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ix Preface When senior acquisitions editor Kaitlin Ciarmiello initially approached me with the idea of this book, I was not particularly enthusiastic. I am trained as a Tokugawa-Meiji era diplomatic historian. I am not particularly well versed in traditional or popular culture, religion, geography, sociol- ogy, architecture, or demographics, all of which would play central roles in the proposed book. Yet I came to the realization that I have known Tokyo fairly well and probably could contribute. I also owe debts of gratitude to people who helped me discover Tokyo. When I tired of Tokyo’s pell-mell economic pressures, my mentor Sha- ron Sievers introduced me to sweet Asakusa. When I grew frustrated with the claustrophobic subways and crowded sidewalks, my sensei Ed Seiden- sticker introduced me to the tribal atavism of Yomiuri Giants baseball. When I despaired at never being able to afford jazz at the Blue Note, Sid Brown introduced me to album bars: tiny watering hole basements jammed with a wall-to-wall eclectic mix of jazz albums. When I grew frustrated at the mindless bureaucracy of the National Diet Library (Kokuritsu Kokkai Toshokan), Ian Mutsu, my friend and benefactor (and the grandson of Mutsu Munemitsu), introduced me to the librarians at the Foreign Minis- try Archives (Gaimushō). Ian treated the two greatest Mutsu biographers (Hagihara Nobutoshi and Okazaki Hisahiko) and me to dinner at the famous Imperial Hotel, and they in turn vetted me to the directors of Kanazawa Bunko, the oldest library in Japan. Sadly, all six have passed on but not before making Tokyo a little more accessible to me. Howard and Tai-ling Krawitz took me to funky neighborhood cafes, delicious (and inexpensive) restaurants, and cozy bars. Tai-ling took me with her Taiwanese friends to explore the Salvation Army Bazaar. Katie Sparling introduced me to the wonders of MOS Burgers Marty Holman to Kameido Gyoza Honten Sam Tanaka to college sumō Scott Clark to sento Mark Saltus and Martha Tocco to Wishbone, the bluegrass music club