The former yaku-i-mon gate of Mito Castle, one of the few surviving Mito Castle structures. A precious historical building conveying the Edo-period appearance of Mito Castle. A yaku-i-mon is one form of castle formal front gate, composed of main pillars, support pillars, and ridge. Mito Castle was the residence of the Mito domain, one of the Tokugawa Three Houses, with imposing presence throughout…

Mito Castle is said to have been originally constructed by the Baba clan during the medieval period, later serving as a base for the Edo clan. In the early 17th century, during the Keicho era, Tokugawa Yorifusa, a son of Ieyasu Tokugawa, became the first lord of the Mito domain, after which the Mito…