Samurai Searchlights

Shedding Light on a Dark Problem

According to researchers, approximately 70% of Edo city consisted of samurai residences. Indeed, most Daimyo were expected to maintain at least three residences in Edo, a main and two sub yashiki, in case one ever burned down, there would be alternatives, and to house their families who were ostensibly hostages in Edo. These large properties would also house the numbers of samurai brought with the daimyo to Edo on Sankin Kotai alternate attendance duty. (Naturally the imposition and added expense of keeping three or more residences was expected by the Tokugawa bakufu.)  Around 15% of Edo was temples and shrines, and the remaining 15% were the homes and businesses of the townspeople. The land opened to the townsfolk by the shogunate was called the machiyashiki, and about 20 to 30 machiyashiki were gathered together to form a town, known as a machi or cho.