Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo, and is therefore also known as Chiyoda Castle .
Tokugawa Ieyasu established the Tokugawa shogunate there, and it was the residence of the shōgun and the headquarters of the military government during the Edo period (1603–1867) in Japanese history. After the resignation of the shōgun and the Meiji Restoration, it became the Tokyo Imperial Palace. Some moats, walls and ramparts of the castle survive to this day. However, the grounds were more extensive during the Edo period, with Tokyo Station and the Marunouchi section of the city lying within the outermost moat. It also encompassed Kitanomaru Park, the Nippon Budokan Hall and other current landmarks of the surrounding area.
Edo Castle with surrounding residential palaces and moats, from a 17th-century screen painting.
Folding screen depicting scenes of daimyōs attending at Edo Castle in 1847. Hasuike-Tatsumi-Sanjū-yagura is at the center, Kikyō-mon (the inner Sakurada-mon) on the right side. Signs alongside the moat are written with the words "geba" (dismount). The attending daimyōs were required to reduce their number of attendants before entering the inner castle compound. Signs with the family names of each entourage identify them (counting from the right side the first panel) from the
The appearance of the Honmaru and Ninomaru during the Edo period
The main tower (upper right) with the surrounding Honmaru palace, Bairinzaka, Hirakawaguchi gate and Ninomaru (lower part)
Ōta Dōkan , also known as Ōta Sukenaga, was a Japanese samurai lord, poet and Buddhist monk. He took the tonsure as a Buddhist priest in 1478, and he also adopted the Buddhist name, Dōkan, by which he is known today. Dōkan is best known as the architect and builder of Edo Castle in what is today modern Tokyo; and he is considered the founder of the castle town which grew up around that Ōnin era fortress.
Portrait of Ōta Dōkan
A portion of Edo Castle, built by Dōkan.