Tayasu-mon Gate of Edo Castle

 There is Kita-no-maru Park between the Imperial Palace and Yasukuni shrine. The park is famous for the Nippon Budōkan ( it means Japan martial arts stadium). In the Edo period (1603 ~ 1868), this area formed the Northern Enclosure of Edo Castle. The Tayasu-Tokugawa family and the Shimizu-Tokugawa family both had mansions in this area.

 Tayasu-Tokugawa family usually says Tayasu family. Tayasu family, one of the three lords called Gosankyō, was a branch of the Tokugawa shōgun family. It was possible to adopt a child if the shōgun family had no succession. Its ancestor was Munetake (1715~1771), the second son of the eighth shōgun Yoshimine (1684~1751). In 1731, he was given a mansion inside of Tayasu-mon gate, and started living there.

 I have visited and seen the gate many times. There was an earth-paved bridge in front of the gate. If you look at the front side of the gate, there is the moat called Chidori-ga-fuchi moat on the right side, and the moat called Ushi-ga-fuchi moat on the left side.

 I think that the gate has a basic shape, as the gate of Edo Castle. First, I went through the one-story gate called Kōrai-mon gate, there was a square. Second, I turned right, there was the turreted passageway called Watari-Yagura-mon gate. Finally, I went through the turreted passageway, I got inside Kita-no-maru Park. The Nippon Budōkan was just south of the gate. The turreted passageway was rebuilt after World War II, so details may be different, but I was impressed that it was so big.