Takanawa Great Wooden Gate, Archaeological site in Takanawa, Japan
The Takanawa Great Wooden Gate is an archaeological site in Takanawa preserving the foundations of a large wooden entrance structure. The remains include stone walls that span about nine meters and mark where this gateway once stood.
The gate was built in 1710 by the Tokugawa Shogunate to control access along the Tokaido highway into Edo. This structure served as part of the strategic management of traffic entering and leaving the capital during that period.
The gate regulated daily life during the Edo period, opening at sunrise and closing at sunset, monitoring the movement of people and goods.
The remains are located near Sengakuji Station's A4 exit on the Toei Asakusa Line, with stone markers indicating the original position. The site is walkable and well-marked for visitors to find.
Cartographer Ino Tadataka chose this gate as the starting point for his ambitious surveying project that mapped Japan's entire territory. This selection makes the location significant in the history of Japanese mapmaking.
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