高知城, Kochi Castle, is the only of the 12 original Japanese castle that remains ALL of it’s original Edo period architecture in the main citadel. Like the other castles, this one was also finished in the 1600s and is located on Shikoku, the fourth-smallest of Japan’s main islands. Kochi is a cute oceanside town with old history abounding. Not only is it cute, but it is also unique. Lord Yamauchi Kazutoyo didn’t just have military in the castle keep, it was also a palace.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission from you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

The best way to approach Kochi Castle

The best way to approach Kochi castle is through the Otemon Gate.  If you drove (don’t drive, it’s Japan! I kid, Shikoku is actually easier by car and a little easier as it’s more country so there seemed to be more parking. Trains are still easy to get around on though! Also, Koichi’s train station is beautiful), you’ll have to walk over to the gate but it’s also the way to go up to the castle so you shouldn’t miss it.

The Otemon gate is important because when the town was burned to the ground by a fire in the early 1700s, it was the only thing to remain (though it itself had some of its own work done in the 1660s). So if you are looking for 400 years of history, it’s in this structure.

Kochi Castle Main Keep – 3 or 6 floors?

After they were burned in the fire, the main castle keep at Kochi Castle along with the rest of the surrounding buildings took TWENTY FIVE years to rebuild. They were finished in 1753 to match the original specifications and managed to (mostly) avoid being torn down during the Meiji Era restoration efforts to remove all of the castles or any other disasters. Why mostly? Because the good majority of the castle buildings were removed.

While the keep or donjon may look like it is 3 stories, the interior is actually 6 floors.

Kochi Castle Unique amongst the 12

Kochi Castle is the only Japanese castle that has the Lord’s reception suite (how the pamphlets, in this case, decided to translate “御殿” or “palace”) still intact. Even amongst the 12 original castles still remaining in Japan.  It’s unique that the lord’s residence was among the military function of the keep.  Hence why it’s all there. This castle is more house than military in some aspects and you can see how the rooms went together.  It’s amazing.  (This one almost beat out Matsuyama as my favorite).

But what’s one palace when you can have THREE? The ni-no-maru (second bailey) which is the flat land before you head across the bridge to honmaru, had a palace as well. As did san-no-maru or third bailey. Those unfortunately were all disassembled during the Meiji restoration, but if you want to see a palace, check out Kawagoe, Kakegawa, Nagoya, or Nijo. There is also an imperial residence in Nikko.

As you can see from this picture, you get a sense of the minimalism Japan is famous for.  There wouldn’t have been much furnishings in these rooms.

I thought it was a little sad to learn when they turned it into a park in the Meiji period that they destroyed all the buildings in the 2nd and 3rd bailey. But the museum inside Kochi Castle has models of what it probably looked like and the main citadel more than makes up for it.

Kochi Castle Important Cultural Property

There are 15 buildings at Kochi Castle that are considered important cultural properties.

• 天守 – tenshu, main keep
• 懐徳館 – Kaitokukan, the name for the honmaru goten or palace
• 納戸蔵 – Storage Room
• 黒鉄門 – Black Iron Gate
• 西多聞 – Nishitamon
• 東多聞 – Higashitamon
• 詰門 – Closed Gate
• 廊下門 – Corridor Gate
• 追手門 – Pursuit Gate
• 天守東南矢狭間塀 – Tenshu Southeast Yasama Wall
• 天守西北矢狭間塀 – Tenshu South west Yasama Wall
• 黒鉄門西北矢狭間塀 – Kurotetsumon Nishikita Yasama Fence
• 黒鉄門東南矢狭間塀 – Kurotetsumon Southeast Yasama Fence
• 追手門西南矢狭間塀 – Otemon Southwest Yasama Fence
• 追手門東北矢狭間塀 – Otemon Tohoku Yasama Fence

Kochi’s whaling history

One recommendation for travel in general, and definitely in Japan, look for themes when you go places.  In Kochi, there were whale tails everywhere.  Random statues and nuances that just make you go, “huh”.

Apparently, Kochi was a whaling town and there was a display in one of the wings of the castle about it.  Though quasi gruesome and not to my liking, it’s a part of history and makes you respect what people went through to get food.  The display, though cartoonish, was very intense.  Not something you see every day.

Stamp Rally

Don’t forget to get your stamp for the 100 finest castles in Japan stamp rally. What’s that? The Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) choose 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijō) followed by another 100 after that!

As a goal-oriented person, it’s fun to check the castles off my list. But I would also just do it for the cute stamps! I recommend getting the books ahead of time. Some of the castles gift shops carry them but it’s not a guarantee. Yes, they are in Japanese, that gives it some clout I think!

TeamLab Kochi Castle Illumination

One thing I’m still sad about, especially if you know how much I love teamLab’s two Tokyo exhibits teamLab borderless and teamLab planets, is that teamLab did an exhibit in Kochi Castle! It was just a few months after I was there. Here is my plug for illuminations around Japan, something to keep in mind if you are traveling in winter! While teamLab may not do another Kochi Castle Illumination (they did both in 2018 and 2019!), that’s not to say there won’t be a different one.

Getting to Kochi Castle and the Kochi Information Center

If you are like me, you are going to be blown away by Kochi’s train station, it is BEAUTIFUL – but don’t get too distracted, Kochi Castle is too! There is an amazing tourist information center next to it where you could probably spend a few hours just there (even if you researched a lot for your japan trip, I highly recommend always checking out the information booths!). 

Inside the information center is a reproduction of the set of a popular period drama depicting the life of a samurai hero. You can dress up and walk around the set, taking photos. If you need some inspiration about Japan, there are plenty of shows and documentaries about Japan.

The castle is an easy 20-minute walk from Kochi Station, or you can take the tram. But be aware you’ll have to transfer.

The easiest way to Kochi Castle by train to get to Kochi Station is to take a limited express train from Okayama Station. It takes about 2.5 hours so make sure you get some onigiri, or a train bento and maybe a beer ;). I will break from my train love a little in Shikoku because it is a bit easier to get around by car in Shikoku but trains are still a good option, they just don’t run as often as larger areas of Japan.

As with all the castles, I have tons more research in my notes, so if you have questions, let me know in the comments below! I’ll try and point you in the right direction.

Other things to do in Kochi

This prefecture is not lacking in things to see and do!  Local to Kochi are a few things I’ll highlight.

日曜市 (literally, “Sunday City”) is a 300-year-old market that happens every, you guessed it, Sunday. Toted as one of Japan’s largest and stretches out over a kilometer from the Otemon Gate with hundreds of stalls to explore. There is also a smaller one on Thursday leading down to the water from Kochi Castle if you were to head to Yamauchi Jinja.

On your way to Yamauchi Jinja, you’ll notice a long building on the side of the road. This is the former Yamauchi Residence Shimoyashiki Nagaya Exhibition Hall (旧山内家下屋敷長屋展示館). A Shimoyashiki is the “suburban” residence of the daimyo or lord. Remember, three palaces were not enough! What remains is the lodging for the guards. Inside there is a display of various ship designs. Great for yours truly naval architecture love.

The original shrine where Yamauchi Jinya stands burned down during the war but afterwards in the 1970s was rebuilt to enshrine the Yamauchi line that ruled at Kochi castle. To be fair though, it’s very common for shinto shrines to be rebuilt every so often, even Izu, Japan’s most important, is rebuilt every 20 or so years so that the traditional building style can be kept alive but also as part ritual.

Another great thing for Kochi? They have a massive yosakoi festival in the summer. One of my things still to see. While you are walking around the city, you may notice a bright red vermillion bridge. A good photo spot it is the setting of a love story between a local monk and a young woman. It also is mentioned in some of the yosakoi songs.

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Welcome to Himeji Castle 姫路城. Nicknamed the White Heron (or white egret, apparently they couldn’t decide on a white bird…) Castle for its coloring. She (are castles like ships? Female? They are now!) is the 6th in my quest to see all 12 of the original Japanese castle. Himeji castle is, in fact, the largest castle in Japan, located in Hyogo Prefecture in Himeji City.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in October of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission from you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

A bit of history and designations

Himeji Castle dates back to the early 1300s when it started as a fort atop the hill.  Ripped down and built into a castle around 1346, it was again redone… have you been reading my castle posts in order?  Yup, you guessed it.  Around 1600.  It was later expanded on and has remained the same for 400 years.  Himeji City was burned to the ground during WWII but the castle survived.  She also survived some really massive earthquakes.  Most importantly, she didn’t get ripped down during the Meiji period as so many castles did.

Of the 83 buildings that make up the castle grounds, 74 are designated as Important Cultural Assets. SEVENTY FOUR! That’s insane. The other castles maxed out at 11 or so.  That equates to 11 corridors, 16 turrets, 15 gates, and 32 earthen walls.  Himeji Castle is not just an important cultural property though, it’s also a UNESCO world heritage site which was designated in 1993.  Japan’s first. Translation: Himeji Castle is Japan’s most visited Japanese castle.  With good reason!

And remember, that’s 83 buildings that are still existing at Himeji Castle. There used to be so many more!

The approach to Himeji Castle

Himeji Castle awes you the second you pull into Himeji Station. Generally speaking, when I get off the train somewhere, I’m trying to figure out which exit to leave from.  Not necessary here. Straight view of the castle as soon as we pulled in on the shinkansen.

Once you walk up the street from the station (or there are buses), you’ll come to this bridge and gate. The gate is called Sakuramon, so the bridge is Sakuramon bashi (bashi is the Japanese word for bridge). With the castle looming in the background, it’s a beautiful sight.

The moat? If you are visiting on the weekends, there are boat trips you can take along in. There aren’t very many though so get your tickets early.

Bring your walking shoes for this one (I love my Teva sandals for travel).  The overall castle is nearly a mile at the widest points in each direction.

The Main Keep

Unlike Kochi Castle, Himeji Castle’s main keep is all about the military function.  You have to remember with Japanese Castle keep’s that the tiers don’t always match the floors. So whereas from the outside it looks like five tiers, the inside has a basement and six floors – lots of stairs to climb!  If you were an invading army, there are all sorts of defenses INSIDE as well as the fact that you had to make it all the way to the keep in the first place!  武者隠し (mushakakushi) are little hiding holes throughout that you could be attacked from.

There were also platforms on some of the floor that I originally thought someone must stand on to give a speech or something.  The ceilings were super high, seemed to make sense.  In actuality, they are so that people could throw rocks out the windows at invading armies. Don’t forget the death holes for shooting guns and arrows.  (Actual name is loophole).

When you go inside, you’ll take off your shoes and carry them with you.  They give you plastic bags to use as you’ll leave at a different spot than you came in at.  The stairs that you walk up to enter the castle have, of course, been there forever and there’s a sign to call your attention to the fact that samurai and lords have walked up them barefoot just like you.  Kind of fun.

The first floor is nearly 6000 sq. ft. (?!?!?) with follow on floors slowly getting smaller until the top floor is “only” 1240 sq. ft. That’s twice as big as most people’s apartments in Japan! You’ll get to walk through the whole thing.  Its’ really neat with the lighting they have throughout.  It’s also surprising how tall the ceilings are.  The whole keep is just over 150 feet tall. The fact that they were able to make such a structure with just wood is amazing to me.

The Princesses Bailey

Sadly, the palaces are no longer in existence. Neither the main palace for the Lord or the one he made when his daughter married. If you want to see a palace, head to the Imperial Palace in Kyoto, Nijo Castle, Kawagoe Castle, Kakegawa Castle, or Nagoya Castle (though that one is a reconstruction). There’s also an imperial villa in Nikko. You can still see the long corridors that made up the princess servant’s living quarters though.  These are incorporated into the walls protecting the palace.  The princess also had her own quarters as a “retreat” or some such at the end of the corridors and this still is there.

How Much time do you need for Himeji Castle?

