Tokyo, Japan's capital, is a world city equal in sophistication to New York and London. Originally called Edo, the city first began expanding as the power base of the 300-year Shogunate, became the capital and grew into the giant metropolis of today. Japan's transportation networks are centered on Tokyo, and this is the focus of the nation's politics, economy, business, information, culture, and manufacturing. Tokyo is a constantly evolving global metropolis, with a culture that has a worldwide influence.