Sakuradamon

 

Sakuradamon Station is a subway station located in the Chiyoda Ward of Tokyo. The station, which is located in front of East Garden of the Imperial Palace, is served by the Tokyo Metro Yurakucho Line.

 

The station takes its name from Sakuradamon , literally meaning Sakurada Gate , because it is located right in front of this gate of the Imperial Palace. Sakurada Gate is an impressive entrance to the East Garden of the Palace. It is short with a wide foundation and a dark stone base, topped with a light wooden structure. This one gate actually consists of “two” gates – a narrow gate, and a thick gate at a 90 degree angle to the narrow one. Sakurada Gate was originally built in 1620. In 1923, it was badly damaged in the Great Kanto Earthquake and had to be reconstructed. In 1961, Sakurada Gate was declared an Important Cultural Asset, as it is the only remaining gate of the original Edo Castle (later rebuilt into the Imperial Palace).