Give yourself at least 2 hours if it’s not busy, but lean towards a half day.  Probably more if it’s busy.  There is so much to see! During Cherry Blossom season they limit the number of tickets to 15,000 so be wary of that too. And because they get so busy, it’s like Disney, where they give you wait times to the ticket counter and the castle keep! If you get there late in the day and there are long waits, keep in mind that your ticket is only valid for the day you purchased it.

Also you can only purchase tickets to Himeji Castle at the ticket counter the day of visit. Tickets for Himeji Castle are 1,000 yen for adults at the time of writing this. You can add on the neighboring Japanese garden for 40 yen more!

One of the times I was at Himeji during the summer. It can be brutally hot, and with such large grounds to walk around in broad sunlight, please make sure that you have ample water supply. Luckily it’s Japan and you can find vending machines all over. But, seriously, drink up, lots of people were getting heatstroke that day!

Part of the reason you should stay in Himeji the whole day, is for the beautiful night views of Himeji Castle. Stop by an izakaya and then see it after dark. The paid portion of the grounds closes around 5 pm but you can see the unpaid version later. At different times of the year they have events there.

Getting your Castle Stamp

Don’t forget your stamp for the 100 finest castles while you are here! The 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijyou) were chosen by the Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) and include castles all over the country, including the 12 originals.

The stamps make for a fun souvenir as well as a record of all the castles you have been to. There is a guidebook that you can get to keep them in (and turn them in for a prize if you get them all!).

How to get to Himeji Castle

From any of the big tourist spots (Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto) it is an easy shinkansen ride to get to Himeji, I love all trains in Japan! From Shin Osaka Station to Himeji Station take the Hikari Shinkansen in around 35 minutes. Taking the JR Tokaido/Sanyo Shinkansen from Kyoto to Himeji takes about an hour.

The longest is going to be from Tokyo. If you can take the Nozomi shinkansen, from Tokyo to Himeji is 3 hours. On the JR Rail Pass? It’ll be about 3.5-4 hours. I’d suggest going straight there and then making your way back to other sites in Kyoto and Osaka (if you are doing the “main circuit” as I like to call it). Or keep going from Himeji to some of the other 12 original castles of Japan. I’ll be working on full itinerary options for this soon! Make sure to sign up for the newsletter to keep posted.

The view from the shinkansen platform of the lead into the castle is very unique. You’ll take the north exit and it’s about a 1 km walk to get to Sakuramon bridge to get into the castle complex. Speaking of, there are tons of paths and parks around the castle to track your steps.

Is Himeji Castle Worth it?

Yes! Especially if you are interested in Japanese history and of course, Japanese castles. I will say though Himeji Castle is amazing, she’s not my favorite. Matsuyama Castle in Shikoku still holds that one.  Sometimes the crowds are right but it’s important to stick to your guns if you have a differing opinion.  That’s what makes the world interesting.

All that said, please, if you are only in Japan for a little while, go see Himeji Castle.  You won’t be disappointed. 

What is there to do near Himeji Castle?

One the castle grounds, you can visit the Edo period-style Kokoen gardens. You can get a combined entrance pass for both the castle and the gardens, adding the Japanese Gardens is all of 40 yen more! While not one of the top three gardens like the one in Okayama, they are beautiful nonetheless! In fact, Japanese gardens are very often a nice side quest to Japanese castles.

If you decide to walk to the castle, you can approach down the main drag, Otemae Street (which has lots of statues – Japan loves statues) or the Himeji Ekimae shopping street (with an arcade). Great way to keep out of the sun on those hot days but also good if it is raining!

Have you tried the rather simplistic but super delicious Japanese food, 玉かけめし (Tamakakemeshi or sometimes as tamakakegohan)? It’s a raw (don’t worry, they are safe!) egg on top of warm rice. Don’t knock it till you try it. Tamagoya across from the Sakuramon bridge has it. There is also a Cremia stand there in the summer, the best soft serve I’ve found in Japan.

While you are in Hyogo Prefecture, don’t forget to head over to Kobe for some Kobe Beef.

If you have been following along for a while, it should come as no surprise to you that I love Japanese castles! If you’ve missed the articles and IG posts until now, you may have seen the running tally of how many I’ve been to on the home page for Kristen Abroad. There are so many Japanese castles to visit, where do you start? While there are many not in this category I’d also recommend, if you have limited time for Japanese castle exploration, you really should start with 12 original Japanese castles remaining.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in January of 2019 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

現存12天守 Quick Japanese Lesson

While it’s time-consuming thanks to my level of Japanese, I love doing research in Japanese. Though I still owe a debt of gratitude to Wanikani and the Minna no Nihongo series, along with so many other Japanese resources ( including my Japanese sensei at conversation classes)!

The 12 original Japanese castles are actually referring to the original Japanese castle keeps which in Japanese are usually referred to as 現存12天守. And because Japanese fascinates me, you get a quick lesson ;).

• 天守 = Tenshu, or castle tower. This term refers to the main castle keep as in Japanese castle design there are normally other towers on the complex as well. It is also sometimes referred to as “天守閣” or tenshukaku.
• 現存 = Genzon or “existing”. While that is true, they ARE existing, the English makes that somewhat confusing as there are other “Existing” Japanese castles that have been more recently re-constructed.

That said, when you see “the existing 12 Japanese castle keeps”, in Japanese they are referring to the Edo-period and older castles.

National Treasures, Important Cultural Properties, and Other titles

Most of the 12 have multiple designated titles of importance. Japan likes lists of 3 and 100. They all are considered as part of the 100 finest castles of Japan but there’s more that make these the Japanese castles to visit.

We’ll start with world clout. Himeji Castle was designated as Japan’s first UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Nationwide, five of the 12 are considered National Treasures: Hakone, Himeji, Inuyama, Matsue, and Matsumoto. I like to call Inuyama the most pretentious of the bunch. In the other 11 castles, there is a reference to all 12 castles (usually in pictures lining the overhead of the lookout area of the castle). Inuyama? Just shows the five that are designated as National Treasures.

The other 7 are designated “only” as Important Cultural Properties. However, most all are part of the さくら名所100選 (100 Famous Sakura Places – there’s actually 134 locations, we like lists of 100 but they aren’t always exactly 100).

Which is the oldest of the 12 original Japanese castles

I think the funniest is that at least three of them claim “I’m the oldest” somewhere on their property. Keep a lookout for signs, the first one I was at that I saw “oldest” I was so excited. Then I saw it at another and was like, wait a second…

Inuyama is one of them. Hence back to my pretentious joke.

If you go solely by when they were originally made Bitchu-Matsuyama wins hands down with an 11th-century build. However, that was on a neighboring mountain and they moved it to its current location later. The keep itself, the important part of the “which is older” at Bitchu-Matsuyama is younger than the others.

You also have the matter that regardless of when they were originally built, most had at least some fire or damage from war over the years. If you factor in what and how much was rebuilt and when, it starts to get tricky.  And of course, are we talking about the castle or the keep? Which is where I think the good majority comes from.

And Inuyama Castle has them on the keep initial construction start date (yes, you have to be that specific. The oldest castle that started construction on a Tuesday 😉 – I kid).

A general aside: I can’t imagine the amount of work it is to move so much material without the help of modern machines!

On the note of these castles being so old, this is definitely a situation you will need to take your shoes off in Japan for!

Where have all the castles gone?

There was a massive push to building Japanese castles in the late 1500s and early 1600s. I joke that they sent out carrier pigeons because the timing is creepily similar for the spread of land with no mass communication like today. You may have noticed while researching a trip in Japan that Japan is basically the size of the eastern seaboard of America.

There are estimated thousands of castles across Japan at that point. However, once the Tokugawa took over, there was a “一國一城令” or “one country, one castle order”. Lots of the 300 or so daimyo lords across Japan had to consolidate into one castle and the rest destroyed.

During the Meiji Period, there was a force in the works to get rid of all the castles as part of the Meiji restoration, otherwise, we’d have a lot more original Japanese Castles to visit. 

廢城令, or terminate the castle’s decree. Seen as symbols of the old regime, most were dismantled.  Some left just to degrade into disrepair.  Many other original Japanese castles then succumbed to earthquakes or fires or wars.  What we have left today is a testimony to those that stood up for keeping the heritage.  Mostly local movements.

12 Original Japanese Castles to visit and their keeps

Here are the 12 original Japanese castles in alphabetical order, as to not cause contention. If you’ve followed my travels for a while, you know which I think are the best original Japanese castles. Click through to their individual posts for more information on each!

Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城）

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) to not confuse it with the other Matsuyama castle in the list of original Japanese castles, this one is in Okayama Prefecture.  It is the only one on top of a true mountain and the highest for that reason. Which makes the name even funnier as it’s a ***** to get to.

There’s no easy way to get to the top, even if you get dropped by a taxi you’ll still have a section of the mountain to hike up but it is beautiful when you do. If you are lucky you’ll be above the clouds!

Hikone Castle (彦根城)

One of the national treasures, Hikone Castle (彦根城) is on the smaller side with only a three-tier donjon, however, I’d put it as my second favorite. Located in Shiga Prefecture. It has this beautiful garden and some unique features – like the fact it was made completely out of another near by castle. Talk about recycling!

It was on the docket to have been dismantled as part of the Meiji Restoration but was saved.

Himeji Castle (姫路城)

Considered the largest of the originals, and really, there shouldn’t be contention.  Himeji Castle (姫路城) consists of some 83 buildings and the main keep is a giant 5 stories. Located in Himeji City in Hyogo Prefecture. She’s also one of the National Treasures.

You’ll need a fair amount of time to explore it all, while I’m probably the weirdo that doesn’t place this as number 1 it is still absolutely breathtaking and in my top 3. Luckily, getting to Himeji is super easy as it has its own shinkansen station

Hirosaki Castle (弘前城)

The farthest north of the original 12 Japanese castles to visit in Aomori Prefecture is Hirosaki Castle. It was originally called Takaoka Castle (there’s another one of those in the continuing list of 100 famous Japanese castles) with an original keep that was 5 stories tall that was burned in a fire.

Another of the Tokugawa’s rules was about the size of the keeps so when it was rebuilt, they were only allowed to rebuild a 3 story one.   Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) is currently relocated to reinforce the walls.  A feat in itself.

With Hirosaki Castle off by itself, you’ll definitely want to hit some of the local attractions as well. I love Aomori and Hirosaki is known for all things apples – fruit, pies, curry, random apple decorations, you name it!

Inuyama Castle (犬山城）

The aforementioned pretentious castle, Inuyama Castle (犬山城).  One of the national treasures and self–claimed oldest. Located in Aichi Prefecture.

Don’t miss the shopping street immediately in front of the castle entrance while you are here for some local food and omiyage (souvenir) shopping.

Kōchi Castle（高知城)

One of the newer of the 12 due to a fire that burnt her down.  Kochi Castle (高知城) was still rebuilt before the “cut off” though.  Kochi is the most southern prefecture in Shikoku. Unique to Kochi is that the palace is still remaining and one of the few instances where it was attached to the castle. In fact, ALL of the honmaru (1st bailey) is intact.

It’s honestly quite hard to rank the twelve against each other but this is one of my favorites. The town of Kochi has an interesting history of whale hunting so if that’s something you are against, be forewarned there is a display in a section of the castle for it.

Marugame Castle (丸亀城）

The smallest of the lot but Marugame Castle (丸亀城) still with character. Prepare for a steep hike up the hill to see the keep.  Many of the original walls are still there and famous for the fan shapes. Located on the island of Shikoku in Kagawa Prefecture.

The view out to the sea from the top is pretty amazing. Just are the stone walls, at 60 meters high they are the tallest in Japan.

Maruoka Castle (丸岡城)

Located in Fukui Prefecture, Maruoka Castle (丸岡城) probably has the stretchiest claim to the 12 as it was nearly flattened in an earthquake during last century.  However, they were able to jigsaw her back together with most of her same parts. She’s located in Fukui Prefecture.

Best part about that sketchy claim? She’s another one that claims to be the oldest Japanese castle. Don’t miss her neighboring Kasumigajo park garden, while new, they are still very nice and you can have a cup of green tea or some beer like I did while you enjoy the view.

