Waseda University to host lecture series on Tokugawa urban planning

Waseda University Extension Center will host a 10-part lecture series titled ‘Urban Planning of the 15 Shoguns Starting from Ieyasu’ in Tokyo. The course, led by urban formation historian Tetsushi Okamoto, examines how the successive leaders of the Tokugawa Shogunate constructed, maintained, and matured Edo Castle and the city of Edo.

The curriculum is divided into two halves: the first five sessions focus on the large-scale construction processes led by the first six shoguns, while the remaining five sessions analyze how the subsequent nine shoguns managed the city's maturity and stability. The course aims to explore the historical value and modern potential of the Edo-Tokyo urban structure.