Tamon-yagura Turret

The Tamon-yagura Turret stands out for its L-shaped stone foundation and its heavy, defensive timber frame. It is one of the few original structures to survive the devastating fires of eighteen sixty-eight. During the final days of the Tokugawa shogunate, the turret served as a fortified gateway protecting the main entrance to the citadel. When the castle fell to imperial forces, a stray spark ignited the surrounding barracks, but the thick, white plaster walls of this turret held against the flames.