Matsue Castle (松江城)

The 2nd largest (Matsumoto might fight her on that one), 3rd tallest, and 5th oldest, Matsue Castle (松江城) is also the farthest west on mainland Japan in Matsue, Shimane Prefecture.

Matsue and neighboring Tottori have so much to see (don’t miss the sand dunes, sand dune museum, and another of the 100 famous castles, Tottori Castle).

Matsumoto Castle (松本城)

One of the five National Treasures. Matsumoto Castle (松本城) is also one of the contenders for the oldest. Oh, you know how Inuyama only shows the 5 national treasures on display and ignore the other 7? Yeah, Matsumoto doesn’t give a !@#$ about the other 11. Winner of most pretentious! 🙂

Matsumoto Castle from the outside looks like 5 stories but on the inside it is actually 6. It also has the feature that it is multiple towers smushed next to each other. Nicknamed the “Crow castle” for its black exterior, its large moat makes for some spectacular photos.

Another town that you’ll want to spend some time walking around the city in. Lots of older buildings and some great beer to check out as well.

Matsuyama Castle (松山城）

I know I said I wouldn’t mention my favorite, but this is it! Matsuyama Castle (松山城) takes the cake of any of them. Even Himeji which is probably the most widely known. Located on Shikoku in Ehime prefecture.

Fun fact: Ehime is the only Prefecture with more than one of the 12 original Japanese castles to visit.

Uwajima Castle (宇和島城)

Uwajima Castle (宇和島城) is definitely a baby castle but worth the visit as it finishes out the 12! Located in Ehime Prefecture as well, but still, a bit of a ride from Matsuyama, especially if it is like when I went and hue amounts of rain had taken out part of the train tracks.

Stamp Rally

Don’t forget to get your guidebook to add these to your stamp rally for the 100 Finest Castles of Japan!  The designation set by the Japan Castle Foundation in 2006 and further in 2017.

12 Original Japanese Castles Map

As you can see by the below map, you aren’t going to be hitting these all in one day! Frankly, I love how much they are spread out because it gives you the opportunity to see so much more of this beautiful country.

Original Japanese Castles Hiking Courses

It is super easy to get exercise in Japan with all the walking around you can do. Having such a great public transportation system (between the buses, trains, and shinkansen) helps that. But also the general “culture” of Japan. Case in point – hiking courses (we’d call them trails but it’s courses in Japan). Most all Japanese castles to visit have courses mapped out for you already. Or you can make your own with your fitness device, I love my Garmin Fenix 6s.

Not that you necessarily need an extra route to hike when some of these castles are massive! But if you are staying in a particular city for a few days, I’d suggest giving it a go, there are always beautiful views and random artifacts hidden around.

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Matsuyama Castle (松山城, Matsuyamajyou) is officially my favorite Japanese Castle. One of the original twelve Edo period castles remaining, first constructed in the 1600s. It is located on Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four islands in Ehime prefecture.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in September of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

What does it mean to be an “original 12” Edo Period Castle?

There are 12 castles in Japan that are considered “original castles”. While there are bits and pieces of many of the estimated thousands of castles in Japan, and lots of reconstruction, the originals “made it out alive” so to speak. When the Meiji Restoration took hold in the 1860s, the castles were ordered to be dismantled. Want to unite a country under one central government? Take out all of the seats of power of the old system. Only the 12 were allowed to remain.

The castle keep while construction started early in the 1600s like most of the other castles, was completed in 1635 (my thoughts on why that was in a bit). It was struck by lightning in the late 1700s burning it to the ground, as wood structures are ought to do. The main keep was then rebuilt and finished in 1854. Just in the knick of time to have it all threatened to be torn down again!

Other Matsuyama Castles

When searching for details (though I hope I give you a good overview here!), make sure to look up the correct Matsuyama Castle. There are several others.

Next to the rather unique Yoshimi Hundred Caves in Saitama Prefecture s the castle remains of a different Matsuyama Castle. It holds the title of a historic site and is actually the location of several differently named castles over the years. What remains is just earthworks but it’s a fun little hike.

Another of the 12 original (現存12天守) is Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle in Okayama Prefecture has “Bitchu” on the front to distinguish it from Matsuyama Castle in Ehime. Bitchu is the city name, it also holds the title of highest of the 12 original castles.

Then two others I haven’t been to yet, Uda Matsuyama Castle in Nara Prefecture is only ruins remaining but part of the continuing 100 castle stamp quest. Another is in Gunma Prefecture.

Why so many castles with the same name? 松山 = Pine Mountain.

Matsuyama Castle: A castle on a hill

The honmaru (literally, “first circle” and corresponds to defense rings, normally translated as bailey) main keep of the castle sits on a 132-meter hill. With the maze of paths to get to the top, I’d have died 50 times over if I tried to get in. Multitudes of gates, giant reinforced walls, all sorts of ways to keep people out.

I wish I had gotten video of me “scaling” the castle as I’m sure it was a sight to see. You can truly feel like you are back in the 1600s with a samurai hiding around any corner while you are walking here. Matsuyama Castle matches Hikone Castle in that it has 登り石垣 or climbing stone walls, a style that is thought to have been learned from the Koreans (if you’ve been to Seoul, you’ve seen something similar).

Once you reach the top, there are amazing panoramas of the surrounding city and a great view of the Seto Inland Sea. But wait until you get to the main castle keep, it’s awe-inspiring. You really get a feel for what a castle is supposed to be in its full glory. Its style is unique to most other castles in which it has a sort of courtyard in the middle. Better to shoot the enemy at if they somehow managed to make it all the way here.

Speaking of, the castle keep was only really used in a siege scenario, the lord would have spent most of their time at the palace below.

Important Cultural Property

Matsuyama Castle obtained Important Cultural Property status in 1935. There are only five of the “original” castles that have “National Treasure” status but many with Important Cultural Property including some rebuilds, like Nagoya Castle and its palace (which unlike Kawagoe’s, has had extensive work done to it). Though honestly, it is interesting to me that Matsuyama is NOT a National Treasure, but I’m biased.

The main tower (tenshu) is what makes it “one of the 12” original castles. but it’s not the only important cultural property. There are 21 buildings in total that are important cultural properties at Matsuyama Castle.

1. 天守, tenshu, main tower
2. 三ノ門南櫓, Sannomon South Tower
3. 二ノ門南櫓, Ninomon South Tower
4. 一ノ門南櫓, Ichinomon South Tower
5. 乾櫓, Inui Tower
6. 野原櫓, Nohara Tower
7. 仕切門, Partition Gate
8. 三ノ門, Sannomon
9. 二ノ門, Ninomon
10. 一ノ門, Ichinomon
11. 紫竹門, Shichiku (Bamboo) mon
12. 隠門, Kakure (Hidden) Gate
13. 隠門続櫓, Kakure (Hidden) Gate Turret
14. 戸無門, Tonashi (Doorless) Gate
15. 仕切門内塀, Partition Gate Inner Wall
16. 三ノ門東塀, Sannomon East Wall
17. 筋鉄門東塀, Tetsumon East Wall
18. 二ノ門東塀, Ninomon East Wall
19. 一ノ門東塀, Ichinomon East Wall
20. 紫竹門東塀, Shichikumon East Wall
21. 紫竹門西塀, Shichikumon West Wall

Matsuyama Castle construction

You may have noticed in the pictures a rather flat area at the top of the hill (yes, it’s a “mountain” but not a very big one). Actually, that 132-meter hill used to be TWO hills at the top, but they filled in the gap between them, talk about a lot of work and why I think it took so long to make, though I haven’t seen anything that actually says that.

One question I had when I saw that little factoid, was where did all the stone come from? Can you imagine the amount of work that took? There was a note on the visitor brochure that women carried pebbles on baskets on their heads from Masaki to Matsuyama. That’s over SIX miles! Most of the larger stone came from an earlier castle’s foundation. Victors prize and a lot easier than moving large distances.

The inside of the castle has some museum aspects to it, like a neat display on the joiner work for all of the wood to make it stronger, but the main sight is to see this castle in its glory.

Ninomaru Historical Garden

Not to be missed is this Japanese Garden in the Ninomaru, or second circle/ bailey. Where once stood a giant palace, now the foundation outlines a garden. The flowers are changing throughout the year to give you another reason to keep coming back as if you will need one after seeing this place.

If you needed another thing to check off your list, there is a “Lover’s Sanctuary” spot here like the one in Ryusendo Caves. There are over 100 around the country to find!

Is there a moat at Matsuyama Castle?

The flat land park that you will pass on your way from the train station known as Horinouchi is surrounded by a moat to this day. It makes for some nice pictures looking at the mountain fortress.

Why is Matsuyama Castle my favorite Japanese castle?

Matsuyama Castles has a certain character to it that I haven’t seen anywhere else. Generally speaking, the keeps are all multi-floor structures (that don’t always match their exterior tiers), but Matsuyama has wings which are fairly uncommon in Japanese keeps. Next to Himeji Castle, it has the most complete representation of probably any in Japan which gives you a better feel for what it was actually like. And yes, Himeji is AMAZING, but Matsuyama just has a certain character about it.

It’s also one of the 100 finest castles of Japan so don’t forget your stamp!

Getting to Matsuyama Castle

If you aren’t keen on hiking the 132-meter hill (though if you are, there are several hiking courses to get your steps in, which I love tracking with my Garmin Fenix 6S), you can take a ropeway to the top. Similar to a ramen shop, you’ll get your tickets from a machine. If you have luggage with you, they have coin lockers for you to use.

Think of the ropeway as a gondola like you take getting to the black eggs at Owakudani in Hakone. Want something a little more “open-aired”? They also have a ski lift version that runs next to the ropeway with single seats.

In the station building, there is a display dedicated to the castle mascot. Japan loves their mascots and you could make a game of finding as many as you can. Matsuyama Castle’s is appropriately a samurai.

You’ll still have a bit of a walk to the castle keep from the ropeway landing. If you take the ropeway up, I suggest you take the hike back down the mountain. It’s worth it to see all the back and forth of the many defenses at this castle’s disposal. It’s also how you can get to Ninomaru Historical Gardens.

It’s about a mile from the main train station in Matsuyama to get to the castle or you can take a trolley. My suggestion would be to either go trolley (unless you need some more steps!) – ropeway – main keep – ninomaru gardens and walk back or that in reverse.

Have a Japan rail pass and like castles? Or even better yet, just riding the trains? Have an excuse to go from Honshu through the tunnel to the southernmost main island, Kyushu, and visit Kokura Castle in Kitakyushu.

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Kitakyushu (北九州)

The city of Kitakyushu, which literally means “North Kyushu”, is a fairly recent creation. In the 1960’s, the government combined five municipalities, including the ancient Kokura – what drew me to the area in the first place for Kokura Castle, to create Kitakyushu.

What resulted in nearly a million residents makes it the second-largest city in Kyushu, after it’s prefecture Fukuoka’s capital being first on the southern main island. Kitakyushu is broken up into 区 (ku, wards) similar to Tokyo (thought these are “special” ones, the address system in Japan is interesting).

There is a lot to see in Kitakyushu!

Continuing 100 Famous Castles of Japan

While not one of the original 100 finest, Kokura Castle in Kitakyushu, Japan is included in the second round of the Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) finest castles. What’s that mean for you? You need to have your castle stamp book with you!

Don’t get thrown off though, the castle stamp is at the “Shiro Terrace” (しろテレス）, not the castle keep. This white building is on the castle grounds and serves as a tourism information spot, rest stop, and souvenir (or omiyage shop).

Or if you are like me, I tend to carry around a blank piece of paper and transfer it later. While that technically won’t let me get my “certification”, of getting all of them done, the reason being is that I always have one of my Nikon camera’s (I have 5, my go-to lately has been my D3400 because I like that it’s compact and lightweight) and my Samsung Galaxy 2-in-1 laptop on me. Adding a book starts getting heavy! It also gives me an excuse to go another time, I always learn something new, even if I’ve already been.

