How to Experience Real Edo: Kagurazaka to Kawagoe with the Legacy of Tadakatsu Sakai
How to Experience Real Edo: Kagurazaka to Kawagoe with the Legacy of Tadakatsu Sakai Did You Know Kagurazaka Was Built for Shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu? In a previous blog, we discussed how Kagurazaka was constructed in 1636 as a wide street (12 meters across) known as “Onaridori” (Processional Way) for Tokugawa Iemitsu, the third Shogun. This street was specifically designed for the Shogun’s travels. Kagurazaka’s construction as Onaridori was largely due to the expansive estate of Tadakatsu Sakai, the Tairo (Senior Councilor) and lord of Wakasa Obama Domain, located in the Ushigome area. The street from Sakai’s estate to the Ushigome gate of Edo Castle forms what is now Kagurazaka. Tadakatsu Sakai: The Link Between Kagurazaka and Kawagoe Before becoming the lord of the Wakasa Obama Domain, Tadakatsu Sakai was the second lord of the Kawagoe Domain. Kawagoe is affectionately known as “Koedo (Little Edo)” due to its preserved Edo-era ambiance. Kawagoe Castle played a pivotal role as a northern defense point for Edo, with successive generations of shogunate senior vassals as lords. Did You Know That Edo Castle and Kawagoe Castle Were Built in the Same Year by the Same Father-Son Duo? It is said that Kawagoe Castle