Edo Castle
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is a flatland
castle A castle is a type of fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the nobility or royalty and by military orders. Scholars debate the scope of the word ''castle'', but usually consider it to be the private fortified r ...
that was built in 1457 by
Ōta Dōkan , also known as Ōta Sukenaga (太田 資長) or Ōta Dōkan Sukenaga, was a Japanese ''samurai'' warrior-poet, military tactician and Buddhist monk. Ōta Sukenaga took the tonsure (bald scalp) as a Buddhist priest in 1478, and he also adopted t ...
in Edo, Toshima District,
Musashi Province was a province of Japan, which today comprises Tokyo Metropolis, most of Saitama Prefecture and part of Kanagawa Prefecture. It was sometimes called . The province encompassed Kawasaki and Yokohama. Musashi bordered on Kai, Kōzuke, Sagami, S ...
. In modern times it is part of the
Tokyo Imperial Palace The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...
in Chiyoda,
Tokyo Tokyo (; ja, 東京, , ), officially the Tokyo Metropolis ( ja, 東京都, label=none, ), is the capital and largest city of Japan. Formerly known as Edo, its metropolitan area () is the most populous in the world, with an estimated 37.468 ...
and is therefore also known as .
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
established the
Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
there, and it was the residence of the ''shōgun'' and the headquarters of the military government during the
Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
(1603-1867) in
Japanese history The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when new inventi ...
. After the
resignation Resignation is the formal act of leaving or quitting one's office or position. A resignation can occur when a person holding a position gained by election or appointment steps down, but leaving a position upon the expiration of a term, or choos ...
of the ''shōgun'' and the
Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
, it became the
Tokyo Imperial Palace The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...
. Some
moat A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive ...
s, walls and ramparts of the castle survive to this day. However, the grounds were more extensive during the Edo period, with
Tokyo Station Tokyo Station ( ja, 東京駅, ) is a railway station in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. The original station is located in Chiyoda's Marunouchi business district near the Tokyo Imperial Palace, Imperial Palace grounds. The newer Eastern extension is ...
and the
Marunouchi Marunouchi () is a commercial district of Tokyo located in Chiyoda between Tokyo Station and the Imperial Palace. The name, meaning "inside the circle", derives from its location within the palace's outer moat. It is also Tokyo's financial di ...
section of the city lying within the outermost moat. It also encompassed
Kitanomaru Park is a public park in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan located north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The park is the location of both the Nippon Budokan, an indoor sports and performance venue, the Science Museum, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. ...
, the
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and other current landmarks of the surrounding area.


