Akamon was built in 1827 in the residence of the
Maeda clan in
Edo by Nariyasu Maeda (1811-1884), the 12th Lord of the
Kaga. This residence stood in what is now the
Hongo Campus of the
University of Tokyo. The occasion for building the gate was to welcome Lady Yasu (1813-1868), the 21st daughter of
Tokugawa Ienari (1773–1841), the 11th
Tokugawa shōgun, as a bride for Nariyasu Maeda. The
Maeda clan was one of the most powerful samurai families in
Japan. They ruled the
Kaga Domain, which was associated to the
provinces of
Kaga,
Noto and
Etchū in modern-day
Ishikawa Prefecture and
Toyama Prefecture on the island of
Honshū. In 1903 the gate became the entrance for the
University of Tokyo. At the end of the
Meiji period (1868-1912), it was moved to its current location, 15 meters west of where it originally stood. The gate was closed in February 2021 over structural integrity concerns. An inspection revealed that the gate may collapse during an earthquake or typhoon. The university plans to eventually reinforce the gate's column bases and lighten the 30 ton roof to make it safe enough to re-open. == Access ==