Castles in Japan | Hey Japan!

Castle

Nagoya Castle

Castle constructed in 1612 as the center of a major Edo-era post station, destroyed in World War II bombing but reconstructed since 1957.

Nagoya · Aichi

Castle

Goryokaku

Japan's first Western-style fortress, this five-pointed star fort was completed in 1866 and witnessed the final battle of the Boshin War.

Hakodate · Hokkaido

Castle

Himeji Castle

Iconic castle with brilliant white exterior, designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Treasure, fully restored to its original appearance in 2015.

Himeji · Hyogo

Castle

Nagoya Castle

Castle constructed in 1612 as the center of a major Edo-era post station, destroyed in World War II bombing but reconstructed since 1957.

Nagoya · Aichi

Castle

Goryokaku

Japan's first Western-style fortress, this five-pointed star fort was completed in 1866 and witnessed the final battle of the Boshin War.

Hakodate · Hokkaido

Castle

Himeji Castle

Iconic castle with brilliant white exterior, designated UNESCO World Heritage Site and National Treasure, fully restored to its original appearance in 2015.

Himeji · Hyogo

Castle

Shuri Castle

Castle in Okinawa symbolizing Ryukyu Kingdom history, featuring mixed Chinese and Japanese architecture and serving as royal residence and religious center.

Naha · Okinawa

Castle

Kagoshima Castle

Built in 1601 by the Shimazu clan, this castle was notably small by design, with only its moat, walls, and the recently reconstructed Otemon Gate remaining.

Kagoshima

Castle

Obi Castle

Obi Castle, ruled by the Ito clan for centuries, was completely refurbished in the late 1970s along with its surrounding castle town.

Nichinan · Miyazaki

Castle

Kumamoto Castle

Kumamoto Castle, known as the Black Castle, features impressive stone walls and architecture and now welcomes visitors following its complete restoration after earthquake damage.

Kumamoto

Castle

Saga Castle

Originally built in the late sixteenth century to control highway crossroads, Saga Castle served as the Saga Domain's residence and was reconstructed in 1989.

Saga

Castle

Uwajima Castle

A historical castle in Uwajima city with an innovative pentagonal moat system, damaged by earthquakes during its centuries of use and occupation by the Date clan.

Uwajima · Ehime

Castle

Yuzuki Castle Ruins

A medieval fortress in Matsuyama designated a Top 100 Castle, preserving rare early Japanese castle architecture that influenced later fortifications throughout the country.

Matsuyama · Ehime

Castle

Marugame Castle

Seventeenth-century castle with distinctive 20-meter stone walls, rebuilt in 1640 and completed in 1670, ranked among Japan's Top 100 Castles.

Marugame · Kagawa

Historic Site

Tokushima Castle Ruins

This Edo-era castle overlooked the Yoshino River with a central keep atop a 60-meter hill before Meiji-period demolition; the grounds reopened as a park in 1905.

Tokushima

Castle

Hiroshima Castle

A 16th-century castle destroyed in the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in 1945, reconstructed in 1958 and now serving as a museum documenting the city's history.

Hiroshima

Castle

Bitchu Matsuyama Castle

Mountain castle built in 1240 and rebuilt in 1331 on its current location, retaining its tenshu, Nijū yagura, and section of defensive walls.

Takahashi · Okayama

Castle

Matsue Castle

Original wooden fortress built 1607-1611, one of Japan's few surviving castles and one of the Three Great Lake Castles in its architectural category.

Matsue · Shimane

Castle

Wakayama Castle

Sixteenth-century castle with traditional Japanese architecture, surrounded by moat and stone walls, featuring a museum and scenic garden.

Wakayama

Castle

Akashi Castle Ruins

Built in just one year starting 1617, this fortress commanded the Seto Inland Sea with 20 towers and 27 gates as a backup to Himeji Castle.

Akashi · Hyogo

Castle

Takeda Castle Ruins

Positioned on a 353-meter mountain, Takeda Castle ranks among Japan's top hundred castles and is famed for its sea-of-clouds phenomenon in early autumn mornings.

Asago · Hyogo

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