History

The warrior Edo Shigetsugu built his residence in what is now the ''Honmaru'' and ''Ninomaru'' part of Edo Castle, around the end of the Heian or beginning of the
Kamakura period The is a period of Japanese history that marks the governance by the Kamakura shogunate, officially established in 1192 in Kamakura by the first ''shōgun'' Minamoto no Yoritomo after the conclusion of the Genpei War, which saw the struggle bet ...
. The
Edo clan The Edo clan were a minor offshoot of the Taira clan, and first fortified the settlement known as Edo, which would later become Tokyo. The Imperial Palace now stands at this location.Time Out Tokyo edited by Cathy Phillips, page 11 During the Az ...
left in the 15th century as a result of uprisings in the
Kantō region The is a geographical area of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures: Gunma, Tochigi, Ibaraki, Saitama, Tokyo, Chiba and Kanagawa. Slight ...
, and
Ōta Dōkan , also known as Ōta Sukenaga (太田 資長) or Ōta Dōkan Sukenaga, was a Japanese ''samurai'' warrior-poet, military tactician and Buddhist monk. Ōta Sukenaga took the tonsure (bald scalp) as a Buddhist priest in 1478, and he also adopted t ...
, a retainer of the Ogigayatsu Uesugi family, built Edo Castle in 1457. The castle later came under the control of the
Later Hōjō clan The was one of the most powerful samurai families in Japan in the Sengoku period and held domains primarily in the Kantō region. Their last name was simply Hōjō (北条) but in order to differentiate between the earlier Hōjō clan with the s ...
in 1524 after the
Siege of Edo In the 1524 Siege of Edo, also known as the , the Late Hōjō clan, Hōjō, led by Hōjō Ujitsuna, besieged Edo castle, which was held by Uesugi Tomooki. Though Edo has since become the Japanese metropolis of Tokyo, it was then a more or less in ...
. The castle was vacated in 1590 due to the Siege of Odawara.
Tokugawa Ieyasu was the founder and first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa Shogunate of Japan, which ruled Japan from 1603 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868. He was one of the three "Great Unifiers" of Japan, along with his former lord Oda Nobunaga and fellow ...
made Edo Castle his base after he was offered eight eastern provinces by
Toyotomi Hideyoshi , otherwise known as and , was a Japanese samurai and ''daimyō'' (feudal lord) of the late Sengoku period regarded as the second "Great Unifier" of Japan.Richard Holmes, The World Atlas of Warfare: Military Innovations that Changed the Cour ...
. He later defeated
Toyotomi Hideyori was the son and designated successor of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, the general who first united all of Japan. His mother, Yodo-dono, was the niece of Oda Nobunaga. Early life Born in 1593, he was Hideyoshi's second son. The birth of Hideyori cr ...
, son of Hideyoshi, at the
Siege of Osaka The was a series of battles undertaken by the Japanese Tokugawa shogunate against the Toyotomi clan, and ending in that clan's destruction. Divided into two stages (winter campaign and summer campaign), and lasting from 1614 to 1615, the siege ...
in 1615, and emerged as the political leader of Japan. Tokugawa Ieyasu received the title of '' Sei-i Taishōgun'' in 1603, and Edo became the center of Tokugawa's administration. Initially, parts of the area were lying under water. The sea reached the present ''Nishinomaru'' area of Edo Castle, and
Hibiya is a colloquial name for a neighborhood of Chiyoda Ward in Tokyo. The area along Hibiya Street ( National Route 1) from Yūrakuchō to Uchisaiwaichō is generally considered Hibiya district. Administratively, it is part of the Yūrakuchō dist ...
was a beach. The landscape was changed for the construction of the castle. Most construction started in 1593 and was completed in 1636 under Ieyasu's grandson,
Tokugawa Iemitsu Tokugawa Iemitsu (徳川 家光, August 12, 1604 – June 8, 1651) was the third ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty. He was the eldest son of Tokugawa Hidetada with Oeyo, and the grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Lady Kasuga was his wet nurse, who a ...
. By this time, Edo had a population of 150,000. The existing ''Honmaru'', ''Ninomaru'', and ''Sannomaru'' areas were extended with the addition of the ''Nishinomaru'', ''Nishinomaru-shita'', ''Fukiage'', and ''Kitanomaru'' areas. The perimeter measured 16 km. The ''shōgun'' required the ''
daimyō were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji era, Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and n ...
s'' to supply building materials or finances, a method shogunate used to keep the powers of the ''daimyōs'' in check. Large granite stones were moved from afar, the size and number of the stones depended on the wealth of the ''daimyōs''. The wealthier ones had to contribute more. Those who did not supply stones were required to contribute labor for such tasks as digging the large moats and flattening hills. The earth that was taken from the moats was used as landfill for sea-reclamation or to level the ground. Thus the construction of Edo Castle laid the foundation for parts of the city where merchants were able to settle. At least 10,000 men were involved in the first phase of the construction and more than 300,000 in the middle phase. When construction ended, the castle had 38 gates. The ramparts were almost high and the outer walls were high. Moats forming roughly concentric circles were dug for further protection. Some moats reached as far as
Ichigaya is an area in the eastern portion of Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. Places in Ichigaya *Hosei University Ichigaya Campus *Chuo University Graduate School * Ministry of Defense headquarters: Formerly GHQ of the Imperial Japanese Army; following W ...
and
Yotsuya is a neighborhood in Shinjuku, Tokyo, Japan. It is a former ward (四谷区 ''Yotsuya-ku'') in the now-defunct Tokyo City. In 1947, when the 35 wards of Tokyo were reorganized into 23, it was merged with Ushigome ward of Tokyo City and Yodo ...
, and parts of the ramparts survive to this day. This area is bordered by either the sea or the Kanda River, allowing ships access. Various fires over the centuries damaged or destroyed parts of the castle, Edo and the majority of its buildings being made of timber. On April 21, 1701, in the Great Pine Corridor (''
Matsu no Ōrōka The was part of Edo Castle. The name derives from the painted ''shōji'' (sliding doors) that were decorated with motifs of Japanese pine trees (''matsu''). It was the passage which led to the ''Shiroshoin'' (白書院) from the ''Ōhiroma' ...
'') of Edo Castle, Asano Takumi-no-kami drew his
short sword The English language terminology used in the classification of swords is imprecise and has varied widely over time. There is no historical dictionary for the universal names, classification or terminology of swords; a sword was simply a double ...
and attempted to kill Kira Kōzuke-no-suke for insulting him. This triggered the events involving the forty-seven ''rōnin''. After the capitulation of the shogunate in 1867, the inhabitants and ''shōgun'' had to vacate the premises. The castle compound was renamed in October, 1868, and then renamed in 1869. In the year Meiji 2 (1868), on the 23rd day of the 10th month of the
Japanese calendar Japanese calendar types have included a range of official and unofficial systems. At present, Japan uses the Gregorian calendar together with year designations stating the year of the reign of the current Emperor. The written form starts with t ...
the emperor moved to Tokyo and Edo castle became an imperial palace. A fire consumed the old Edo Castle on the night of May 5, 1873. The area around the old keep, which burned in the 1657 Meireki fire, became the site of the new Imperial , built in 1888. Some Tokugawa-period buildings which were still standing were destroyed to make space for new structures for the imperial government. The imperial palace building itself, however, was constructed in ''Nishinomaru'' Ward, not in the same location as the ''shōgun''s palace in ''Honmaru'' Ward. The site suffered substantial damage during World War II and in the destruction of Tokyo in 1945. Today the site is part of the
Tokyo Imperial Palace The is the main residence of the Emperor of Japan. It is a large park-like area located in the Chiyoda district of the Chiyoda ward of Tokyo and contains several buildings including the where the Emperor has his living quarters, the where va ...
. The government declared the area an historic site and has undertaken steps to restore and preserve the remaining structures of Edo Castle.


