Great Ooku Traces - Free Audio Guide

Ōoku-ato (大奥跡) in Tokyo marks the former site of the Ōoku — the "Great Interior" of Edo Castle — where the shogun’s wives, concubines and female attendants lived during the Tokugawa shogunate (early 17th–mid 19th century). The site is historically significant for its role in courtly life, female political networks and household administration, and it has enduring cultural resonance through literature, theatre and film. Present-day interpretation relies on surviving foundations, stone markers, explanatory panels and nearby museum displays that contextualise daily life, architecture and social hierarchies of the period. The location is open to the public with regular visiting hours and may involve an admission fee for certain exhibitions; arrangements vary by season and managing institution. As a historic site, some areas are uneven or restricted; limited accessibility adaptations and multilingual information are often provided.