Sakurada-mon Gate, Former Edo Castle (Currently one of the gates of the Imperial Palace)

Walking distance from Sakuradamon Station etc., Tokyo, JAPAN
Important Cultural Property / Nationally Designated / Buildings

Panorama of Sakurada-mon Gate (dual-gate), the gate on your right is the outer gate and the gate on your left is the inner gate where they could snipe enemies passing through the outer gate (Photo by (c)TeaTime Tokyo)

Sakurada-mon Gate is the largest of remaining gates of the former Edo Castle (and the Edo Caslte is the largest among castles ever built in Japan).

Most of the gates of Edo Castle were designed in the style called "Masugata-mon Gate", which consists of two gates of different types, an inner gate and an outer gate,  with a squared space held inbetween. The structure was considered having strategic advantages to protect the castle from enemies over battles. The inner gate of the two, named "Yagura-mon" gate, is a gate-shaped turret where they could snipe their enemies passing through the outer gate. Sakurada-mon Gate is one of the "Masugata-mon" gates and was completed in 1620.

Sakurada-mon Gate is open to the public. There is no closing period excluding temporary closings, so you can walk through at any time. It's free of charge.

Former Ministiry of Justice (currently Message Gallery, Ministry of Justice)

Walking distance from Sakurada-mon Station etc., Tokyo, JAPAN
Important Cultural Property / Nationally Designated / Buildings

Exterior Panorama ((c) Photo by TeaTimeTokyo)

The former main building of Ministry of Justice, the red brick building, is the only remaining building of Central Government Buildings Integration Project. It symbolizes modernization of Japanese architectural techniques in the Meiji era.

Inside the building, in the rooms at the northern corner on the 3rd floor, is the
Message Gallery of Ministry of Justice, where historical materials and data related to the Ministry including some sensational cases in the Meiji era are exhibited (Exhibits are displayed in Japanese only).

As for visitor's information, refer to the official site below. At the entrance, you and your belongings will be fully inspected. Photo of exhibits are prohibited.

Sangedatsu-mon Gate, Zojoji Temple

Walking distance from Onari-mon Station etc., Tokyo, JAPAN
Important Cultural Property / Nationally Designated / Buildings

(Photo by (c)Tomo.Yun http://www.yunphoto.net)

Sangedatsu-mon Gate is the main gate of Zojoji Temple. Zojoji Temple was the family temple of the Tokugawa Shogun family, and was designed after the Buddhist paradise.

"Sangedatsu" means  emancipation from 3 kinds of worldly attachments (passions, desires, worries, etc.). Sangedatsu-mon Gate is the gate to enter the Buddhist paradise (the Pure Land) from this impure world. As you approach the main Great Hall passing through Daimon Gate (the outer gate) to Sangedatsu-mon Gate (the inner gate), you emancipate yourself from the full set of the 108 kinds of worldly desires and worries to be Nirvana, and at Sangedatsu-mon Gate you emancipate from the final 3 desires and worries, which are greediness, anger and senseless. In the main Great Hall, you find Pure Land Buddha.

In the upper layer of the gate, settled are the statues of Buddha and achievers of Nirvana.