Appearance of Edo Castle

The plan of Edo Castle was not only large but elaborate. The grounds were divided into various
ward Ward may refer to: Division or unit * Hospital ward, a hospital division, floor, or room set aside for a particular class or group of patients, for example the psychiatric ward * Prison ward, a division of a penal institution such as a pris ...
s, or citadels. The ''Honmaru'' was in the center, with the ''Ninomaru'' (second compound), ''Sannomaru'' (third compound) extending to the east; the ''Nishinomaru'' (west compound) flanked by ''Nishinomaru-shita'' (outer section) and ''Fukiage'' (firebreak compound); and the ''Kitanomaru'' (north compound). The different wards were divided by moats and large stone walls, on which various
keeps A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in ...
, defense houses and towers were built. To the east, beyond the ''Sannomaru'' was an outer moat, enclosing the ''Otomachi'' and ''Daimyō-Kōji'' districts. ''Ishigaki'' stone walls were constructed around the ''Honmaru'' and the eastern side of the ''Nishinomaru''. Each ward could be reached via wooden bridges, which were buffered by gates on either side. The circumference is subject to debate, with estimates ranging from 6 to 10 miles.Schmorleitz, pg. 105 With the enforcement of the ''
sankin-kōtai ''Sankin-kōtai'' ( ja, 参覲交代/参覲交替, now commonly written as ja, 参勤交代/参勤交替, lit=alternate attendance, label=none) was a policy of the Tokugawa shogunate during most of the Edo period of Japanese history.Jansen, M ...
'' system in the 17th century, it became expedient for the ''daimyōs'' to set up residence in Edo close to the ''shōgun''. Surrounding the inner compounds of the castle were the residences of ''daimyōs'', most of which were concentrated at the Outer Sakurada Gate to the south-east and in the ''Ōtemachi'' and ''Daimyō-Kōji'' districts east of the castle inside the outer moat. Some residences were also within the inner moats in the outer ''Nishinomaru''. The mansions were large and very elaborate, with no expenses spared to construct palaces with Japanese gardens and multiple gates. Each block had four to six of the mansions, which were surrounded by ditches for drainage. ''Daimyōs'' with lesser wealth were allowed to set up their houses, called ''banchō'', to the north and west of the castle. To the east and south of the castle were sections that were set aside for merchants, since this area was considered unsuitable for residences. The entertainment district
Yoshiwara was a famous (red-light district) in Edo, present-day Tokyo, Japan. Established in 1617, Yoshiwara was one of three licensed and well-known red-light districts created during the early 17th century by the Tokugawa shogunate, alongside Shimab ...
was also there.


Gates

The inner citadels of the castle were protected by multiple large and small wooden gates ( ''mon''), constructed in-between the gaps of the stone wall. Not many are left today. From south to southwest to north, the main gates are at ''Nijūbashi'', ''Sakurada-mon'', ''Sakashita-mon'', ''Kikyō-mon'', ''Hanzō-mon'', ''Inui-mon'', ''Ōte-mon'', ''Hirakawa-mon'' and ''Kitahanebashi-mon''. Only the stone foundations of the other gates (meaning the gap left in between the large stone walls for the wooden gates) are still preserved. Large gates, such as the ''Ōte-mon'', had a guard of 120 men, while the smaller gates were guarded by 30 to 70 armed men. An eye-witness account is given by the French director
François Caron François Caron (1600–1673) was a French Huguenot refugee to the Netherlands who served the Dutch East India Company (''Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie'' or VOC) for 30 years, rising from cook's mate to the director-general at Batavia (Ja ...
from the Dutch colony at
Dejima , in the 17th century also called Tsukishima ( 築島, "built island"), was an artificial island off Nagasaki, Japan that served as a trading post for the Portuguese (1570–1639) and subsequently the Dutch (1641–1854). For 220 years, i ...
. He described the gates and courts being laid out in such a manner as to confuse an outsider. Caron noted the gates were not placed in a straight line, but were staggered, forcing a person to make a 90 degree turn to pass on to the next gate. This style of construction for the main gates is called ''masugata'' (meaning "square"). As noted by Caron, the gate consisted of a square-shaped courtyard or enclosure and a two-story gatehouse which is entered via three roofed ''kōrai-mon''. The ''watari-yagura-mon'' was constructed at adjacent angles to each side within the gate.Hinago, pg. 138 All major gates had large timbers that framed the main entry point and were constructed to impress and proclaim the might of the shogunate.


