Being a Tokyoite doesn't have the same glamorous connotations as being a Parisian or New Yorker, but inside Japan, we've managed to rack up some notoriety. A Tokyo local, or Edokko (Child of Edo, as Tokyo was called before the 1868 Meiji Restoration) as many in the older generations still like to identify themselves, is proud of the Edokko katagi (Edo spirit), which is mostly defined by the sappari (urban cleanliness) of mind and manner. That is, Tokyoites are less prone to hold grudges, less extravagant about emotional display, and they'd rather suffer in silence than complain. The phrase "akirame ga ii (quick to resign oneself to fate)" describes a big part of the Edokko personality.

After living for centuries under the mantle of the Tokugawa bureaucracy, then enduring the devastation of World War II, Tokyoites have learned to put their heads down and get on with the work, come what may. This is not to say that we take things lying down. It's just that we've become conditioned to value certain character traits -- none of which include democratic debate to improve a situation. When something goes wrong, we survey the damage, dig in our heels and get back to work.

This is because Tokyo is built on 400 years of male-oriented history. Consider the slogans of the Edo Period: "Kenka to Kaji wa Edo no Hana (Fighting and Fires are the Soul of Edo)," "Edokko wa yoigoshi no kane wa mo tanai (A child of Edo never keeps his daily earnings beyond the night)," etc. Three centuries ago, the populace was predominantly male, consisting mostly of day laborers and construction workers. Only one out of 10 or so men were able to marry, since there were simply not enough women to go around. The streets were full of men -- men hurrying to and fro in the dust kicked up by their own hurrying feet and emanating from innumerable construction sites. They were always on the go, cutting deals, getting drunk, looking for action. It all sounds so familiar.