* Image is for illustrative purposes only.Edo Castle (Imperial Palace)
江戸城（皇居）
Edo Castle (Imperial Palace) is a historic castle in Kantō dating from the Founded 1457 (Chōroku 1); major Tokugawa reconstruction begun 1606 (Keichō 11), whose lord was Ōta Dōkan / Tokugawa shogunate.
Overview
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 TOUKENZA.
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.
Connection to Swords
Edo Castle, as the residence of the Tokugawa shōguns — Japan's greatest sword patrons — occupied a central position in Japanese sword culture. The shōgun's sword collection boasted an unprecedented scale, and its contents were recorded in documents including the Kinpō Meibutsuchō. The Kinpō Meibutsuchō (completed 1719) recorded approximately 230 famous swords, most of which were owned by the shōgun or related inner (shinpan) and hereditary (fudai) daimyō. Among the swords documented in this catalogue were numerous works by the greatest masters of kotō — Masamune, Yoshimitsu, and Yoshihiro — many of which had been preserved in Edo Castle's imperial treasure vault. This catalogue was not merely a list; it was an official document that established the authoritative hierarchy of Japanese swords during the Edo period and continues to serve as a fundamental reference in sword appraisal today. The presentation of swords from the shōgun to the various daimyō was an important political ritual. In particular, swords bestowed upon daimyō who came to Edo for sankin-kōtai (alternate attendance) were treated with special reverence in their households as evidence of the shōgun's trust. The provenance of these haikyō-tō (swords received from the shōgun) was clearly documented through certification documents (origami) and records, and they were accorded a protocol entirely distinct from other swords. The Hon'ami family, who held a monopoly on sword appraisal, served at Edo Castle and supported the shōgun's sword administration. The "origami" affixed by the Hon'ami family was the supreme authority officially certifying a sword's value — the prototype of today's sword appraisal certificates. The shōgun's household at Edo Castle can be said to have created the very value system of Japanese swords itself. The relationship between the Sendai Date clan and Edo Castle was intimate through the sankin-kōtai system. Date Masamune treasured the swords he received from the shōgun, and the Sendai domain's sword collection included pieces of Edo Castle provenance. The spiritual background of the Japanese swords that TOUKENZA handles is infused with the deep chain of sword culture connecting Edo Castle and Sendai. Today, many of the swords that once belonged to Edo Castle are housed in the Tokyo National Museum and the Imperial Household Agency's Sannomaru Shōzōkan, among other institutions. Central Tokyo thus concentrates some of the finest places to study the history of the Japanese sword, together with visits to the Imperial Palace East Gardens.
Highlights
- Tower base — massive stone platform of what was once the world's tallest castle tower
- Imperial Palace East Garden (free entry) — explore the ruins of the honmaru, ninomaru, and sannomaru
- Hyakunin-ban-dokoro and Ōban-dokoro — guardhouses of the elite castle garrison
- Sakuradamon Gate (Important Cultural Property) — site of the assassination of Ii Naosuke
- Chidorigafuchi — world-famous cherry blossom moat scenery in spring
- Sannomaru Shōzōkan (Museum of the Imperial Collections) — treasures including swords of the imperial household
* Opening hours and admission fees are subject to change. Please check the official website before visiting.