Garrison

Accounts of how many armed men served at Edo Castle vary. The Spanish Governor-General of the Philippines
Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco Rodrigo de Vivero y Velasco was a Spanish colonial officer from New Spain. His parents were Don Rodrigo de Vivero and Doña Antonia de Velasco, the sister of Luís de Velasco, second Viceroy of New Spain. In 1563 he married Alonso Valiente's wido ...
gave an eye-witness account in 1608–1609, describing the huge stones that made up the walls and a large number of people at the castle. He claimed to have seen 20,000 servants between the first gate and the ''shōgun''s palace. He passed through two ranks of 1,000 soldiers armed with
musket A musket is a muzzle-loaded long gun that appeared as a smoothbore weapon in the early 16th century, at first as a heavier variant of the arquebus, capable of penetrating plate armour. By the mid-16th century, this type of musket gradually d ...
s, and by the second gate he was escorted by 400 armed men. He passed stables that apparently had room for 200 horses and an armory that stored enough weapons for 100,000 men.


''Honmaru''

was the central, innermost part of the castle containing the
keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
and residence of the ''shōgun''. The stately and luxurious main buildings of the ''Honmaru'', consisting of the outer, central, and inner halls, were said to have covered an area of during the Kan-ei era (1624–1644). Surrounding the ''Honmaru'' were curtain walls, with 11 keeps, 15 defense houses and more than 20 gates. ''Honmaru'' was destroyed several times by fire and reconstructed after each fire. The keep and main palace were destroyed in 1657 and 1863, respectively, and not reconstructed. Some remains, such as the ''Fujimi-yagura'' keep and ''Fujimi-tamon'' defense house, still exist. The ''Honmaru'' was surrounded by moats on all sides. To the north separating ''Honmaru'' from the ''Kitanomaru'' were the ''Inui-bori'' and ''Hirakawa-bori'', to the east separating the ''Ninomaru'' was the ''Hakuchō-bori'', and to the west and south separating the ''Nishinomaru'' were the ''Hasuike-bori'' and ''Hamaguri-bori''. Most of these still exist, although the ''Hakuchō-bori'' has partly been filled in since the Meiji era.


''Kitahanebashi-mon''

is the northern gate to the ''Honmaru'' ward, facing ''Kitanomaru'' ward across Daikan-cho street. It is also constructed as a ''masu''-gate just like ''Ōte-mon'' and ''Hirakawa-mon'', and has a ''watari-yagura-mon'' in a left angle. The bridge in front of the gate, which was once a drawbridge during the Edo period, is now fixed to the ground. The metal clasps used to draw the bridge are still attached to the roof of the gate.


Keep

The main
keep A keep (from the Middle English ''kype'') is a type of fortified tower built within castles during the Middle Ages by European nobility. Scholars have debated the scope of the word ''keep'', but usually consider it to refer to large towers in c ...
or tower (known as the ) was in the northern corner of the ''Honmaru'' ward. ''Kitahanebashi-mon'' is right next to it and was one of the main gateways to this innermost part. The measurements are in width from east to west, in length from north to south, and in height. A five-storey keep used to stand on this base which was in height and was thus the highest castle tower in the whole of Japan, symbolizing the power of the ''shōgun''. The keep and its multiple roofs were constructed in 1607 and ornamented with gold. It was destroyed in the 1657 Fire of Meireki and not reconstructed. The foundations of the keep are all that is left. Despite this, ''
jidaigeki is a genre of film, television, video game, and theatre in Japan. Literally meaning "period dramas", they are most often set during the Edo period of Japanese history, from 1603 to 1868. Some, however, are set much earlier—''Portrait of Hel ...
'' movies (such as ''
Abarenbō Shōgun (Abarenbō Shōgun) was a Japanese television program on the TV Asahi network. Set in the eighteenth century, it showed fictitious events in the life of Yoshimune, the eighth Tokugawa ''shōgun''. The program started in 1978 under the title '' ...
'') set in Edo usually depict Edo Castle as having a keep, and substitute
Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network o ...
for that purpose. A non-profit "Rebuilding Edo-jo Association" (NPO江戸城再建) was founded in 2004 with the aim of a historically correct reconstruction of at least the main keep. In March 2013 Naotaka Kotake, head of the group, said that "The capital city needs a symbolic building", and that the group planned to collect donations and signatures on a petition in the hope of having the tower rebuilt. A reconstruction blueprint had been made based on old documents. The Imperial Household Agency had not indicated whether it would support the project.


