Original 15th-Century Castle Wall Found in Tokyo

TOKYO, JAPAN—The Mainichi reports that a 400-year-old stone wall standing about 13 feet tall has been uncovered at Edo Castle, which was constructed in the mid-fifteenth century A.D. by Ōta Dōkan, a samurai warrior-poet who eventually became a Buddhist monk. In the mid-nineteenth century, the castle site became the home of the emperor. The 53-foot-long section of wall was found during the renovation work in the East Garden at the Imperial Palace, near the Otemon Gate. Officials from Tokyo’s Chiyoda Ward think it may have been part of Edo Castle’s water-filled moat because a water line remains on the surface of the stones. The wall is thought to have been shortened and buried during castle renovations in the mid-seventeenth century. The remains will be covered over with soil after they have been fully examined. To read about hidden Buddhist paintings in the Saimyoji Temple that were rediscovered via infrared imaging, go to "Around the World: Japan."