53Characteristics of Japanese castles

You may visualize castle towers that rise high above stone walls when you hear someone mention “Japanese castles.” However, such a castle tower served merely as a watchtower and a symbol of power, not as the main building that served as the base for the feudal lords nor as the center of politics in the Edo Period. The main building was the honmaru-goten, or the castle’s main palace; long ago, these palaces could be seen in many castles all over Japan, but very few of them remain today. As a matter of fact, this history museum is the first main palace to be restored in Japan.