江戸城（皇居）

The Greatest Castle in the Land: Edo Castle's Founding and Tokugawa Transformation

Edo Castle originated with Ōta Dōkan's fortress of 1457, before being massively expanded by Tokugawa Ieyasu, Hidetada, and Iemitsu through three generations of national construction projects (tenka fushin) beginning in 1606. The completed castle became the largest fortification complex in the world, surrounded by vast moats, stone walls, and enclosures. Its castle town grew into Edo, the world's largest city with a population exceeding one million.

The great tower completed during the third shōgun Iemitsu's reign (Kan'ei era) stood approximately 60 meters tall including its stone base — the tallest castle tower of the early modern period. Destroyed in the Great Fire of Meireki (1657), it was never rebuilt, leaving only the tower base. The decision not to rebuild reflected the political philosophy of "a peaceful age needs no tower," itself a fascinating indicator of how warrior culture was transforming.

The Kinpō Meibutsuchō: Repository of the Shogunate's Sword Collection

Edo Castle was the site of Japan's greatest sword collection. Successive Tokugawa shōguns pursued sword collecting with extraordinary passion, and through presentations from daimyō and official gifts, famous blades from across Japan flowed into Edo Castle.

Most significant was the Kinpō Meibutsuchō, compiled on the orders of the eighth shōgun Yoshimune during the Kyōhō era (1716–1736) by sword appraisers including Hon'ami Kōtoku. This comprehensive catalogue of famous swords — recording their names, owners, provenance, dimensions, and appraisal signatures — is one of the most important surviving primary sources in sword history. Many of the swords catalogued had deep connections to the shogunate, and numerous blades passed through Edo Castle before being presented to daimyō families.

Masterworks by Masamune, Yoshimitsu, and Yoshihiro accumulated in the shōgun's treasure vaults. The presentation of swords from shōgun to daimyō was a crucial political ritual, with the choice of which sword to give whom carrying delicate political significance. The Date family of Sendai received swords from the Tokugawa shōguns, making Edo Castle deeply connected to the sword culture of Sendai — the home of DATEKATANA.

The Scale of the Castle: Stone Walls and Moats of a World-Class Fortress

The total length of Edo Castle's moats extends approximately 4.6 km. Within the Imperial Palace East Garden (now open to the public), the stone walls, tower base, Ōban-dokoro, Hyakunin-ban-dokoro, Sakuradamon Gate, Tayasunomon Gate, and Shimizumon Gate from the Edo period survive. The massive tower base — approximately 11 meters tall — evokes the grandeur of the original tower. The stone walls, contributed by daimyō from across Japan as proof of their participation in the national construction project, represent one of the finest examples of Japanese castle masonry.

Edo Castle and Warrior Culture: The Shōgun's Armed Court

Edo Castle was both the political headquarters of the shogunate and the site of the highest rituals of warrior society. When daimyō and hatamoto came for audience with the shōgun, they wore formal attire and carried their paired swords — the visible symbol of samurai status. The shōgun's personal swords (o-koshimono) received special treatment, with the finest pieces selected through appraisal by the Hon'ami family. The office of o-koshimono bugyō (sword administrator) was established specifically to manage the shōgun's blades, demonstrating how swords were institutionally embedded in the structure of shogunal power.

After the Meiji Restoration: Edo Castle as Imperial Palace

Since Emperor Meiji's arrival in Tokyo in 1868, Edo Castle has served as the Imperial Palace. The outer and inner moats and Edo-period stone walls survive intact, making the complex one of the world's largest historic urban spaces. The Imperial Palace East Garden is open to the public free of charge. The iconic view of the nijūbashi (double bridge) at the outer garden is one of Tokyo's defining landmarks, and the cherry blossoms of Chidorigafuchi in spring are celebrated worldwide as a symbol of Japanese spring.