The purpose of this study is to show the urban transition of Tokyo from the point of view of the property ownership system of 1912. An early study done by Yoshojiro Takeuchi entitled "The Large-scale Landlord in Tokyo" which appeared in the Heimin Newspaper in 1907 analyses the property ownership system of Tokyo. The present study uses Takeuchi's first study as a guideline for research and comparison purposes. The aim here is to clarify the divisions of real estate in Tokyo and, by studying the impact of various property ownership systems, present guidelines for future urban development strategies. In this study, the author divided property ownership types into five categories. These categories are based on the ratio of the ownership of one's own residence to the ownership of other(s) properties, then divided into the different social classes. The discovery is that the former feudal lords of the Meiji Era still had huge land holdings, yet there was no concept of urban structure or city planning, thereby creating a congested city form.
