J-Drama Pilgrimage | 天皇の料理番 Tenno no Ryoriban (2015) — 小田原城 銅門 / Imperial Palace Gate

Drama: TBS『天皇の料理番』 / Tennō no Ryōriban / The Emperor's Cook (2015), scoped specifically to the 2015 TBS series rather than the separate 1980 adaptation.

Episode 9 aired on 21 June 2015 and begins the imperial-kitchen phase of Atsuzō's career. TBS's episode guide has him arriving at the Imperial Palace's 大膳寮 / Daizenryō, where he must lead older cooks while preparing for the coming enthronement ceremonies. The Nationwide Filming Location Guide identifies the 銅門 / Akagane-mon (Copper Gate) at Odawara Castle as the gate used for Atsuzō's arrivals at the Imperial Palace in Episodes 9 and 10; the same gate area is also associated with his relief-cooking sequence in Episode 10.

The real Akagane-mon is the restored main gate of Odawara Castle's second bailey. Odawara's official castle site states that the present gate was reconstructed in 1997 and that its interior is specially opened on Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays from 10:00 to 15:00, subject to current operations. The stored coordinate 35.24974, 139.15607 is a gate-level anchor derived from the mapped historic structure; it is not claimed as Atsuzō's walking mark, the relief-kitchen position, or a camera point. Visitors should follow castle-park access rules and avoid blocking the gateway while recreating scenes.

Photo: KENPEI, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.