Saru ga Tsuji
Tucked up under the northeast eaves of the palace’s outer wall is a carved wooden monkey. Wearing a tall conical eboshi cap and carrying a gohei wand with strips of paper attached, the monkey represents an emissary from the Hie Sannoh Shrine, which guards against the misfortune believed to emanate from the northeast. Because of its mischievous ways, the monkey has been caged behind a metal mesh to discourage its nighttime wanderings.
Toward the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, Anekoji Kintomo (1840–1863) was assassinated close to this spot. Kintomo was a court noble who opposed the opening of Japan to the outside world and spearheaded a movement to expel the foreigners he saw as barbarians.