Castles In Japan
A Guide to Japanese Castles
Japanese castle (in Japanese – 城 shiro) is a fortress and samurai lord’s resident constructed with wood and stone. The first form of Japanese castle was the wooden stockade in early centuries, then evolved into their best-known form of powerful and beautiful structure in the 16th century. The structure of Japanese castle is very different not only from Western countries, but also from other Asian countries.
Japanese castle was uniquely developed by Samurai and it has reached the only one design in the world.
Castles in Japan served as guards and strategic sites where the local feudal lords could come up with strategies and battle tactics. Due to their purposes of defense during battle, many castles were destroyed over time through battle.
The typical castle consisted of multiple rings of defense, with the so called honmaru (“main circle”) in the center and was surrounded by the second and third compounds (ninomaru and sannomaru). (“second circle” & “thirds circle”) .
Nowadays, there are about 90 castles left in Japan, including the ruins and reconstructions. Among them, only 12 original castles are still standing.
Table of Contents
Castles Around Japan
Below is a list of the castles around Japan that we visited and recommend. Click on what you find interested for reading more.
Hyogo:
Himeji Castle
This hilltop castle is located in Hyōgo Prefecture. It was inscribed to the UNESCO World Heritage list in 1993. It is known as the “White Heron Castle” – a tribute to its brilliant white colour and its elegant structure.
It is one of only 12 surviving original castles in Japan