Tokugawa ieyasu, the first tokugawa shogun, chose edo (present-day tokyo) as japan's new capital, and it became one of the largest cities of its time and was the site of a thriving urban culture.
A vibrant urban culture developed in the city of edo (today's tokyo) as well as in kyoto and elsewhere.
Artisans and merchants became important producers and consumers of new forms of visual and.
Despite the isolation, domestic trade and agricultural production continued to improve.
During the edo period and especially during the genroku era (1688 - 1703), popular culture flourished.
New art forms.