Keywords
Architecture
Folk Dwellings
The office or guardroom provided in each city ward *machi 町, in the city of Edo. It was adjacent to the gate *kido 木戸, defining the ward boundary and used by the neighborhood watchmen responsible for night patrols and local security. The building was a single room usually 1.5 x 2 *ken 間 or 2 x 3 ken in area (roughly 12 ㎡ or 24 ㎡), and 13 shaku 尺 (approximately 394 cm) high. The roof was generally *kokerabuki 柿葺 or tile, and had a ladder which allowed the guard to double as a fire watch.