''Honmaru'' Palace

The residential and the gardens of the ''shōgun'' and his court were constructed around the castle keep in the ''Honmaru'' area. It consisted of a series of low-level buildings, connected by corridors and congregating around various gardens, courtyards or lying detached, similar to the structures that can be seen in
Nijō Castle is a flatland castle in Kyoto, Japan. The castle consists of two concentric rings ( Kuruwa) of fortifications, the Ninomaru Palace, the ruins of the Honmaru Palace, various support buildings and several gardens. The surface area of the castle is ...
in Kyoto today. These structures were used for either residential or governmental purposes such as audiences. The ''Honmaru'' Palace was one story high, and consisted of three sections: # The ''Ō-omote'' (Great Outer Palace) contained reception rooms for public audience and apartments for guards and officials; # The ''Naka-oku'' (middle interior) was where the ''shōgun'' received his relatives, higher lords and met his counselors for the affairs of state; and # ''
Ōoku The refers to the women's quarters of Edo Castle, the section where the women connected to the reigning resided. Similar areas in the castles of powerful , such as the Satsuma Domain, were also referred to by this term. History The ''Ōok ...
'' (great interior) contained the private apartments of the ''shōgun'' and his ladies-in-waiting. The great interior was strictly off-limits and communication went through young messenger boys. The great interior was apparently 1,000
tatami A is a type of mat used as a flooring material in traditional Japanese-style rooms. Tatamis are made in standard sizes, twice as long as wide, about 0.9 m by 1.8 m depending on the region. In martial arts, tatami are the floor used for traini ...
mats in size and could be divided into sections by the use of sliding ''shōji'' doors, which were painted in elegant schemes. Various fires destroyed the ''Honmaru'' Palace over time and was rebuilt after each fire. In the span from 1844 to 1863, ''Honmaru'' experienced three fires. After each fire, the ''shōgun'' moved to the ''Nishinomaru'' residences for the time being until reconstruction was complete. However, in 1853 both the ''Honmaru'' and ''Nishinomaru'' burned down, forcing the ''shōgun'' to move into a ''daimyō'' residence. The last fire occurred in 1873, after which the palace was not rebuilt by the new imperial government. Behind the ''Honmaru'' Palace was the main keep. Besides being the location of the keep and palace, the ''Honmaru'' was also the site of the treasury. Three storehouses that bordered on a rampart adjoined the palace on the other side. The entrance was small, made with thick lumber and heavily guarded. Behind the wall was a deep drop to the moat below, making the area secure.


''Fujimi-yagura''

The stands in the south-eastern corner of the ''Honmaru'' enceinte and is three storeys high. ''Fujimi-yagura'' is one of only three remaining keeps of the inner citadel of Edo Castle, from a total number of originally eleven. The other remaining keeps are ''Fushimi-yagura'' (next to the upper steel bridge of ''Nijūbashi'') and ''Tatsumi-nijyu-yagura'' (at the corner of ''Kikyō-bori'' moat next to ''Kikyō-mon'' gate). It is also called the "all-front-sided" keep because all sides look the same from all directions. It is believed that once
Mount Fuji , or Fugaku, located on the island of Honshū, is the highest mountain in Japan, with a summit elevation of . It is the second-highest volcano located on an island in Asia (after Mount Kerinci on the island of Sumatra), and seventh-highest p ...
could be seen from this keep, hence the name. Since the main keep of Edo Castle was destroyed in 1657 and not reconstructed, the ''Fujimi-yagura'' took on its role and was an important building after being constructed in 1659 during the Edo period. About north of the ''Fujimi-yagura'' is the former site of the ''
Matsu no Ōrōka The was part of Edo Castle. The name derives from the painted ''shōji'' (sliding doors) that were decorated with motifs of Japanese pine trees (''matsu''). It was the passage which led to the ''Shiroshoin'' (白書院) from the ''Ōhiroma' ...
'' corridor, scene of dramatic events in 1701 that led to the forty-seven ''rōnin'' incident.


''Fujimi-tamon''

The defense house is about north from the ''Matsu no Ōrōka''. This defense house sits on top of the large stone walls overlooking to the ''Hasuike-bori'' (Lotus-growing moat). Weapons and tools were stored here. During the Edo period, double and triple keeps (''yagura'') were constructed at strategic points on top of the stone wall surrounding the ''Honmaru''. In between each keep, a defense house (called ''tamon'') was erected for defensive purposes. There were once 15 of these houses in the ''Honmaru'', of which only the ''Fujimi-tamon'' still exists.


''Ishimuro''

North of the ''Fujimi-tamon'' is the , on a slope. It is about . Its precise purpose is unknown, but since it is close to the former inner palace storage area, it is believed to have been used for storage of supplies and documents for the shogunate.


''Shiomi-zaka''

is a slope running alongside today's Imperial Music Department building towards ''Ninomaru'' enceinte. In old times apparently the sea could be seen from here, therefore its name.


