The amazing castle of Edo !
The cornerstone of Edo Period
The castle of Edo is located in Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo. It was the shogun’s castle and functioned as the center of government during the Edo Period. As the center of government it served as the stage for many high-profile incidents and events. In 1701, Naganori Asano drew his sword and attacked Yoshihisa Kira in the Corridor of the Pines at Edo Castle. The Sakurada-mon Gate near the castle is well known for the Sakuradamon Incident, an assassination with long-reaching political consequences. Now you can only see the inner citadel and vestiges of its former opulence and splendor. These are but a few of the many historical attractions that draw the large numbers of castle and history enthusiasts.
The area that would become Edo Castle began when Shigetsugu Edo built his residence in the 12th century. Later in the 15th century a castle was erected by Ota Dokan and then conquered and rebuilt by Tokugawa Ieyasu. When Tokugawa conquered it, Edo Castle was small and in miserable condition so he expanded the grounds and made several additions to the castle. Tokugawa united Japan and began the Edo shogunate in 1603, and he subsequently enacted the large scale official attendance service for all regional lords at Edo Castle as a way of maintaining power. Many years later the castle tower was burned down in the Great Meireki Fire of 1965 and was never rebuilt. The area would later become the sight of the Imperial Palace and another portion of it was opened to the public.
