From Kyoto to Edo In Japan between the seventeenth and nineteenth centuries the emperor stood highest in the hierarchy, but the actual rule was exercised by the chief commander and chief executive: the shogun. Japan had at that time two major metropolises: Kyoto, where the emperor and Edo (today's Tokyo) resided, where the shogun was stationed. There was a lively exchange between the two centers. Today, this distance (500 km) of the fast train goes on in less than a couple of hours, so the journey takes a little longer, so dozens of stations have been stationed on a number…