Edo Castle. Edo Castle was huge! It was the worlds biggest castle! About 2km across, and about 16km in circumference, it featured a number of moat-separated compounds, or citadels, such as the Hon-Maru in the very center, the Ni-no-Maru, (2nd citadel) San-no-Maru, (3rd Citadel) Nishi-no-maru, (Western Citadel) Nishi-no-maru-Shita, (outer western compound) Fukiage (Firebreak compound) and the Kita-no-Maru (Northern Citadel). Above the ishigaki (stone wall) lined moats separating these citadels were various yagura (watchtowers), and the various compounds were linked by wooden bridges with sturdy gates at either end. The central Hon-Maru alone was surrounded by 11 sumi-yagura watchtowers, 15 tamon yagura (long turrets), and over 20 gates. Within this castle-like inner compound was the Tenshukaku (Keep) and the Hon-Maru Goten, the Shogun’s palace / living quarters. The Honmaru Goten complex is believed to have covered some 33,000 square meters, and consisted of a series of single story structures, connected by corridors, and built around a number of gardens and courtyards. The O-omote (Great Outer Palace) featured reception rooms for audiences with the Hatamoto, (elite samurai) and apartments for the guards and officials. The Naka-Oku (central interior) was where the shogun would meet with the daimyo, and higher ranked officials, and finally, the 1,000 tatami mat sized Ooku, (Great Interior) where the shogun lived with his wives, concubines and family. This part of the palace was strictly off-limits to all bar certain servants and guards. The Honmaru Goten was destroyed by fire three times, and each time rebuilt, however following the final fire in 1873, the Honmaru Goten was never rebuilt. Just behind the site of the Honmaru Goten palace is the impressive Tenshudai! 41x45m wide, and 11m high! Many Jidaigeki, such as Aburembo Shogun, often portray shots of Edo Castle with a huge Tenshu, and use either Himeji or another castle in it’s place. This is incorrect, as the actual Tenshu, which stood 51m high on this base, and was the tallest,…not the biggest, --that was Nagoya Castle,-- but the tallest Tenshu in Japan, beating Nagoya Castle in height by only a meter or so. It was constructed in 1607, and featured Doban, (black, copper plated walls) along the lower edges, and huge golden dolphin-like Kin-Shachi on the roof. Edo castle’s Kin-Shachi were slightly bigger than Nagoya’s famed Kin-Shachi and were covered in 300kg of gold, while Nagoya Castle’s Shachi had 280kg. This Tenshu was destroyed 50 years after it had been built, in the Great Fire of Meireki in 1657, and was never reconstructed. Instead, the three story high Fujimi Yagura that still stands to this day became the unofficial “tenshu”.
Posted on: Fri, 05 Dec 2014 23:42:58 +0000
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