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First established by [[Ota Dokan|Ôta Dôkan]] in [[1457]], the castle was a secondary center of power within the Kantô, under [[Odawara castle]], through much of the [[Sengoku period]]. Following the [[Siege of Odawara|fall of Odawara]] in [[1590]], [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] established [[Edo]] as his new center.

First established by [[Ota Dokan|Ôta Dôkan]] in [[1457]], the castle was a secondary center of power within the Kantô, under [[Odawara castle]], through much of the [[Sengoku period]]. Following the [[Siege of Odawara|fall of Odawara]] in [[1590]], [[Tokugawa Ieyasu]] established [[Edo]] as his new center.

The castle then became the center of shogunal residence & rule, from [[1603]] onwards. The grand ''tenshukaku'' (tower keep), the tallest ever built in Japan at 58 meters high & five stories high from exterior view, was begun in [[1607]] and completed in [[1638]], following a series of repairs to the castle as a whole in [[1622]]. It suffered severe damage from fire on a number of occasions, perhaps most grievously in the [[1657]] [[Great Meireki Fire]], when the ''tenshu'' (main keep) was destroyed; the ''tenshu'' was never rebuilt.

The castle then became the center of shogunal residence & rule, from [[1603]] onwards. The castle grounds were expanded significantly, including the construction of complexes of moats and gates (''mitsuke''), such that they came to encompass an area twice that of [[Osaka castle]], the next-largest castle compound in the archipelago.<ref name=fujitani40>Takashi Fujitani, ''Splendid Monarchy'', University of California Press (1996), 40.</ref> The grand ''tenshukaku'' (tower keep), the tallest ever built in Japan at 58 meters high & five stories high from exterior view, was begun in [[1607]] and completed in [[1638]], following a series of repairs to the castle as a whole in [[1622]]. It suffered severe damage from fire on a number of occasions, perhaps most grievously in the [[1657]] [[Great Meireki Fire]], when the ''tenshu'' (main keep) was destroyed; the ''tenshu'' was never rebuilt.

The castle was guarded chiefly by the [[Koshôgumi]] (Inner Guard) and [[Shoinban]] (Bodyguards), who also defended the shogun himself when outside of the castle. Along with the [[Oban|Ôban]] (Great Guard) who guarded [[Nijo castle|Nijô]] and [[Osaka castle]]s, they constituted the three chief shogunate guard units. The commanders of these three units were selected from the highest-ranking ''[[hatamoto]]'', but wielded little political power.<ref>Mitani Hiroshi, David Noble (trans.), ''Escape from Impasse'', International House of Japan (2006), xxx.</ref>

Another significant set of two fires took place in [[1863]], destroying the ''nishi-no-maru'', ''honmaru'', and ''ni-no-maru'' portions of the compound. The shogunate never replaced the ''honmaru'', which had up until then been the chief structure in the compound, housing the chief audience halls and administrative offices and meeting rooms, as well as the [[Ooku|Ôoku]]. Instead, for the final years of the [[Bakumatsu period]], the shogunate operated out of temporary structures hastily thrown up in the ''nishi-no-maru''.<ref name=fujitani40/>

The [[Meiji Emperor]] took up residence in the castle beginning on [[1869]]/3/28. By that time, the castle had already been renamed "imperial residence" (''kôkyo''), the most standard term used to refer to the Palace today as well; however, [[Fukuoka Takachika]], among other prominent members of the Court at that time, argue that as it was not designated ''kyûjô'' (宮城), it was not yet ''the'' (permanent/primary) Imperial Palace, but was only an ''[[anzaisho]]'', a temporary palace secondary to [[Kyoto Imperial Palace|that in Kyoto]], until the newly-built Palace was designated ''kyûjô'' in [[1889]].<ref>Takashi Fujitani, Splendid Monarchy, University of California Press (1996), 36-37.</ref>

The [[Meiji Emperor]] took up residence in these temporary ''nishi-no-maru'' structures beginning on [[1869]]/3/28. By that time, the castle had already been renamed "imperial residence" (''kôkyo''), the most standard term used to refer to the Palace today as well; however, [[Fukuoka Takachika]], among other prominent members of the Court at that time, argue that as it was not designated ''kyûjô'' (宮城), it was not yet ''the'' (permanent/primary) Imperial Palace, but was only an ''[[anzaisho]]'', a temporary palace secondary to [[Kyoto Imperial Palace|that in Kyoto]], until the newly-built Palace was designated ''kyûjô'' in [[1889]].<ref>Fujitani, 36-37.</ref>

The castle burnt down again in [[1873]], and the Meiji Emperor, his Empress, and the [[Imperial Household Ministry]] relocated to the [[Akasaka Temporary Palace]] until 1889, when the castle's reconstruction as the Tokyo Imperial Palace was complete.<ref>Fujitani, 66-67.</ref> In the intervening time before reconstruction began, the area in and around the castle grounds became overgrown with vegetation, and overrun with wildlife including foxes and badgers. One former retainer of [[Satsuma han]] lamented that it was "unbearable to look at."<ref>Fujitani, 41.</ref>

The government put in place plans as early as 1868 to begin (re)construction in the ''honmaru'', but before any work was done, the castle burnt down again in [[1873]], and the Meiji Emperor, his Empress, and the [[Imperial Household Ministry]] relocated to the [[Akasaka Temporary Palace]] until 1889, when the castle's reconstruction as the Tokyo Imperial Palace was complete.<ref>Fujitani, 40, 66-67.</ref> In the intervening time before reconstruction began, the area in and around the castle grounds became overgrown with vegetation, and overrun with wildlife including foxes and badgers. One former retainer of [[Satsuma han]] lamented that it was "unbearable to look at."<ref>Fujitani, 41.</ref>

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On occasions such as New Year's, members of the ''gosanke'', ''[[gosankyo|gosankyô]]'', and other shogunal relatives, along with others of the 4th rank and above, waited in various rooms of the castle and met with the shogun in the ''shiroshoin'' one at a time, to offer their New Year's greetings. Following these individual audiences, the shogun would move to the lower ''dan'' (''gedan'') of the ''ôhiroma'', and stand there as ''fusuma'' (sliding doors) were opened, allowing those of rank five and below, gathered in the ''ni-no-ma'', to be seen by the shogun; all those assembled then bowed low, performing their greetings to the shogun all at once.<ref name=fukai22/>

On occasions such as New Year's, members of the ''gosanke'', ''[[gosankyo|gosankyô]]'', and other shogunal relatives, along with others of the 4th rank and above, waited in various rooms of the castle and met with the shogun in the ''shiroshoin'' one at a time, to offer their New Year's greetings. Following these individual audiences, the shogun would move to the lower ''dan'' (''gedan'') of the ''ôhiroma'', and stand there as ''fusuma'' (sliding doors) were opened, allowing those of rank five and below, gathered in the ''ni-no-ma'', to be seen by the shogun; all those assembled then bowed low, performing their greetings to the shogun all at once.<ref name=fukai22/>

===Nakaoku===

===Nakaoku===