★★★★★ 5.0
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Kikyō-mon Gate
36 massive gates once protected this castle - and you're standing at one of the ORIGINALS from 1620! That's over 400 years ago, which means this Kikyō-mon Gate is older than your entire country if you're American! Here's the coolest secret - it wasn't always called the Wisteria Gate. Back when samurai warriors marched through here, everyone called it Uchi-Sakurada-mon, but they renamed it after tiny purple flowers on a castle builder's family badge! This wooden giant was your ticket into what was once the world's biggest fortress - imagine a castle so huge it could fit 20 of your schools inside! Today, every single official tour of the Emperor's palace starts right here where you're standing... pretty amazing that you're using the exact same entrance as visiting kings and queens!
Did You Know?
- The Kikyō-mon Gate was once known as the Uchi-Sakurada-mon during the Edo period (1603–1868) and served as a key entry point within the third enclosure of Edo Castle, distinguishing it from the Soto-Sakurada-mon (now Sakurada-mon), reflecting its strategic importance in the castle’s layered defense system.
- The gate’s name, 'Kikyō,' is shrouded in mystery—one theory suggests it may be linked to the presence of the balloon flower (Chinese bellflower, or 'kikyō' in Japanese) from the family crest of Ōta Dōkan, the legendary builder of Edo Castle, possibly featured on the gate’s roof tiles; however, this remains a charming but unconfirmed legend that adds to the gate’s allure.
- Kikyō-mon is not only a stunning example of traditional Japanese architecture, with its thick wooden beams and robust stone base, but it also serves as the starting point for official tours of the Imperial Palace grounds—though visitors without reservations can only admire its beauty from the outside, making it a 'gateway' both literally and figuratively to Japan’s imperial history.