Tokushima Castle Ruins

The Tokushima Castle was a fortification from the Edo era, situated in the city of Tokushima. Its location at the mouth of the Yoshino River.

The castle was constructed by Hachisuka Iemasa, a Japanese daimyō of the early Edo period. He devoted approximately a year to complete the project. The central bailey, Honmaru, was located on top of the 60-meter high Shiroyama hill and was surrounded by the Nishi-Ni-no-maru and Higashi-Ni-no-maru, which were located on the west and east sides respectively. The third bailey, San-no-maru, was located at the base of the hill and was bordered by the Nishi-no-maru to the west. The lord's residence was situated in the San-no-maru.The castle was safeguarded by intricate gates arranged in a masugata style. During the Meiji Restoration, the Meiji government ordered the demolition of most of the castle structures. Some parts of the outer sections were sold to the public, while others were used to build public facilities. In 1905, to commemorate Japan's victory in the Russo-Japanese War, the remaining castle grounds were opened to the public as a park. One of the castle gates managed to endure the Meiji Restoration, but it eventually succumbed to destruction during World War II.The gate was restored in 1989.

Since 1957, the ruins of the castle have been designated a National Historic Site and its Omotegoten Gardens have been recognized as a national Place of Scenic Beauty.