Tenshu Stone Tower Base, Tokyo

Tenshu stone tower base is the ruined base of a stone tower that was once a part of the Edo castle in Tokyo.

The Tenshu stone tower was constructed by the 2nd Tokugawa Shogun Hidetada who ruled Tokyo in 1607. It was improved in 1622 and completed by his successor Tokugawa Lemitsu in 1638. It formed part of the Edo Castle and was its central tower. Most castles in Japan during the shogun era had central towers. The Tenshu stone tower was 58 meters tall with five floors above the ground and a sixth underground floor. In its heyday, it was an impressive structure that reflected the strength and power of the Tokugawa Shogunate. It was burnt down by the Meireki fire that destroyed nearly 70 percent of the city of Edo now called Tokyo in 1657 and was never rebuilt.

Today, only the base of the Tenshu stone tower survives. It has become a major tourist attraction. The former Edo castle is the residence of the present Emperor of Japan, but the stone structure is accessible to visitors. One can climb to the top of the stone base to get a picture of the grandeur of the Tenshu stone tower during the rule of the Tokugawa Shogunate.