The word 东京 (Dōngjīng) is formed through a descriptive and directional compound, literally meaning "Eastern Capital". It originated as a historical place name in China (e.g., Luoyang was called Dongjing during certain dynasties, denoting an eastern capital relative to a western one). This concept and term were later adopted by Japan to name its eastern capital, Edo, which was renamed Tokyo in 1868, directly applying the Chinese characters to signify it as the imperial seat in the east of the country, in contrast to the former capital of Kyoto. Thus, its formation is purely geographic and political, denoting an eastern capital city.