After the most common Japanese castle wall, Uchikomihagi and the oldest technique, Nozurazumi, today I would like the show you a far more elaborate technique, Kirikomihagi.

Unlike with the other two methods, each stone is carefully chiseled to perfectly fit with all the other stones. Of course, that took a great deal of work and craftsmanship, so Kirikomihagi was used only by the most expensive castles (like the Imperial Palace from Tokyo) and only during peacetime. But the resulting wall was with a very smooth appearance and extremely stable…

Otemon Gate, Imperial Palace, Tokyo

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: The place with the highest commercial land price, Ginza Meidi-ya