Different types of castle stamps

In addition to the 100 famous castles and continuing 100 famous castle stamps, there are also seal stamps similar to what you would get at shrines or temples. At shrines, they are called 御朱印 (Goshuin). The 御 or “Go” (in this case, it can also be pronounced “O” depending on if it’s an on-yomi or kun-yomi reading – Kanji is fascinating) is an honorific precursor. The second character is a word for red and the last means stamp. More on goshuin another time, but please note they are their own thing! I.e. Don’t put non-shrine stamps in your goshuin book.

At castles, you’ll look for something sometimes referred to as 御城印 (gojyouin) or “honorable castle stamp”. Which basically replaces “red” for “castle” but they do have different names depending on where you go. At Kokura Castle there are multiple options for you to purchase, which then you could put in a book similar to a shrine book (see above caution though!). You’ll have even more collecting to do with these ones as there are over 500 castles with 御城印 (gojyouin).

Kokura Castle (小倉城) History

With Kitakyushu’s proximity to the Kanmon strait between Honshu and Kyushu Islands, this area has always been a heavy defense region. While it’s gone by many names over the years, Kokura Castle (小倉城, Kokura-jyou) was originally built in 1602.

I joke that there must have been carrier pigeons that told all the warlords to start building castles at the same time because the timing always baffles me. You’d think that there were social media and “keeping up with the Jones” running rampant.

The main keep and a good chunk of the castle were lost to fire in 1837. The castle itself was fixed by 1839 but they left the keep off for some reason. Maybe to their benefit because in 1866 there was a battle here and they lost the whole castle again.

To top that off, the feudal domains were all abolished in 1871 with the creation of the prefectures. The main keep was brought back in an effort after WWII from the Japanese people to rebuild it. However, they apparently were worried it needed some more pazazz to get tourism going so the design isn’t what it originally looked like with the gables being new.

Special features of Kokura Castle

The style of this construction is called “karazukuri”, unique in that it has no eaves between the 4th and 5th floors of the keep. Whereas most Japanese castles look something like a wedding cake, this one actually has the 5th floor larger than the 4th. And as far as I’m concerned, it’s one of the biggest top floors I’ve ever seen. Not surprisingly, as it is ranked 6th tallest out of all castles in Japan (Osaka Castle is first).

Also interesting to note, if you get the pleasure to visit, is the stone wall for the castle is all-natural, no hand-hewn stones like you’ll see on some others. This is called 野面積み (nozurazumi). Makes you wonder if that was on part of sympathy for the workers, “hey, you just have to stack them this time! No carving!”. Putting together these massive structures 400 years ago, even as an engineer, always impresses me.

Curious about castle wall building? NHK has a great program on-demand called “Samurai Wall” about the 15th-generation (!!) Japanese stonemason Suminori Awata using this style of construction for the Rolex building in Dallas, Texas. It’s part of my ever-growing list of documentaries and shows about Japan and fascinating to watch the tradition being brought to America.

Inside Kokura Castle

I personally have great disdain for concrete reconstructions of castles, and much prefer when the time was taken to “do it up right”, like Kakegawa Castle. However, there are a wide range of interiors for the concrete castles, and this one I like. On the bottom floor, you’ll find a small theater which goes over the history of the castle in about 10 minutes.

Also on the first floor is an area to dress in feudal clothing and take pictures!

The 2nd through 4th floor act as a museum telling you about the fuedal lord and area battles. The 4th floor is a rotating exhibit so don’t feel like there is reason not to go in the castle for a second visit!

The 5th floor is a beautiful observation deck of the surrounding city of Kitakyushu.

One plus of reconstruction like this though? Thanks to renovations completed in 2019 for its 60th anniversary, Kokura Castle in Kitakyushu is now more accessible to everyone as there is an elevator to utilize.

How to get to Kokura Castle

If you are primarily visiting the main island of Japan, Honshu, it’s actually not a stretch to reach the city of Kitakyushu, the very tip of Kyushu Island to visit Kokura Castle and the surrounding attractions. From Iwakuni, it is a 70-minute Shinkansen ride to Kitakyushu but only because it’s a “local”-shinkansen from that station (see this post for more on trains). From Hiroshima, it’s an easy 45-50 minute ride.

If you are coming from the Kyushu side, from Hakata (Kyushu’s biggest and busiest train hub) it’s a 15-minute ride on the shinkansen to get to Kitakyushu. The JR Rail Pass is great but don’t forget there are other options besides the full country version, smaller region = cheaper pass.

You’ll want to get off at the JR Kokura station, Kitakyushu’s central station. From there, the signage is very good to Kokura Castle. Some overhead but also look at your feet through the arcade (or Japanese shopping street as they are also known).

If you end up there on a rainy day, there is a path through what has to be one of the largest arcades in Japan that will get you nearly to the castle rain-free. (However, it’s always a good idea to carry an umbrella!) Stop in the Information Booth at the station for a map of Kitakyushu.

One of my top pro-tips – always stop by the tourism centers even if you have a plan while traveling in Japan.

Price to get in

Like most tourist locations in Japan, it pays to look out for grouped discounts, and that’s no different in Kitakyushu! A common ticket for the Kokura Castle, Kokura Castle Garden, and the Matsumoto Seicho Memorial Museum will run you about 700 yen. If you were to get those separately, that’s about the same cost as just the castle and gardens meaning you basically get the museum for free!

However, if you don’t want to go to the museum, I suppose it doesn’t matter, but it also helps if you changed your mind!

Other things to do in the area

1. Kokura Castle Garden

Kokura Castle Garden houses the reconstruction (If you are looking for an “original”, check out Kawagoe Honmaru) of the former residence of the daimyo (lord of the castle) exactly where it once was. Well. after the Hosokawa clan went through the effort of building Kokura Castle and then the Ogasawara clan took over as lord, that is. It’s a beautiful wooden mansion done in the Shoin-zukuri (書院造) style from the Edo period. Which fun fact, is the basis of design for Japanese houses still. It is called a 下屋敷 (shitayashiki) and serves as the castle annex or “second home”.

Kokura Castle Garden also includes a re-creation (I feel like I had to check that spelling too many times! All of my Japanese studies messes with my English sometimes!) of a traditional Japanese garden.

There is also an option for a tea ceremony at Kokura Castle Garden of matcha tea with wagashi, a Japanese confectionary that if you’ve never had one, is a perfect accompaniment.

If tea ceremonies intimidate you due to having to sit “seiza” (正座, is kneeling/sitting with the tops of your feet straight on the floor and takes some getting used to), you’re in luck! At Kokura Castle Carden Tea House, the tea is served while you are 立礼席 (ritsureiseki). Ritsurei by itself means a “standing bow”, so here you are sitting at a short table and chairs versus a typical tatami mat setting.

It is also possible depending on when you are there to see the actual tea making part or you can just enjoy tea and your sweet.

In the other side of the mansion from the tea house is a small museum about the Ogasawara Family highlighting their love of martial arts and etiquette.

2. Matsumoto Seicho Memorial Museum

On the Kokura Castle grounds, you will also find the Matsumoto Seicho Memorial Museum (松本清張記念館, Matsumoto Seichō Kinenkan). It feels slightly random but it’s common to put museums and/or government buildings on castle grounds. The Matsumoto Seicho Memorial Museum, if you couldn’t guess from the name, is dedicated to the life and work of Matsumoto Seicho. While perhaps not known to all foreigners, Matsumoto Seicho was the winner of the Akutagawa Literary Prize and known as one of the best detective authors in Japan.

Some of his more famous works that have been translated into English include “Inspector Imanishi Investigates” and “Points and Lines” but he wrote something like 1000 stories over his career. The museum is located here as he spent the first half of his life in Kokura and Kitakyushu.

The museum boasts giving wide insight into his works and even has moved his office from his home in Tokyo to see but honestly, though I had the pass to get in basically for free, I spend so much time in the castle and gardens that I didn’t have time to go so if you do, let me know what you think! It’s still on my list for next time.

3. Yasaka Shrine (八坂神社)

Immediately next to Kokura Castle on the other side of the moat, you will find Yasaka shrine (八坂神社). It is a branch of Yasaka Shrine located in the Gion district of Kyoto. If you are searching for it, make sure the address is Kitakyushu! As such, it was originally named 祇園社 (Gion shrine) like its namesake in Kyoto.

The name was eventually changed but the name of its 例大祭 (reiteisai, literally the “regular big festival”) did not. The Kokura 祇園祭 (Gion Festival) has been taking place since the 1600s. It’s the third weekend in July every year and while the Gion Festival in Kyoto takes place around the same time, the one at Kokura Castle is also well known.

The stone lanterns and shrine gate are designated as Prefectural Cultural Properties. It’s interesting that there is such a wide range of intellectual property designations!

4. Local Shopping Streets

On the way to Kokura Castle, there are three local shopping streets in Kitakyushu for you to explore: Kyomachi Gintengai (京町銀天街), Uomachi Gintengai (魚町銀天街) and Tanga Ichiba 旦過市場. They all sort of run into each other but you’ll see reference to the name changes if you look. They’ve been shopping areas for centuries and made up part of the path from the castle to the port…

The Gintengai part on the two first means, literally, “silver ceiling town” and harkens to the arcade’s above that cover the walkways. The aforementioned nice covered pathway to get you where you need to go in the rain! When Uomachi’s (literally fish town, which is what they sold in the olden days) arcade was completed in 1951 it was the first in Japan to span a street.

While Kyomachi Gintengai and Uomachi Gintengai have a lot of various shops, Tanga Ichiba is to this day known as “Kitakyushu’s kitchen” with lots of food specialty stores. You’ll find lots of restaurants and izakayas (Japanese bars) spread throughout.

5. Kokura Sign at Kokura Illumination

When there is a sign, of course, you get your picture with it! Pop-out from under the shopping arcades and use Ogaibashi (鴎外橋, named after another famous author) to cross over to Kokura castle during the Kokura Illumination (小倉イルミネーション) and you’ll find this sign along with some of the illumination pathway lights. I’d think it is probably up year-round but don’t quote me on that.

There are winter illuminations all over Japan to explore! Not only that but Kitakyushu is known for some of the best nighttime views in Japan. A non-profit called “New Three Major Night Views of Japan and the 100 Night Views of Japan Club (新日本三大夜景・夜景100選事務局)” decided on “the New Three Major Night Views of Japan (新日本三大夜景)” (new because there already was a list of three) and Kitakyushu from the surrounding mountains is one of them.

6. Kanmon Pedestrian Tunnel

Part of the reason I made the trek over to Kokura Castle, minus the fact that it’s one of the 200 famous castles of Japan, is to take the shinkansen through the undersea tunnel that leads from Honshu to Kitakyushu. Or I suppose it’s the under-strait tunnel, since it’s the Kanmon Strait (関門海峡, Kanmon-kaikyō) it goes through.

Ah! But while writing this post I found there is a pedestrian undersea tunnel?! It’s 780 meters long and runs in line with the car tunnel above it. At the middle you’ll find signs to show you the split between Fukuoka and Yamaguchi prefectures.

It’s on my list. Would you walk it? It ranges from 55 to 60 meters below the surface!

7. Kitakyushu Manga Museum (北九州市漫画ミュージアム)

Many of my friends, as well as myself back in elementary school, first became interested in Japanese culture from watching anime or reading manga. While I tend to watch lots of Crunchyroll and not read as much manga, I still pick up manga from the local stores frequently.

The Kitakyushu Manga Museum is near the Kokura train station and highlights local artists. There’s also a manga reading corner which reminds me of manga cafes – which you should check out just for the experience.

Oh, and look out while you’re walking around Kitakyushu, there are a few character statues hanging around.

Kitakyushu’s local food specialties

This post is just touching on the tip of the iceberg, there’s plenty more in the area to spike your interest. A quick note on food – Kitakyushu’s local specialties include Yaki-udon and Yaki-curry, as well as many local fish cuisines like nukamiso-daki, which is miso on fish that’s been stewed in soy and mirin. Oh, and there are about 100 cows annually that pass the stringent requirements to be called Kokura Beef if you are looking for some wagyu.

