Kikyō-mon gate of Edo Castle

 The gate was in third enclosure of Edo Castle. In the Edo period (1603 ~ 1868), the gate was called Uchi-Sakurada-mon (inner Sakurada-mon) gate against Soto-Sakurada-mon (outer Sakurada-mon) gate (now Sakurada-mon gate).

 There are various theories about the origin of the name Kikyō-mon gate.One is that the balloon flower (or Chinese bellflower, Japanese name is Kikyō) of Ōta dōkan's family crest remained on the roof tile, but it is not clear. Ōta dōkan is believed to have built Edo Castle first.

 If you look at the front, there is a moat called Kikyō-bori moat on the right, and a moat called Hamaguri-bori moat on the left. I think the gate is not big.

 There is Imperial Guard Headquarters if you go through the gate, and The Imperial Household Agency staff passes through this gate, so the general public usually cannot pass through the gate. But, there is an opportunity for the general public to see a part of the Imperial Palace. The registration on the day is in front of this gate. Please check the Imperial Household Agency website for details.

 There is a Southeast two-story guard tower called Tatsumi-nijyū-yagura east of the gate. According to a book, this tower was wrecked in the Great Kanto Earthquake in 1923, but it was rebuilt in 1927 with concrete construction.