''Ninomaru''

At the foot of the ''Shiomi-zaka'' on the eastern side of the ''Honmaru'' lies the of Edo Castle. A palace for the heirs of the Tokugawa ''shōguns'' was constructed in 1639 in the west area (Western Perimeter) and in 1630 it is reported that a garden designed by
Kobori Enshū was a notable Japanese artist and aristocrat in the reign of Tokugawa Ieyasu. Biography His personal name was Masakazu (政一). In 1604, he received as inheritance a 12,000-''koku'' fief in Ōmi Province at Komuro, present Nagahama, Shiga. ...
, who was the founder of Japanese landscaping, was to its south-east. Several fires destroyed whatever stood here and it was not reconstructed. Aside from the ''Honmaru'' palace, the ''Ninomaru'' was surrounded by 7 keeps, 8 defense houses, approximately 10 gates and other guardhouses. The ''Tenjin-bori'' separates a part of the ''Ninomaru'' to the ''Sannomaru''. Several renovations were carried out over the years until the Meiji era. A completely new garden has been laid out since then around the old pond left from the Edo period. Only the ''Hyakunin-bansho'' and ''Dōshin-bansho'' are still standing.


''Dōshin-bansho''

The is a guardhouse. A big guardhouse was within the ''Ōte-mon'' where today's security is. The passageway proceeding west from the guardhouse becomes narrower within the stone walls on both sides. The ''dōshin-bansho'' is on the right side past this passageway. This is where the samurai guardsmen were posted to watch over the castle grounds.


''Hyakunin-bansho''

There is a big stone wall in front of the ''Dōshin-bansho'', which is the foundation of the ''Ōte-sanno-mon watari-yagura'' keep. The long building to the left on the southern side of this foundation is the . The ''Hyakunin-bansho'' is so called because it housed a hundred guardsmen closely associated with the Tokugawa clan.


''Ō-bansho''

The large stone wall in front of the ''Hyakunin-bansho'' is all that is left of the ''Naka-no-mon watari-yagura'' (Inner Gate Keep). This building to the inner-right side of the gate is the . As the ''Honmaru'' enceinte was said to begin right behind the ''Naka-no-mon'' gate, the ''Ō-bansho'' probably played a key role in the security of Edo Castle.


''Suwa-no-Chaya''

The is a teahouse that was once in the ''Fukiage'' garden during the Edo period. After various relocations in the Meiji era, today it is in the modern ''Ninomaru'' Garden.


''Sannomaru''

The is the easternmost enceinte next to the ''Ninomaru'', separated by the ''Tenjin-bori''. Ōte-bori is to the north, running then south is ''Kikyō-bori''.


''Bairin-zaka''

A steep slope, , runs from eastern ''Honmaru'' toward ''Hirakawa-mon'' in front of the today's Archives and Mausolea Department building. It is said that
Ōta Dōkan , also known as Ōta Sukenaga (太田 資長) or Ōta Dōkan Sukenaga, was a Japanese ''samurai'' warrior-poet, military tactician and Buddhist monk. Ōta Sukenaga took the tonsure (bald scalp) as a Buddhist priest in 1478, and he also adopted t ...
planted several hundred plum trees in 1478 in dedication to
Sugawara no Michizane was a scholar, poet, and politician of the Heian Period of Japan. He is regarded as an excellent poet, particularly in Kanshi poetry, and is today revered in Shinto as the god of learning, . In the poem anthology '' Hyakunin Isshu'', he is know ...
. Dōkan is said to have built the Sanno-Gongendō here, where two shrines were when the Tokugawa clan occupied the site. With the erection of the ''Honmaru'' of Edo Castle, the shrine dedicated to Sugawara no Michizane was moved to Kojimachi Hirakawa-chō and later became known as Hirakawa Shrine. Sanno Shrine was first moved to ''Momijiyama'' of Edo Castle and became its tutelary shrine but was moved again. Today it is known as
Hie Shrine Hie may refer to: * Hie (pronoun), an Old English pronoun * Hie Shrine, a Shinto shrine in Tokyo, Japan * Hie Station, in Nishiwaki, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan * Health information exchange * Highlands and Islands Enterprise * Holiday Inn Expres ...
.


''Hirakawa-mon''

is said to have been the main gate to the ''Sannomaru'' of Edo Castle. It is also said to have been the side gate for maidservants and therefore called the ''Otsubone-mon''. The shape of this gate is in the ''masugata'', similar to the ''Ōte-mon''. However a ''watari-yagura-mon'' is built to an adjacent left angle within the ''kōrai-mon'', of which it has two. The other ''kōrai-mon'' is to the west of the ''watari-yagura-mon'' which was used as the "gates of the unclean" for the deceased and criminals from within the castle. Outside this gate is a wooden bridge with railings crowned with ''giboshi''-ornamental tops.


