Otemon Gate
During the Tokugawa Shogunate (1603–1867), the Otemon Gate served as the main gate of Edo Castle, and it was used by the shogun and feudal lords. It consists of two gates, one small and one large, set at right angles. This was a device to slow down the momentum of attackers, and to trap the enemy in an enclosed space where they could be fired on from the larger gate’s upper story. The larger gate was rebuilt in 1967 after being destroyed in an air raid during World War II. The decorative mythical sea creature beside this panel is from the roof of the original gate, where it acted as a talisman against fire. The date 1657 is inscribed on its head.
PHOTO CAPTIONS
Otemon in the early Meiji period (1868–1912)
From Secret Photograph Collection at the Rokumeikan (Kasumi Kaikan Foundation)