edo, i.e. Tokyo.This sentence is useful for clarifying that a group arrived in Edo, meaning Tokyo, using 江戸.Tatoeba #236874 by mookeee, translation #21886 by CM
- 6 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Two people are looking at a historical map in a museum.
- 陽葵 Himariこの古い地図には江戸と書いてありますね。Kono furui chizu ni wa Edo to kaite arimasu ne.This old map says Edo, doesn't it?
- 健太 Kentaはい、江戸は今の東京のことですよ。Hai, Edo wa ima no Tokyo no koto desu yo.Yes, Edo is what Tokyo is now.
- 陽葵 Himari健太さんは江戸の歴史に詳しいんですか？Kenta-san wa Edo no rekishi ni kuwashii n desu ka?Kenta, are you knowledgeable about the history of Edo?
- 健太 Kentaいえ、少しだけ興味があるだけです。Ie, sukoshi dake kyoumi ga aru dake desu.No, I'm just slightly interested.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “edo” translations and entries 江戸, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 江戸, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
