How does Izumi describe Tokyo in the novel, Tokyo Ever After?

Izumi is enchanted by Tokyo. She describes, “A city built and rebuilt, born and reborn. I imagine cutting into it like a slice of cake, dissecting the layers. I can almost see it. Ash from the Edo fires with remnants of samurai armor, calligraphy pens, and chipped tea porcelain. Bones from when the shogunate fell. Dust from the Great Earthquake and more debris from the World War II air raids” (45).