Rebuilding the town before the castleSourced
Edo’s recovery changed the streets as well as replacing homes
The Great Fire of Meireki in 1657 destroyed much of Edo and the castle’s main keep. Reconstruction widened streets, created firebreak spaces and funded residents’ rebuilding. Restoration of the shogun’s castle was left until last.
Recovery meant reconsidering the town’s layout, not just replacing buildings.
Summary / translation: Unbubly · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Great Fire of Meireki · Wikimedia contributors
Adapted, summarized and translated from the source. Adapted text is also available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Reviewed: 2026-10-10