Takamatsu Castle

Takamatsu Castle, situated in central Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture on Shikoku Island, is a distinctive Japanese castle, distinguished by its seawater moats. Referred to as Tamamo Castle, meaning "seaweed castle," this name was inspired by the seawater moats encircling the castle. In 1590, General Ikoma Chikamasa constructed the castle under the auspices of Toyotomi Hideyoshi, which covered an area of 400 by 200 meters. The inner bailey, including the three-story tenshu, was just 50 to 20 meters and could only be reached via a bridge. In 1642, the Matsudaira clan reconstructed the castle and added a new five-story tenshu, which became their home until the Meiji Restoration. The Imperial Japanese Army utilized the castle from 1868 to 1874. The tenshu was demolished in 1884 because of aging, and many other structures were destroyed. The Matsudaira family received the castle back in the following year, and they built a luxurious villa within the inner ring and sold some of the grounds. The castle suffered extensive damage during World War II due to air raids, causing the destruction of the Sakuragomon gate in the San-no-maru enclosure, which was rebuilt in 2022. Four structures were left standing, including the Kita-no-Maru Tsukimi Yagura, the Kita-no-Maru Mizute Gomon, the Kita-no-Maru Watari Yagura, and the Higashi-No-Maru Ushitora Yagura, which were declared national treasures in 1947 and designated as Important Cultural Properties in 1950. Since 1955, the castle and its grounds have been accessible to the public as a park.