Edo Castle located here was destroyed by the fire.
The Great Fire of Meireki (明暦の大火 Meireki no taika), also known as the Furisode Fire, destroyed 60-70% of the Japanese capital city of Edo (now Tokyo) on March 2, 1657,[1] the third year of the Meireki Imperial era. It lasted for three days, and is estimated to have claimed over 100,000 lives.