Don’t leave Japan without first seeing a Japanese castle, you won’t see these in other parts of the world.  What I believe people identify with is the 天主 (tenshu, or keep), which is the highest tower in the castle complex.  There’s only twelve original remaining and Hirosaki Castle is one of them.

[Editor’s Note: This post was originally published in August of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Hirosaki Castle Main Keep and it’s crazy history

Constructed in 1611, Hirosaki Castle’s tenshu was originally 5 “cake layers” high. (You can see what I mean from the picture). However, it burnt down from a lightning strike some 16 years after construction.  Not just burnt down, apparently, there was a fair amount of explosives stored inside and it exploded. The fire blaze could be seen from 20 km away (converting that to English units, 12 miles!).

Its full five–story glory is lost to history thanks to rules of the time, 武家諸法度, Buke shohatto, the samurai laws. Castles could be repaired but only at the approval of the shogunate. As such, there was no “keeping up with the Jones'” or shogunate as it were. It was replaced by a tower and for nearly 200 years the poor Tsugaru clan had to survive without a main keep.

Which they did, obviously.

The three-story tenshu you see today was finished in 1810. It wasn’t put back where the original was housed but moved to the seaward facing side. Luckily, that still puts it in the Edo period which ended in 1868, and therefore Hirosaki Castle can be considered one of the 12 pre-Meiji era constructed castles still in existence.

This gate, Ninomaru South Gate, on the other hand, is thought to be original.

Important Cultural Properties of Hirosaki Castle

The Agency for Cultural Affairs has designated 9 structures at Hirosaki Castle as Important Cultural Property (重要文化財 jūyō bunkazai). These are all structures remaining from Edo period.

• 北の郭北門（亀甲門) Kitanokuruwa Kitamon (Kamekoumon)
• 二の丸東門 Ninomaru Higashimon
• 二の丸南門 Ninomaru Nanmon
• 二の丸未申櫓Ninomaru Hitsujisaru Yagura
• 二の丸辰巳櫓Ninomaru Tatsumi Yagura
• 二の丸丑寅櫓Ninomaru Ushitora Yagura
• 三の丸東門 Sannomaru Higashimon
• 三の丸追手門Sannomaru Otemon
• 天守 Tenshu

I go more into depth on different castle characteristics in the post about the 200 famous castles in Japan, but to summarize, ninomaru and sannomaru are the second and third baileys.

門 or “mon” means gate (can you see it a little bit with the kanji? It looks like a midwest saloon door to me) and 櫓 or “yagura” means watchtower. 天守 or “tenshu” is the main castle tower or keep and probably what most people think when they think about Japanese castles.

But why only have one designation? Hirosaki Castle is also combined as a National Historic Site with its fellow Tsugaru Clan Castle sites of Tanesato Castle and Horikoshi Castle. Both were much older and thanks to the Tokugawa Shogunate’s direction that each daimyo (Japanese Feudal Lord) could only have one castle (poor things!) were destroyed in the early 1600s.

Speaking of disaster: Moving Hirosaki Castle

In 1983, there was a great earthquake in the Sea of Japan.  Hirosaki is close to the water… it’s an island, it’s all close.  Anyway, thank you Mr. Earthquake, you damaged a perfectly good 400-year-old wall beneath the castle. Funnily enough, they use the word “はらみ”, for it which can mean “pregnant”.

This threatens to collapse the whole thing if another earthquake should hit, as a result, they MOVED it.  Ceremoniously, they had people help with part of the movement (think giant tug of war against a building), the rest they did with machines.  Though I don’t think the castle would complain, it has an even better view of Mt. Iwaki, the stratovolcano, in the distance now.  Construction is expected to finish in 2023, which impacts your view but also cool to see the work being done.

Take a picture at 下乗橋 (ゲジョウバシ, Gejo Bridge)

The bridge leading to Hirosaki Castle crosses the moat between the main and second baileys is called 下乗橋 (ゲジョウバシ, Gejobashi – Google doesn’t translate that correctly, by the way). It was meant to knock down when invading armies came. Therefore, it is not original but makes a beautiful picture spot!

The name is thought to come from the requirement to dismount your horse before going across the bridge and there is a plaque that talks about it.

Don’t stop there though, there are 9 bridges in total within the park!

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Botanical Gardens, Shinto Shrine, and other features

There are also botanical gardens to check out on the property that you can get a joint ticket for with Hirosaki Castle. There is also a Shinto shrine you can visit.

Scattered throughout the property are remains of storehouses, missing gates and turrets, plus the foundation for the original castle tower. Sadly as is with the majority of palaces or 御殿 (goten), all that remains is a marker for where it once stood.

You’re going to get your exercise for the day visiting as the park is massive! By the way, if you are ever looking for an awesome fitness watch, I highly recommend the Garmin Fenix 5S and since they came out with series 6 it is less expensive!

Festivals at Hirosaki Castle Park

There are three events to keep in mind throughout the year that take place in the castle park.

弘前さくらまつり・Hirosaki Sakura Festival

The Hirosaki Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Festival takes place for a few weeks between the end of April and beginning of May. That pushes it into Golden Week so I would recommend earlier if you want to avoid crowds. It is also a good idea to check when the peak bloom is supposed to be!

The castle park boasts some 2600 cherry blossom trees (their count, not mine – check out the logo, 2600 trees, and 400 years of history) and is said to be one of the best in Japan!

Most impressive is what they call the “flower raft” which is a coating of pedals on the surface of the moat.

弘前城雪燈籠まつり・Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival

The Hirosaki Castle Snow Lantern Festival (弘前城雪燈籠まつり) has taken place in early February every year since 1977. There are giant snow statues, projection mapping, and snow lanterns plus a really cool looking light-up art installation.

Just like Hokkaido has many snow festivals, Tohoku has a bunch as well. Five large ones to be exact. They are referred to as the みちのく五大雪まつり, best part? They all happen around the same time. One of these years I’m going to do them all in the same go!

冬に咲くさくらライトアップ・ Winter Sakura Bloom Light Up

Can’t make it for the snow festival? Japan loves its winter illuminations and Hirosaki is no different! From December through February what started as one picture in 2016 has turned into a yearly event called 冬に咲くさくらライトアップ or Winter Sakura Bloom Light Up.

How to get to Hirosaki Castle

Aomori Prefecture is absolutely gorgeous and you can definitely make a weekend trip out of it with the fastest shinkansen route in Japan.

From Tokyo to Hirosaki Castle is a relatively easy route. Take the Hayabusa Shinkansen from Tokyo Shinkansen platform bound for Shin-Aomori Station. Switching at Shin-Aomori Station you get on the JR Ou Line or you can take the Limited Express Tsugaru to Hirosaki Station.

You could also take a plane but by the time you add in time to get through security and waiting at the airport, taking the train ends up being similar time-wise. Plus, if you are using the JR Rail Pass, this route definitely gets you your money’s worth.

From there, the castle isn’t that far of a walk from the Hirosaki train station or they have the “loop bus” route if the weather is bad for 100 yen. Those buses come much more regularly (10 min) than the ones I mentioned to get to Takayama Inari Shrine!  (The sign for the hundred yen bus is hilarious, look out for it).

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Oh, Japan. Land of got-to-collect-them-all, including hundreds of castles in varying levels of existence.  There are thousands of ruins from almost indistinguishable mounds to castle walls with no castle structures.  Most of the castle keep structures are reconstructions but there is the crème de la crème, 12 original castles from the pre-Meiji era. The 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijō) were chosen by the Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) followed by another 100 after that! When you have so many to check off your list, how do you keep track of them all? Why, a castle stamp rally, of course!

[Editors Note: This post was originally published in December of 2018 and has been updated for freshness, accuracy, and comprehensiveness.]

Japan and Numbered Rankings

Hundreds of years ago, a Confucian scholar created clickbait before it was even a thing! I just made that up but it’s conveniently similar. As he traveled Japan he named the three best views of Japan (日本三景, nihonsankei). Itsukushima Shrine is one of them and since then there have been countless “Best three of Japan” in various categories.

Legit. As in these are not to be contested. They are the best.

Top 3 gardens (Kairakuen in Mito, Ibaraki; Kenrokuen in Kanazawa, Ishikawa; and Kōrakuen in Okayama, Okayama); Top three big buddhas (三大大仏, sandai-daibutsu, you’ve seen me talk about Todaiji in Nara and you’ll soon hear about Kamakura and Takaoka’s as I’ve been to them as well); and so many others. Three great onsens, caves (Ryusendo is amazing), shrines of all sects (and of course Fushimi Inari in Kyoto is one), night views.

Name it. They exist.

Well, there’s also a thing with the number 100. We’ll blame that one on the Billboard Top 100 but I honestly don’t know if they are correlated. What started as the 100 top mountains in Japan (as best I can tell it was the first and of course Mount Fuji is number one) has since spread to other aspects.

Great way to make a book. An even better way to entice a massive tourism industry! Start with the peaks, move on to the 100 best shrines, 100 best spots to view cherry blossoms, 100 best parks, and then we have the 100 best castles.

Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会)

The Japan Castle Foundation (日本城郭協会, Nihon jyoukaku kyoukai) was founded in 昭和31年4月 (April of Showa 31 or 1956 for the rest of the world) by a bunch of academics for knowledge sharing and cultural exchange. They aren’t just about Japan castles, they also study castles around the world. Along with the 100 Famous Castles in Japan and the Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan, they also have a list of 100 Famous castles in Europe.

In Showa 67 (1965), the Ministry of Education acknowledged them as an organization and as such were given a budget. On their 40th anniversary as a foundation, a project to commemorate the event was started. Deciding on the top 100 Famous castles in Japan to promote.

Kochi Castle, one of the 100 Famous Castles in Japan and remaining original constructions

The 100 Famous Castles in Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku Meijō)

Don’t ask me why or when I started but I normally prefer translating “百名” as “hundred finest” as opposed to “hundred famous” (as what it literally is) but I think it has a better ring to it. But alas, you’ll see in a second why famous is a better fit.

For several months in 2005, they reached out to residents to give recommendations of one to five top castles in each prefecture. From the applications, a panel of castle experts met to decide the fate.

Honestly, I bet there was a huge debate over some of them! Only 5 max a prefecture?! By the Japan Castle Foundations prediction, there are probably somewhere in the range of 40-50 THOUSAND castle remains in Japan.

For the selection process from all of the entries, each castle had to meet one of the following three criteria to be considered one of the famous castles in Japan.

• Being an excellent cultural property or historical site (think world heritage Himeji Castle or one of the National Treasure like Hikone Castle)
• Played a prominent role in history (not all castles saw battle)
• Are representative of an era or region

That last one gets me because I’m sure they all in some way represent their regions. After all, a giant majority of Japan’s cities started as castle towns! But remember, your prefecture gets five max! The discussions of what made each better than the next must-have been fascinating.

To help make sure the rankings weren’t biased by people’s favorite castles, they brought in experts in various fields such as architecture, archeology, civil engineering, and history to level the playing field. 

Kakegawa Castle – No. 42 of the 100 Famous Castles in Japan, is an easy trip from Osaka or Tokyo! It was rebuilt using original construction methods and Kakegawa also has one of the few remaining palaces in Japan.

One thing to note, though they are labeled 1 to 100 the 100 famous castles in Japan are not in rank order but numbered according to the location from North to South and East to West. There are some slight variations to that but for the most part, it works.

Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan (続日本100名城)

In 2017, as part of their 50th anniversary of the founding of the castle foundation, they created an additional 100 list. 続日本100名城, Zoku Nihon Hyaku-Meijō. Continuation of the 100 castles to help further promote castle, and therefore history, discovery.

Personally I think it was also a ploy to promote more tourism around the country, but I’ll take it! The conditions were the same and again, they went out to each prefecture for submissions but this time they also asked the Japan Castle Foundation members, and those that had been going to the original list of 100 castles.

