The former Japanese capital cities are Kyoto (5 letters), EDO (3 letters) and Nara (4 letters). Kyoto was the imperial capital of Japan from 794 to 1868, and is now the seventh largest city in Japan. EDO was the seat of power for the Tokugawa shogunate from 1603 to 1868, and is now known as Tokyo. Nara was the first permanent capital of Japan from 710 to 784, and is now a city in the Nara Prefecture.