2025-01-02

Fujimi-Yagura

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Fujimi-Yagura: One of Tokyo’s Last Edo Castle Guard Towers
皇居に残る江戸城富士見櫓


The Fujimi-Yagura guard tower, originally built in 1606, was destroyed in a 1657 fire and later reconstructed in 1659. This three-story tower, standing about 16 meters (52.49 feet) high, was designed with an architectural trick—it appears the same shape from any angle, earning it the nickname “Eight-Sided Tower.”

Over the centuries, the tower endured further challenges. It suffered damage in the Great Kanto Earthquake of 1923, leading to repairs that shaped its present form.

For over two centuries, before Edo was renamed Tokyo and transformed into a city of high-rise buildings, the top floor of Fujimi-Yagura offered sweeping views of Mount Fuji, distant mountain peaks, and Tokyo Bay. This scenic vantage point gave the tower its name, Fujimi (富士見), meaning "a view of Mount Fuji"—a combination of "Fuji" (Mount Fuji) and "mi" (to see).

Beneath the tower, its stone wall foundation is among the oldest surviving stone walls within the former Edo Castle grounds. The base of the tower is built in the uchikomi-hagi (打込矧ぎ) style, one of the principal techniques of Japanese castle stone wall construction.

In the uchikomi-hagi method, large boulders were split into smaller pieces, and the stones' faces were carefully chipped to create a flatter surface. Smaller stones were tightly wedged into the remaining gaps, ensuring a seamless fit—all without mortar. This intricate craftsmanship allowed the wall to withstand centuries of earthquakes, a testament to the ingenuity of Japan’s castle builders.

As I viewed the Fujimi-Yagura tower through my camera’s viewfinder, I couldn’t help but reflect on how this historic watchtower has silently witnessed Tokyo’s transformation. The contrast between the centuries-old stonework and the glass-and-steel skyscrapers towering behind it stayed on my mind, and I felt grateful to capture both past and present in a single frame—an enduring piece of Edo’s history standing amid the ever-changing city skyline.

  • Location: Imperial Palace, Chiyoda Ward, Tokyo
  • Timestamp: 11:10・2025/01/02
  • Fujifilm X100V with 5% diffusion filter
  • ISO 320 for 1/500 sec. at ƒ/8.0
  • Provia/Standard film simulation

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