''Ōte-mon''

was the main gate of the castle. During the reign of the second Tokugawa ''shōgun''
Hidetada was the second ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa dynasty, who ruled from 1605 until his abdication in 1623. He was the third son of Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first ''shōgun'' of the Tokugawa shogunate. Early life (1579–1593) Tokugawa Hidetada was bo ...
, the castle underwent repairs in the 1620s and the gate is said to have taken its present form at this time, with the help of Date Masamune, lord of Sendai Castle, and Soma Toshitane, lord of Nakamura Castle. A fire in Edo destroyed the ''Ōte-mon'' in January 1657, but was reconstructed in November 1658. It was severely damaged twice, in 1703 and 1855, by strong earthquakes, and reconstructed to stand until the Meiji era. Several repairs were conducted after the Meiji era, but the damage caused by the September
1923 Great Kantō earthquake The struck the Kantō Plain on the main Japanese island of Honshū at 11:58:44 JST (02:58:44 UTC) on Saturday, September 1, 1923. Varied accounts indicate the duration of the earthquake was between four and ten minutes. Extensive firestorms an ...
lead to the dismantling of the ''watari-yagura'' (渡り櫓) and rebuilding of the stone walls on each side of the gate in 1925. The ''watari-yagura'' was burnt down completely during
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
on April 30, 1945. Restoration took place from October 1965 through March 1967, to repair the ''kōrai''-mon and its walls, and the ''Ōte-mon'' was reconstructed.


''Tatsumi-yagura''

The , also known as , is a two-story high keep at the easternmost corner of the ''Sannomaru'' and the only keep still remaining in it.


''Kikyō-mon''

One of the few gates left of the ''Ninomaru'' is the , which is also known as the Inner ''Sakurada-mon'', as opposed to the (Outer) ''Sakurada-mon'' in the south. The architecture of the tower is a gate and in the ''kōrai'' style.


''Nishinomaru''

The was the location of the palaces and residences of the retired ''shōgun'' and the heir-apparent for a while. The outer part of the ''Nishinomaru'' to the east (today's Outer Gardens of the Imperial Palace) was the site of various residences of ''daimyōs''. The ''Nishinomaru'' is bordered by moats to the west such as the ''Dōkan-bori'', ''Sakurada-bori'' and Gaisen-bori to the south, ''Kikyō-bori'' and ''Hamaguri-bori'' to the north. After each fire in the ''Honmaru'', the ''shōgun'' normally moved into the ''Nishinomaru'', although it was also destroyed by fire in 1853. On May 5, 1873, the ''Nishinomaru'' residence burned down. On its site, the imperial palace was built in the Meiji era.


''Sakurada-mon''

Protecting the ''Nishinomaru'' from the south is the large Outer . This gate is not to be confused with the Inner ''Sakurada-mon'', also known as ''Kikyo-mon'' between ''Nishinomaru'' and ''Sannomaru''.


''Seimon Ishibashi'' and ''Seimon Tetsubashi''

Two bridges led over the moats. The bridges that were once wooden and arched, were replaced with modern stone and iron cast structures in the Meiji era. The bridges were once buffered by gates on both ends, of which only the ''Nishinomaru''-mon has survived, which is the main gate to today's Imperial Palace. The bridge in the foreground used to be called , while the one in the back was called . After their replacement in the Meiji era, the bridge is now called ) and , respectively. The iron bridge is also known as , because the original wooden bridge was built on top of an auxiliary bridge due to the deepness of the moat. The stone bridge is also called because of its shape. However, both bridges are often mistakenly collectively called Nijūbashi. Today both bridges are closed to the public except on January 2 and the
Emperor's Birthday is an annual Public holiday in Japan celebrating the birthday of the reigning Emperor, which is currently 23 February as Emperor Naruhito was born on that day in 1960. It is enforced by a specific law, "The Law for Special Exception of the Imper ...
. File:Nijuubashi2.jpg, Seimon Tetsubashi (Nijūbashi) File:Seimon Ishibashi.JPG, Seimon Ishibashi (Meganebashi)


''Fushimi-yagura''

is a two-storey keep that still exists at the western corner leading towards the inner ''Nishinomaru'', flanked by two galleries (''tamon'') on each side. It is the only keep that is left in the ''Nishinomaru''. It comes originally from Fushimi Castle in Kyoto.


''Sakashita-mon''

originally faced the north, but was changed to face the east in the Meiji era. This tower gate overlooks ''Hamaguri-bori''. The assassination of
Andō Nobumasa was a late-Edo period Japanese samurai, and the 5th ''daimyō'' of Iwakitaira Domain in the Tōhoku region of Japan, and the 10th hereditary chieftain of the Andō clan. He was the eldest son of Andō Nobuyori and his mother was a daughter of ...
, a member of the ''shōgun''s Council of Elders, occurred outside this gate.


