Life in the Court Nobles’ Residential Areas
The pictures below show examples of life in the court nobles’ residential areas. A screen painting depicts the 1620 wedding procession of Emperor Go-Mizunoo (1596–1680) and Masako (1607–1678), fifth daughter of the second Tokugawa Shogun, Hidetada (1579–1632). Walls separating the palace from the city were made of earth (tsuiji-bei) or wood (ita-bei), rather than the stone walls or concrete that would be used today. At right are two pictures of nobles visiting the palace, and commoners who have gathered to watch the proceedings. It is clear that this area was surprisingly open, and not sealed off from the rest of the city.
The sight of nobles at the gates of their compounds was one of Kyoto’s main attractions, as depicted in many pictures in city guides in the latter part of the Edo Period.
The scene from this folding screen depicts the marriage of Masako, the fifth daughter of the second Tokugawa shogun, to Emperor Go-Mizunoo. 560 different bridal accessories from the Tokugawa family are on display. The enlarged section at right shows the court nobles’ residential areas and the Imperial Palace.