Wadakura Fountain Park

You're in Wadakura Fountain Park, on the edge of the old castle grounds. The name Wadakura goes back to the storehouses, or kura, that once stood near the gate here. The storehouses vanished long ago, but the name stayed. The fountains are much newer, and they were a kind of wedding present. The park was built in 1961 to celebrate the marriage of the Crown Prince, who later became Emperor Akihito. More than thirty years later it was renewed for the wedding of his son, the current Emperor. Look at the shape of the water jets. They are designed to recall the chrysanthemum, the flower of the imperial crest. In the evening the fountains are lit from below. Now look west, across the moat. On the corner of the old stone wall stands a white, two-storey turret. This is Tatsumi-yagura, a watchtower from the castle's days, and the only one left in this outer ring of the castle. With the wall and the water beneath it, it gives you a good idea of how Edo Castle once looked from the city.