EDO CASTLE

Description

Essentials about Edo Castle in brief

Located in Chiyoda, the center of Tokyo, Edo-jō (Edo Castle) was once the largest castle in Japan and the seat of the Tokugawa Shōguns. For 260 years, Edo Castle was the political power center of Japan and a sort of “city within a city.” Today, Edo-jō is one of the main sights of the Japanese capital. The former castle grounds are home not only to the Imperial Palace, but also to beautiful gardens and some of Tokyo’s most interesting museums.

The history and architecture of Edo Castle

The origin of the castle

The castle had been built in 1457 by the military strategist Ōta Dōkan in what is now Tokyo, then called “Edo,” but fell into disrepair after his death. Tokugawa Ieyasu, the founder of the Tokugawa Shōgunate, who had the provinces around Tokyo Bay transferred to him in 1590, decided to renovate the castle to secure himself and his family. For this purpose, the remote castle, situated on a mountain ridge above Tokyo Bay, must have seemed just right to Ieyasu.

The castle complex

After Ieyasu took power in the country in 1600, Japan was ruled from the castle, which was now further expanded. The castle followed the pattern of the times and consisted of the main castle (Honmaru) on the mountain nose and a series of outer castles. The castle and outer castles were protected by moats, ramparts, and at important points by defensive towers (Yagura) and secured gateways.

In front of the castle proper, the most important retainers (daimyo) were given their estates, which were also protected by moats, walls and gates. The overall location, i.e. the castle and daimyo residences, were enclosed by a moat, which could also only be passed through secured gates.

The Honmaru

The Honmaru (the main castle) was completely filled by the extensive main residence. This burned down during a major fire in 1657, but was restored just two years later. In 1858, the residence burned down completely again, but was at least partially rebuilt. At the beginning of the Meiji period in the late 19th century, the residence was demolished, but plans have preserved details of its architecture.

It was single-story and contained many courtyards. The castle had, as was usual for princely residences, a front part that included the audience chambers, a Nō stage (theater stage), and the Shōgun’s private chambers. A separate part behind it contained the living quarters of the wife, concubines, and maids, as well as the kitchen rooms, storehouses, and other utility rooms.

The Tenshukaku

Originally, the residence included the usual wooden tower of a Japanese castle. It was built in 1606 at the highest point of th Honmaru, behind the Ōoku at the north end with five floors on a stone base of 36.5 by 33 meters. Plans of the tower have survived showing it to be over 50 meters high. This made it the tallest Tenshukaku in Japan. It had to be repaired in 1622 and 1637, receiving white plaster once and dark wooden cladding the second time. After its destruction in the Meireki Great Fire of 1657, the elaborate structure was not rebuilt, especially since the Tokugawa Shōgunate was no longer questioned after the destruction of the Toyotomi in 1615.

The other Maru

In addition to the Honmaru, there were other Maru (Castles) on the grounds of the Edo-jō. The Ni-no-maru, located below the Honmaru, contained a small residence with a Nō stage. The narrow San-no-maru formed the outermost protection of the castle. In the Nishi-no-maru was a second large residence. Furthermore, in the Nishi-no-maru, on a hill called “Momijiyama,” was the Shōgun’s extensive library. In the Kita-no-maru, the two Gosankyō families Tayasu and Shimizu resided after 1700. Since that time, this area no longer belonged to the castle.

The castle after the Shoguns

When the reigning Shōgun lost power in 1868, the representative of the imperial troops and the Shōgunate negotiator agreed on a peaceful surrender of the city and castle. The castle was first renamed “Tōkei-jō” (Tokei Castle), then “Kōjō” (Imperial Castle) in 1869, when it became the seat of the imperial court.

The main residence had already become uninhabitable by the end of the Edo period. So the Tennō (the Emperor of Japan) took over the existing residence in the western part of the castle, in the Nishi-no-maru. However, this residence burned down in 1873 and the Tennō moved to the nearby former residence of the Kii branch of the Tokugawa. It was not until 15 years later, in 1888, that the new residence “Kōkyo” (Tennō residence) could be occupied.

The Edo Castle today

Although the main Edo-jō castle was demolished after a fire, the ruins of the castle still bear witness to the impressive size of the castle complex. The stone foundations of the tenshukaku (castle tower) are also silent witnesses today to the former grandeur of Edo Castle.

At the height of the Tokugawa Shōgunate’s power, the inner castle grounds alone were eight kilometers in diameter. The outer castle grounds had an almost unbelievable diameter of 16 kilometers. Even the artificial island of Odaiba in Tokyo Bay was once part of the castle’s defenses.

Attractions in Kitanomaru Park

Kitanomaru Park is located in the area of the former northern district of Edo Castle. In addition to the beautiful gardens of Kitanomaru Park, some of Tokyo’s most important and interesting museums are located here, such as the National Museum of Modern Art and the Science Museum Tokyo.