So, if you like castles, you have 200 stamps to go collect. And don’t forget those other 40,000 castles (yes, thousand) potential castles in Japan. Like a third Matsuyama Castle hidden in the hills near the Yoshimi Caves in Saitama.

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12 Pre-Meiji Era Castle Keeps in Japan

While they are often referred to as the 12 original castles in Japan, this sentiment applies to the original construction of 12 castle main keeps still in existence today. The Japanese term for them is 現存天守 (genson tenshu).

What’s with there only being 12? Well, when things are made of wood… it’s easier to burn down! Not to mention the deconstruction of many castles during the Meiji Era (more on that in a bit) and well,… bombings.

If you are seeing this list of 100 castles and thinking “Oh god, how will I ever get through that list on my trip to Japan?!”, I highly recommend you start with the 12. If you are going to call any famous castles in Japan – it’s these!

That being said, they also are spread throughout the islands of Honshu and Shikoku but that just gives you an excellent way to make the most out of your Japan Rail Pass! You’ll also get to the experience of riding on Japan’s fastest shinkansen (or bullet train) if you follow my suggestions on how to get to Aomori to see Hirosaki Castle.

As one of my must-do missions, I have focus posts on all of them so make sure to check out this post about the 12 remaining original castle keeps of Japan.

Where did all the Japanese castles go? Meiji Restoration

You may have heard of Commodore Perry taking a fleet of American warships and knocking on Japan’s door, so to speak, in 1853 to open up the borders. This was the start of the end of Japan’s isolation from the world. You see, during the Tokugawa shogunate run period of Edo, they cut off Japan near completely.

However, as their power was getting weaker, there was a movement to restore the imperial throne. There was always an emperor, the Chrysanthemum Throne is the longest-running hereditary monarchy in the world! But the shogunate was calling the shots. Anyway, Emporer Meiji (hence it being called “Meiji Restoration”) was reinstated and they had to make sure they knew who was boss.

So they systematically dismantled near all of the existing Japanese castles that acted as the dwelling place of the shogunate rulers.

There’s lots to learn about castles in Japan!

How to become a castle expert

If you are familiar with the Japanese Language Proficiency Test (JLPT), this set up is going to sound similar. In order to further promote the castles in Japan and “lifelong learning”, a test was created to challenge people’s knowledge. It started in November of 2012 and has been growing in size with over 20,000 people taking it! There are now five levels of the test.

• Level 4, Beginners with an average passing rate of 96.7% has general knowledge of the famous castles in Japan
• Level 3, Elementary level with a more detailed understanding of construction, history and culture mostly focused on the 100 famous castles in Japan but also has questions from the continued list
• Level 2, Intermediate level has a deep understanding of the particulars of the 200 famous castles in Japan
• Semi-Level 1 (that’s just funny to me), Difficult level in which you are a つわもの or warrior returning to the castle (literally, that’s how they describe it!). It’s themed every year
• Level 1, Expert level. You’ve made it! You’re an expert!

It starts out with questions like “What’s the only pre-Meiji castle remaining in Tohoku?” (Answer: Hirosaki Castle) and raises in difficulty to things like “Castle X was decorated with paper lanterns to see which missionary off?” (I’m not bothering with that full question example because, what?!).

The test is administered twice a year in Fukuoka, Himeji, Nagoya, Osaka, Sendai, and Tokyo.

For some of the basics on Japanese castles, keep reading!

Types of Castles in Japan

If it looks like a castle, talks like a castle and walks like a castle… ok, maybe not walks. Japanese castle structure is very distinctive from the rest of the world.

The geography can play a big role in each design. There are three main types

• 山城 (yamashiro) or mountain castles
• 平山城 (hirayamashiro) or flat mountain castles, these are on hills on a plain
• 平城 (hirashiro) or castle on the plains

With the obvious advantage to the mountain and flat mountain castles for their defensive structures. However, castles on plains have their places as well and often would be incorporated into nearby waterways for an automatic moat.

Layout and Structures of Japanese Castles

There are many components that make up a Japanese castle. You may think when planning your trip around Japan that you don’t need much time in a castle. Believe me, some of them can take you all day! And you don’t want to miss out on some really cool features and even museums that many of them have!

Castle Keep

What most people think of as “THE CASTLE” for Japan is usually the 天守 (tenshu) or castle tower/keep (also called a donjon). There are four main types and my absolute favorite is Matsuyama Castle with its square design and center courtyard.

• 独立式天守, Independent Castle Tower.
• 複合式天守, Compound Castle Tower which has a 付櫓 or attached tower with the main tower
• 連絡式天守, Contact Type Castle Tower. That one doesn’t translate very well. It has a main castle tower with a 渡櫓 or crossing tower (think like a hallway) connecting to another 小天守 or smaller castle tower
• 連立式天守, Coalition Castle Tower. Think of this one as having a courtyard in the middle. A main castle keep with three smaller castle towers connected by hallway towers.

Looking from the outside of castles in Japan, they vary in “levels” usually from 3 to 6. The part of a Japanese castle that makes it look like a layer cake. But the amount of floors inside might be very different from what you see on the exterior!

Be cautious in the older castles, and even some of the remakes, the staircases are more like what you would see on a Navy ship. More ladder than stairs. Why is this? If the enemy made it inside it was harder to move up the floors!

It should be noted that a good majority of castles in Japan no longer have a tenshu. It was the symbol of power and usually the thing to go during the Meiji Restoration.

If you’re looking for the full effect, make sure to choose one that either from the pre-Meiji era (my recommendation if you are limited on time) or for a rebuilt one. On that note, not all rebuilds are created equal! Most are just concrete facades housing museums. Kakegawa and Kanazawa are two options for new builds using old construction techniques.

Citadels

If you aren’t as familiar with castle terminology, think of the citadels or baileys as the areas protected by the castle walls. Of which you can have multiple layers of defense.

The castle towers are located in the 本丸 (hon-maru) or inner citadel/bailey. There are generally two more baileys, 二の丸 (ni-no-maru, literally ‘second circle’) and 三の丸 (san-no-maru, third circle) in most castles but it’s not limited. They don’t always have those names either. Some times it can be the “east circle” or something similar.

Inside each would be where people lived, things like storehouses and the palaces existed – of which, you think original Japanese castle structures are rare, the palaces are even more so! Nijo Castle and Kakegawa Castles ninomaru palaces are two great options, as well as Kawagoe’s Honmaru Palace.

Overarching layouts

If you want to pay closer to any specific detail, this is the one I’d choose. Why? Because you can use it to decide on different castles to go to so you can see each style and don’t go to the same thing over and over again. Something that I feel happens a lot with shrines and temples so after a while, “they are all the same”. We don’t want that, too many awesome castles to see!

If the circle in the name didn’t give it away, one of the main overarching layouts would have them in 輪郭式 (ring fortification) or concentric circles (really squares but we’re sticking with the ‘maru” here which means circle). 二条城 (Nijo Castle) in Kyoto is this style.

There are three other styles:

• 連郭式 or a continuous string from one bailey to the next, in a row like 水戸城 (Mito Castle)
• 梯郭式 or ladder fortification, think… I honestly can’t think of how to describe this in English. Like an L-shaped staircase, I suppose. 岡山城 (Okayama Castle) is this style.
• 渦郭式 or spiral fortification, which is just like it sounds and is part of the reason 丸亀城 (Marugame Castle) is a pain to hike up to!

But of course, there are exceptions to the rule, not all topographies fit into a pretty box.

Other structures of Japanese Castles

When you are exploring castles make sure to take note of all the different aspects, they aren’t just the castle keeps! There are plenty of Important Cultural Properties mixed in – Himeji Castle has different designations on 80+ of its buildings and structures! Some things to look out for:

• 櫓 (yagura) or watchtowers that make the outer ring of citadels include the new construction at Kanazawa using old techniques. Fun fact: 櫓 (yagura) is also the kanji that is used for the structure of my favorite piece of Japanese furniture – Kotatsu!

• 門 (mon) or gates! All of the gates! Many of the castles that are just walls remaining generally have at least a gate left that dates back to other eras like the one at 鳥取城 (Totori Castle).

• 石垣 (ishigasa) or stone walls. 丸亀城 (Marugame Castle) has the highest in Japan.　There is also some really cool engineering that goes into the different styles of stone wall construction.
• 堀 (hori) or moats. Some of the most beautiful are Edo Castles in my opinion.

Defenses

Also keep an eye out for some cool defense systems! And by cool I mean I’m glad I haven’t had to come face to face on them during a battle!

What is the Stamp Rally?

Fun thing about the 100. Japan’s good for stamp rallys. All over. You can get stamps for nearly anything. It’s a way of commemorating your visit. And it’s a fun hobby to “catch them all”.  I reference Pokemon a lot. It’s just a Japan thing, let it go!

In 2007, a stamp rally was added to go along with the 100 Finest Castles in Japan list. The goal was to entice people to deepen their knowledge of the history of Japan and with the stamp book, it helped increase interest in castles.

To top it off, the stamps are very pretty so they can be used to commemorate your visit. And the Japan Castle Association also makes it clear on their website that they don’t intend for people to run around like crazy trying to get them all at once. Take your time and enjoy it!

Certifying your castle visits

Certify what? Yes, not only can you just go around Japan getting pretty stamps, you can have them certified complete and given a special recognition.

A couple of ways to get your stamp rally book, you can sign up to be a member of the foundation or you can purchase the book separately. As you are reading this on an English website, the latter option is probably best.

You have two options for books that I recommend as I have both. One has the stamp book built-in (日本100名城に行こう 公式スタンプ帳つき) and therefore will be a bit heavier to carry around. The other is a guidebook that comes with a separate stamp book pamphlet in the back (日本100名城公式ガイドブック (歴史群像シリーズ)).

Both are in Japanese but you’ll still be able to match the pictures with the castle and they are all numbered.

Only a few castles have these available in their gift shops so make sure you prepare ahead of time and order one!

Where to get your stamp?

Be watchful as there are LOTS of stamp rally’s in Japan and actually, when we were at Inuyama, there were no less than 5 stamps to get.  Side note: It’s good just to have a blank book with you while you are traveling in Japan! I’ll talk more about goshuin (shrine stamp books) later.

Each of the books as one of the facts on the castle gives you the location of the stamps. That’s not very helpful if you can’t read Japanese (and if you are looking at learning I suggest Minna no Nihongo and Wanikani to get you started).

You can normally find them at the register for those castles with a main keep or somewhere inside. Throw on Japanese pronunciation and ask for the “スタンプラリー” (stamp rally spelled in Katakana) and you’ll get there. There are also sometimes signs if they are in other buildings like this one at Inuyama Castle.

If you’re at one of the castles that don’t have a keep, often time there is a municipal building or museum on the grounds that have the stamp. The stamps are sometimes even at shrines.

I’ve definitely wandered around in circles on large castle grounds trying to find the stamps so when you read my posts about them, I will promise to try and always tell you where they are!

Making it legit

If you are eventually looking to get your certification, you MUST get the stamp in your book. Some places will have paper available and they say they will take that but best be safe and do as directed (also in Japanese, inside the books).

Each castle has a specific color ink to use so you’ll only see one of four colors, black, red, blue or green. Speaking of extra pieces of paper, it’s a good idea to have some to make sure it doesn’t bleed onto the other page.

As Inuyama is an actual National Treasure, a higher designation than even some of the original 12 castles. Don’t let it being number 43 in the 100 finest castles confuse you.  They are in order from North to South, East to West (mostly).

Oh, and make sure to mark which day you were there under the stamp! The blank spaces are year 年 – month 月 – day 日.

Should you visit castles in Japan?

If you are a history buff, or just like architecture, or have a hankering for some culture, I highly suggest you plan to see some of the 100 famous castles in Japan while you are in visiting. 

Or, why not collect them all?  My absolute favorite (and I’ve been to a lot of castles, see my current count on the homepage!) is Matsuyama Castle but it is a bit far being on Shikoku.