''Momijiyama''

is an area in northern ''Nishinomaru''. The area had shrines dedicated to former ''shōguns'' in which ceremonies were conducted in memory of them and were held regularly. Tokugawa Ieyasu built a library in 1602 within the Fujimi
bower Bower may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Catherine, or The Bower'', an unfinished Jane Austen novel * A high-ranking card (usually a Jack) in certain card games: ** The Right and Left Bower (or Bauer), the two highest-ranking cards in the g ...
of the castle with many books he obtained from an old library in Kanazawa. In July 1693, a new library was constructed at ''Momijiyama'' (''Momijiyama Bunko''). The so-called "Momijiyama Bunkobon" are the books from that library, which are preserved in the
National Archives of Japan The preserve Japanese government documents and historical records and make them available to the public. Although Japan's reverence for its unique history and art is well documented and illustrated by collections of art and documents, there is a ...
today. This group consists chiefly of books published during the
Song dynasty The Song dynasty (; ; 960–1279) was an imperial dynasty of China that began in 960 and lasted until 1279. The dynasty was founded by Emperor Taizu of Song following his usurpation of the throne of the Later Zhou. The Song conquered the rest ...
, Korean books that were formerly in the possession of the Kanazawa Bunko library, books presented by the Hayashi family as gifts, and fair copies of books compiled by the Tokugawa government.Tokugawa Memorial Foundation
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''Fukiage''

The is the western area that was made into a firebreak after the great Meireki fire of 1657. The ''Fukiage'' is encircled by the ''Dōkan-bori'' to the ''Nishinomaru'' to the east, the ''Sakurada-bori'' to the south, the ''Hanzō-bori'' to the west, the ''Chidorigafuchi'' to the northwest and the ''Inui-bori'' to the north.


''Inui-mon''

The was in the ''Nishinomaru'' area next to today's headquarters of the Imperial Household Agency and called ''Nishinomaru Ura-mon''. It was moved to its present location between the ''Kitanomaru'' and ''Fukiage'' garden in the Meiji era. It has its name because it was in the northwestern part of the Imperial Palace grounds.


''Hanzōmon''

The is a gate in the ''kōrai'' style. The old gate was destroyed by fire during World War II. The Wadakura Gate was moved here in its stead. The ''Hanzō-mon'' is the only gate to the ''Fukiage'' area from outside today. File:Imperial Palace Tokyo inuimon gate.jpg, ''Inui-mon'', former ''Nishinomaru Ura-mon'' File:Imperial Palace Tokyo Hanzomon Gate.jpg, ''Hanzō-mon'', former Wadakura Gate


''Kitanomaru''

The is the northern enceinte next to the ''Honmaru''. It was used as a medicinal garden (''Ohanabatake'') during the ''shōgun''s rule. During the 17th century, the Suruga Dainagon residence was there as well, which was used by collateral branches of the Tokugawa clan. Today this site is the location of the public
Kitanomaru Park is a public park in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan located north of the Tokyo Imperial Palace. The park is the location of both the Nippon Budokan, an indoor sports and performance venue, the Science Museum, and the National Museum of Modern Art, Tokyo. ...
. Not much is left from the times of the Edo Castle except for two gates, ''Shimizu-mon'' and further north ''Tayasu-mon''. ''Kitanomaru'' is surrounded by moats. The ''Inui-bori'' and ''Hirakawa-bori'' to the south separate it from the ''Honmaru'' and ''Chidorigafuchi'' to the west.


Modern Tokyo

Many place names in Tokyo derive from Edo Castle. , , , , , and are examples.


See also

*
Kamiyashiki of Matsudaira Tadamasa The was a large residential complex that was located outside Edo Castle in 17th century Japan. History Matsudaira Tadamasa (1597–1645) was ''daimyō'' of Fukui Domain and a grandson of Tokugawa Ieyasu. His "upper residence" or main resi ...
*
List of Special Places of Scenic Beauty, Special Historic Sites and Special Natural Monuments To protect Japan's cultural heritage, the country's government selects through the Agency for Cultural Affairs important items and designates them as Cultural Properties under the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties. Designated items are ...


Notes


References


Benesch, Oleg. "Castles and the Militarisation of Urban Society in Imperial Japan," ''Transactions of the Royal Historical Society'', Vol. 28 (Dec. 2018), pp. 107–134.
h1>

Further reading

* * * Ponsonby-Fane, Richard A. B. (1956). ''Kyoto: The Old Capital of Japan, 794–1869.'' Kyoto: The Ponsonby Memorial Society. * *


External links


Rebuilding "Edo-jo" Association
* National Museum of Japanese History

*
National Archives of Japan The preserve Japanese government documents and historical records and make them available to the public. Although Japan's reverence for its unique history and art is well documented and illustrated by collections of art and documents, there is a ...

''Ryukyu Chuzano ryoshisha tojogyoretsu,'' scroll illustrating procession of Ryukyu emissary to Edo, 1710 (''Hōei'' 7).
* National Archives of Japan

* ttp://sitereports.nabunken.go.jp/en Comprehensive Database of Archaeological Site Reports in Japan Nara National Research Institute for Cultural Properties {{Authority control Special Historic Sites Go-Hōjō clan