The Castle at Kita-in?

How Edo’s Stronghold Ended Up in Kawagoe

How in the nine hells did a piece of what was once a massive fortress in central Tokyo make its way to neighboring Saitama Prefecture? Let’s unravel this mystery by starting with a brief historical overview. Today we will be journeying back up to Saitama Prefecture to visit one of my favorite hidden gems in Kawagoe, the Kita-in Temple complex.

Impressive in its own right, this Tendai Sect temple is also home to the remaining intact pieces of the original castle of the famous Tokugawa shogunate. Though some of the inflammable ruins can be seen today, the wooden structures are lost entirely to antiquity. Astute readers will of course pick up on the fact that Kita-in is located nearly an hour away by from train from the former site of this castle, now home to the Imperial Palace.

Kita-in itself is an ancient temple with roots dating back as far as 850 AD. Despite its long history, the temple came into prominence after receiving the support of the legendary first shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu in the early 1600s. Following his passing, Ieyasu’s remains were transported to Nikko and on the way, a memorial service was held at Kita-in. For this reason, one of Japan’s three most important Toshogu shrines is located nearby the temple.