If it is your first trip and you haven’t been, Himeji Castle should be number one on your list.

Why? It’s one of the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. It’s also massive. You could easily spend two days and not see it all.

100 Famous Castles in Japan by Region

Ready to begin? While Japan is normally broken into more regions, the Japan Castle Association breaks it into 6, I’m assuming due to how the numbers played out or historical regions.

Without further ado, a complete list in English of the 100 famous castles in Japan as designated by the Japan Castle Foundation.

[Note: If castles interest you, I suggest checking back here often or subscribing to Kristen Abroad. As I write more I will be linking out to each individual post!]

Hokkaido and Tohoku Region

• Nemuro Peninsula Chashi Site (根室半島チャシ跡群) in Nemuro, Hokkaido
• Goryōkaku(五稜郭) in Hakodate, Hokkaido
• Matsumae Castle (松前城) in Matsumae, Hokkaido
• Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) in Hirosaki, Aomori
• Ne Castle (根城) in Hachinohe, Aomori
• Morioka Castle (盛岡城) in Morioka, Iwate
• Taga Castle (多賀城) in Tagajō , Miyagi
• Sendai Castle (仙台城) in Sendai, Miyagi
• Kubota Castle (久保田城) in Akita, Akita
• Yamagata Castle (山形城) in Yamagata, Yamagata
• Nihonmatsu Castle (二本松城) in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima
• Aizuwakamatsu Castle (会津若松城) in Aizuwakamatsu, Fukushima
• Shirakawa Komine Castle (白河小峰城) in Shirakawa, Fukushima

Kanto and Koshinetsu Regions

• Mito Castle (水戸城) in Mito, Ibaraki
• Ashikagashiyakata (足利氏館) now Banna Temple (鑁阿寺, Banna-ji) in Ashikaga, Tochigi
• Minowa Castle (箕輪城) in Takasaki, Gunma
• Kanayama Castle (金山城) in Ōta, Gunma
• Hachigata Castle (鉢形城) in Yorii, Saitama
• Kawagoe Castle (川越城) in Kawagoe, Saitama
• Sakura Castle (佐倉城) in Sakura, Chiba
• Edo Castle (江戸城) in Chiyoda, Tokyo
• Hachiōji Castle (八王子城) in Hachiōji, Tokyo
• Odawara Castle (小田原城) in Odawara, Kanagawa
• Tsutsujigasaki Castle (躑躅ヶ崎館) now Takeda Shrine（武田神社) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Kōfu Castle (甲府城) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Matsushiro Castle (松代城) in Nagano, Nagano
• Ueda Castle (上田城) in Ueda, Nagano
• Komoro Castle (小諸城) in Komoro, Nagano
• Matsumoto Castle (松本城) in Matsumoto, Nagano
• Takatō Castle (高遠城) in Ina, Nagano
• Shibata Castle (新発田城) in Shibata, Niigata
• Kasugayama Castle (春日山城) in Jōetsu, Niigata

Hokiriku and Tokai Region

• Takaoka Castle (高岡城) in Takaoka, Toyama
• Nanao Castle (七尾城) in Nanao, Ishikawa
• Kanazawa Castle (金沢城) in Kanazawa, Ishikawa
• Maruoka Castle (丸岡城) in Sakai, Fukui
• Ichijōdani Castle (一乗谷城) in Fukui, Fukui
• Iwamura Castle (岩村城 ) in Ena, Gifu
• Gifu Castle (岐阜城) in Gifu, Gifu
• Yamanaka Castle (山中城) in Mishima, Shizuoka
• Sunpu Castle (駿府城 ) in Shizuoka, Shizuoka
• Kakegawa Castle (掛川城) in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
• Inuyama Castle (犬山城 ) in Inuyama, Aichi
• Nagoya Castle (名古屋城) in Nagoya, Aichi
• Okazaki Castle(岡崎城) in Okazaki, Aichi
• Nagashino Castle (長篠城) in Shinshiro, Aichi
• Iga Ueno Castle (伊賀上野城) in Iga, Mie
• Matsusaka Castle (松阪城) in Matsusaka, Mie

Kansai/Kinki Region

• Odani Castle (小谷城) in Kohoku, Shiga
• Hikone Castle (彦根城) in Hikone, Shiga
• Azuchi Castle (安土城) in Ōmihachiman, Shiga
• Kannonji Castle (観音寺城) in Ōmihachiman, Shiga
• Nijō Castle (二条城) in Kyoto, Kyoto
• Osaka Castle (大坂城) in Osaka, Osaka
• Chihaya Castle (千早城) in Chihayaakasaka, Osaka
• Takeda Castle (竹田城) in Asago, Hyōgo
• Sasayama Castle (篠山城) in Sasayama, Hyōgo
• Akashi Castle (明石城) in Akashi, Hyōgo
• Himeji Castle (姫路城) in Himeji, Hyōgo
• Akō Castle (赤穂城) in Akō, Hyōgo
• Takatori Castle (高取城) in Takatori, Nara
• Wakayama Castle (和歌山城) in Wakayama, Wakayama

Chūgoku Region and Shikoku

• Tottori Castle (鳥取城) in Tottori, Tottori
• Matsue Castle (松江城) in Matsue, Shimane
• Gassantoda Castle (月山富田城 ) in Yasugi, Shimane
• Tsuwano Castle (津和野城) in Tsuwano, Shimane
• Tsuyama Castle (津山城) in Tsuyama, Okayama
• Bitchū Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) in Takahashi, Okayama
• Kino Castle (鬼ノ城) in Sōja, Okayama
• Okayama Castle (岡山城) in Okayama, Okayama
• Fukuyama Castle (福山城) in Fukuyama, Hiroshima
• Kōriyama Castle (郡山城) in Akitakata, Hiroshima
• Hiroshima Castle (広島城) in Hiroshima, Hiroshima
• Iwakuni Castle (岩国城) in Yamaguchi Prefecture, Iwakuni
• Hagi Castle (萩城) in Hagi, Yamaguchi
• Tokushima Castle (徳島城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Takamatsu Castle (高松城) in Takamatsu, Kagawa
• Marugame Castle (丸亀城) in Marugame, Kagawa
• Imabari Castle (今治城) in Imabari, Ehime
• Yuzuki Castle (湯築城) in Matsuyama, Ehime
• Matsuyama Castle (松山城) in Matsuyama, Ehime
• Ōzu Castle (大洲城) in Ōzu, Ehime
• Uwajima Castle (宇和島城) in Uwajima, Ehime
• Kōchi Castle (高知城) in Kōchi, Kōchi

Kyūshū and Okinawa

• Fukuoka Castle (福岡城 ) in Fukuoka, Fukuoka
• Ōno Castle (大野城) in Daizafu, Fukuoka
• Nagoya Castle (名護屋城) in Karatsu, Saga
• Yoshinogari (吉野ヶ里) in Yoshinogari, Saga
• Saga Castle (佐賀城) in Saga, Saga
• Hirado Castle (平戸城) in Hirado, Nagasaki
• Shimabara Castle (島原城) in Shimabara, Nagasaki
• Kumamoto Castle (熊本城) in Kumamoto, Kumamoto
• Hitoyoshi Castle (人吉城) in Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto
• Ōita Funai Castle (大分府内城) in Ōita, Ōita
• Oka Castle (岡城 (豊後国)) in Taketa, Ōita
• Obi Castle (飫肥城) in Nichinan, Miyazaki
• Kagoshima Castle (鹿児島城) in Kagoshima, Kagoshima
• Nakijin Castle (今帰仁城) in Nakijin, Okinawa
• Nakagusuku Castle (中城城) in Kitanakagusuku, Okinawa
• Shuri Castle (首里城) in Naha, Okinawa

Continued 100 Famous Castles in Japan by Region

In case the first 100 famous castles in Japan weren’t enough for you, the Japan Castle Association has designated 100 more!

If that wasn’t in cahoots with the tourism industry, it should have been! Between the two, you’ve got a lot of options to add to your plans in Japan.

Some of them between the two lists are close together so I wanted to mention both. Plus, as I said up above check back often or subscribe as I will be updating this as I write more posts on the castles in Japan!

And don’t worry, there’s a book with stamp rally for these too (続日本１００名城公式ガイドブック (歴史群像シリーズ特別編集)).

Hokkaido and Tohoku Region

• Shinori Site (志苔館) in Hakodate, Hokkaido
• Kaminokuni Katsuyama Site (上ノ国勝山館) in Hiyama, Hokkaido
• Namioka Castle (浪岡城) in Aomori, Aomori
• Kunohe Castle (九戸城) in Ninohe, Iwate
• Shiroishi Castle (白石城) in Shiroishi, Miyagi
• Wakimoto Castle (脇本城) in Oga, Akita
• Akita Castle (秋田城) in Akita, Akita
• Tsurugaoka Castle (鶴ヶ岡城) in Tsuruoka, Yamagata
• Yonezawa Castle (米沢城) in Yonezawa, Yamagata
• Miharu Castle (三春城) in Tamura, Fukushima
• Mukaihaguroyama Castle (向羽黒山城) in Aizumisato, Fukushima

Kanto and Kōshinetsu Regions

• Kasama Castle (笠間城) in Kasama, Ibaraki
• Tsuchiura Castle (土浦城) in Tsuchiura, Ibaraki
• Karasawa Castle (唐沢山城) in Sano, Tochigi
• Nagurumi Castle (名胡桃城) in Tone, Gunma
• Numata Castle (沼田城) in Numata, Gunma
• Iwabitsu Castle (岩櫃城) in Agatsuma, Gunma
• Oshi Castle (忍城) in Gyōda, Saitama
• Sugiyama Castle (杉山城) in Hiki, Saitama
• Sugaya Yakata (菅谷館) in Hiki, Saitama
• Moto Sakura Castle (本佐倉城) in Inba, Chiba
• Ōtaki Castle (大多喜城) in Ōtaki, Chiba
• Takiyama Castle (滝山城) in Hachiōji, Tokyo
• *Shinagawa Daiba (品川台場) in Tokyo Bay, Tokyo
• Kozukue Castle (小机城) in Kōhoku-ku, Kanagawa
• Ishigakiyama Castle (石垣山城) in Odawara, Kanagawa
• Shinpu Castle (新府城) in Nirasaki, Yamanashi
• Yōgaiyama Castle (要害山城) in Kōfu, Yamanashi
• Tatsuoka Castle (龍岡城) in Saku, Nagano
• Takashima Castle (高島城) in Suwa, Nagano
• Murakami Castle (村上城) in Murakami, Niigata
• Takada Castle (高田城) in Jōetsu, Niigata
• Samegao Castle (鮫ヶ尾城) in Myōkō, Niigata

Hokuriku and Tokai Regions

• Toyama Castle (富山城) in Toyama, Toyama
• Masuyama Castle (増山城) in Tonami, Toyama
• Torigoe Castle (鳥越城) in Hakusan, Ishikawa
• Fukui Castle (福井城) in Fukui (city), Fukui
• Echizen Ōno Castle (越前大野城) in Ōno, Fukui
• Sagaki Kuniyoshi Castle (佐柿国吉城) in Mihama, Fukui
• Genbao Castle (玄蕃尾城) in Fukui, Shiga
• Gujō Hachiman Castle (郡上八幡城) in Gujō, Gifu
• Naegi Castle (苗木城) in Nakatsugawa, Gifu
• Mino Kaneyama Castle (美濃金山城) in Kani, Gifu
• Ōgaki Castle (大垣城) in Ōgaki, Gifu
• Kōkokuji Castle (興国寺城) in Numazu, Shizuoka
• Suwahara Castle (諏訪原城) in Shimada, Shizuoka
• Takatenjin Castle (高天神城) in Kakegawa, Shizuoka
• Hamamatsu Castle (浜松城) in Hamamatsu, Shizuoka
• Komakiyama Castle (小牧山城) in Komaki, Gifu
• Furumiya Castle (古宮城) in Shinshiro, Aichi
• Yoshida Castle (吉田城) in Toyohashi, Aichi
• Tsu Castle (津城) in Tsu, Mie
• Tage Kitabatakeshi Jōkan (北畠館) in Tsu, Mie
• Tamaru Castle (田丸城) in Tamaki, Mie
• Akagi Castle (赤木城) in Kumano, Mie

Kansai/Kinki Region

• Kamaha Castle (鎌刃城) in Maibara, Shiga
• Hachimanyama Castle (八幡山城) in Yonago, Shiga
• Fukuchiyama Castle (福知山城) in Fukuchiyama, Kyoto
• Akutagawayama Castle (芥川山城) in Takatsuki, Osaka
• Iimoriyama Castle (飯盛山城) in Shijōnawate, Osaka
• Kishiwada Castle (岸和田城) in Kisiwada, Osaka
• Izushi Castle/Arikoyama Castle  (出石城・有子山城) in Toyooka, Hyōgo
• Kuroi Castle (黒井城) in Tanba, Hyōgo
• Sumoto Castle (洲本城) in Sumoto, Hyōgo
• Yamato Kōriyama Castle (大和郡山城) in Yamatokōriyama, Nara
• Uda Matsuyama Castle (宇陀松山城) in Uda, Nara
• Shingū Castle (新宮城) in Shingū, Wakayama

Chūgoku Region and Shikoku

• Wakasa Oniga Castle (若桜鬼ヶ城) in Wakasa, Tottori
• Yonago Castle (米子城) in Yonago, Tottori
• Hamada Castle (浜田城) in Hamada, Shimane
• Bitchu Takamatsu Castle (備中高松城) in Okayama, Ehime
• Mihara Castle (三原城) in Mihara, Hiroshima
• Niitakayama Castle (新高山城) in Mihara, Hiroshima
• Ōuchi-shi Yakata/Kōnomine Castle  (大内氏館・高嶺城) in Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi
• Shōzui Castle (勝瑞城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Ichinomiya Castle (一宮城) in Tokushima, Tokushima
• Hiketa Castle (引田城) in Higashikagawa, Kagawa
• Noshima Castle (能島城) in Imabari, Ehime
• Kagomori Castle (河後森城) in Kitauwa, Ehime
• Okō Castle (岡豊城) in Nankoku, Kōchi

Kyūshū and Okinawa

• Kokura Castle (小倉城) in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka
• Mizuki Castle (水城) in Dazaifu, Fukuoka
• Kurume Castle (久留米城) in Kurume, Fukuoka
• Kii Castle (基肄城) in Chikushino, Saga
• Karatsu Castle (唐津城) in Karatsu, Saga
• Kaneda Castle (金田城) in Tsushima, Nagasaki
• Fukue Castle(also know as Ishida Castle) (福江城・石田城) in Gotō, Nagasaki
• Hara Castle (原城) in Minamishimabara, Nagasaki
• Kikuchi Castle (鞠智城) in Kikuchi, Kumamoto
• Yatsushiro Castle (八代城) in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto
• Nakatsu Castle (中津城) in Nakatsu, Ōita
• Tsunomure Castle (角牟礼城) in Yatsushiro, Ōita
• Usuki Castle (臼杵城) in Usuki, Ōita
• Saiki Castle (佐伯城) in Saiki, Ōita
• Nobeoka Castle (延岡城) in Nobeoka, Miyazaki
• Sadowara Castle (佐土原城) in Miyazaki, Miyazaki
• Shibushi Castle (志布志城) in Shibushi, Kagoshima
• Chiran Castle (知覧城) in Minamikyūshū, Kagoshima
• Zakimi Castle (座喜味城) in Nakagami, Okinawa
• Katsuren Castle (勝連城) in Uruma, Okinawa

Other Castles in Japan

Don’t forget there used to be many more castles in Japan and while they may not have made the famous castles in Japan lists, there are still others out there. Like Chiba Castle, for instance, a quick day trip from Tokyo, and a reconstruction castle with a museum inside.

If you are looking for the list of others, I’ll eventually make one but for now, you can get this castle atlas that shows many more than just the 200 famous castles in Japan.

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Not all of the 100 finest castles of Japan are still intact castles. Sometimes all that remains are just really awesome foundations. Or just earthworks like Takaoka. Little remains of Tottori Castle Ruins, however, it does boast one of the original gates. Located on the eastern side of Tottori, the capital of Tottori Prefecture, the castle was built in 1532 and last served by the Ikeda clan.

Make your way up and over the castle wall foundations of the lower baileys and imagine what it use to be like with the palace structures in tact.

200 Day Seige of Tottori Castle

Tottori Castle is famous for being the location of a 200 (!!!) day siege. Everyone inside the castle slowly ran out of provisions and they were even starting to look towards cannibalism to survive – eek! Can you imagine?! As part of the surrender, the castle lord from the Kikkawa Clad had to commit suicide.

Where was the main keep of Tottori castle?

So where was the actual castle? Or what people tend to think of “the castle” in Japan – the main keep! It can be confusing with the different bailey structures that make up a Japanese castle. The original keep structure was WAY up on the hill, or should I say, Mount Kyusho. If you like and have the time, there are hiking trails to take you to the top. Didn’t end up so well of a location as in 1692 it was hit by lightning and burned.

There are two hiking trails to get you to honmaru or where the castle keep used to be. One will take an hour and one is an hour 20 minutes. There is also a trail to the neighboring mountain that was involved with the siege and is now a nationally designated historic site.

They didn’t bother rebuilding it and then a couple of decades later they lost a huge chunk of buildings to another fire. After taking the time to rebuild some of those buildings, including the ninomaru palace, it got hit by the “one castle one providence” rule from the Meiji era reforms and was destroyed.

The city is working on various projects to restore some of Tottori castle.

Best Cherry Blossom viewing

Japanese castles were giant complexes and took up a lot of space with different tiers of buildings. Similar and different from ones I’ve seen elsewhere in the world. One thing the city of Tottori has done is planted hundreds of Cherry Blossom, or Sakura 桜, trees in amongst the Tottori castle ruins making a great spot to have hanami in the spring.

Where do you get the stamp?

Stamp? Yes, Japan is full of “Stamp Rallies“. In the land of Pokemon, you can find a number of things “to catch them all”. Castles being no different. Between the 100 finest books, there is quite regularly other stamp rallys going on for tourism promotion. If that’s the case, you may have to do some digging for all of the different stamps.

The good thing? “Stamp” is a borrowed word in this case and therefore in katakana. If you are having trouble finding them, ask for “城のスタンプ” (shi-ro no su–ta-n–pu).

Tottori is in ruins so you’ll need to go to Jinpukaku, the stately white building built on the grounds to collect your stamp. It’s a cool side trip in and of itself, it was the first building in the prefecture to have electricity!

Disclosure: Kristenabroad.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program and other affiliate programs. For some links to products or services in this article, I may earn a small commission by you using my link.  The price for you is not affected.

Have you gotten your 100 finest castle book yet?

Visiting Tottori Castle Ruins

The best way for getting around Tottori City is to utilize the 100 yen bus. However, the castle ruins are also not a far walk from the train station. Getting your walk on in Japan is almost a rite of passage.

What’s your favorite?

Do you have a favorite castle? Leave me a note in the comments so I can check it out!

Kakegawa Castle in Kakegawa, Shizuoka prefecture, was my first castle after completing the mission to see the original 12 castles in Japan. I was expecting a castle facade with museum interior. The typical, I feel like, for reconstructions that I had seen so many times before. I was pleasantly mistaken. It was, according to their information, the first castle to be reconstructed with wood.

Kakegawa History

Kakegawa was built around 1600 like nearly all of the castles. I like to joke that they sent carrier pigeons to all the lords. “Build a castle, NOW!”.  However it happened, still completely amazes me thousands of castles were made about the same time.

An earthquake destroyed much of the Kakegawa castle in 1854, including the main keep. The main keep is what determines if it’s “original” or not.  However, the residence, Ni-no-Maru Goten (二の丸御殿), survived!  This is actually the real reason I went.  I’ve been told there are four remaining palaces. I’m still on the search for validating that fact. But I figure someone that went through the Japanese school system and loves castles as much as me is a good start!  This makes the palace a important cultural asset of Japan and one of the very few remaining.

Kakegawa Castle

As I mentioned, Kakegawa Castle donjon, or keep, is completely rebuilt in wood per the original design.  The first undertaking of its kind since after the war.  They finished it in April of 1994. It is number 42 on the Stamp Rally Race for the 100 Finest Japanese Castles.  The stamp is located in the residence. Don’t miss it!

Inside the palace you can see a Taiko Drum.  There is also a 太鼓櫓, Taiko Watch Tower (is the only way I know how to translate it) that is representative of how they use to announce the time during olden days.

If you recall Maruoka Castle having a supernatural self–defense mechanism, Kakegawa did as well.  Legend has it that a mist appeared from one of the wells while it was being attacked, masking its existence.  Since then, it has the nickname of 雲霧城 or Cloud Castle.

Hours and Admission

The Hours of Operation vary depending on the time of year so be on the look out for that.  Pretty standard for Japan.  As the Land of the Rising sun, she tends to have super early summer hours and it gets dark very early in the winter.  From February to October hours are 9am-5pm, November to January is 9am-4.30pm.

The Admission Fee is a 410 yen for adults and 150 for children. This gets you into the Castle, the Ni-no-maru Palace as well as a small Museum.

Getting here

A “local” stop on the Tokai Shinkansen line, the castle is a short walk from the Kakegawa Station.

Matsumoto Castle (松本城) in Nagano Prefecture was my first of the original Japanese castles to visit. An easy stopover for the snow monkeys or any ski trip up to the area.  She claims to be the oldest, “claims” because Inuyama Castle (犬山城) and Maruoka castle (丸岡城) claim the same thing. If *I’m* going to have a say in it, I go with Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle because she’s been around the longest of any of them if you count the sortie history of them MOVING the entire castle from another mountain (that’s insane).  But I digress.

What’s in a name?

Castles in Japan like to have nicknames.  It’s completely a thing. Matsumoto Castle is also referred to as 烏城, kurasujyou. Or Crow Castle, due to her black exterior.  She’s not the only one though. Okayama Castle also has the same nickname. For the same reason. Although they use the same kanji, Okayama Castle is pronounced “U-jyou”.  I love Japanese.

Matsumoto Castle (松本城) Designations

Along with being one of the 12 original Japanese castles, Matsumoto Castle is apart of the five that are included as a National Treasure. She is 5 tiered but 6 floors inside. Something her own website claims they only share with Himeji Castle.  However, Matsue Castle also has 5 tiers and 6 floors.  There’s probably some nuance they are getting around for that one.

Unique Features

Do you recall me saying that Inuyama Castle (犬山城) was pretentious for only mentioning the 5 other castles that are National Treasures? Matsumoto doesn’t mention any of them! It does make mention to one of the 100 finest castles though, Okayama (岡山城).

Okayama castle and Matsumoto share a unique beautiful bit of architecture. This is a moon viewing room and is open on three sides. Added after the warring states period. Peace time allows the lord had a chance to admire the moon I suppose!

Castle Promotion Team

Don’t miss the period dressed castle promotion team when you go to Matsumoto Castle. Dressed in traditional garb, be prepared for some awesome pictures.

Festivals at Matsumoto Castle

The castle grounds known for it’s Cherry Blossoms, a great place for hanami (I don’t think you can go wrong with any of the castles). Summer time there is a Taiko Drum festival. Now on my list of things to see? Takiji Noe performance (play put on with torch lights). Autumn there is a moon viewing party.

If you go during any of these events, you can expect the castle to be very busy so account for wait time. As it’s close to skiing, you also have a good chance to catch her in the snow during winter time.

Getting There

Driving for this one is an option. Especially if you are tying it to a ski trip. There is ample parking available in town.  There’s also some good micro breweries in town though so trains are an option as well.  It’s Japan! There’s practically always a way to get there by train! Expect about a three hour trek from Tokyo to get here. Even with a shinkansen as part of your plan.

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