Tours to Japanese Castles

This page shows pictures and abstracts of Japanese castles where I have visited in the last 4 years.

Click thumbnail to find a large picture
Nemuro (Hokkaido) Hakodate (Hokkaido) Matsumae (Hokkaido) Hirosaki (Aomori) Ne-jo (Aomori)
Morioka (Iwate) Kubota (Akita) Yokote (Akita) Yamagata Sendai (Miyagi)
Taga (Miyagi) Shiraishi (Miyagi) Wakamatsu (Fukushima) Shirakawa-Komine
(Fukushima)		 Nihonmatsu (Fukushima)
Mito (Ibaraki) Tsuchiura (Ibaraki) Utsunomiya (Tochigi) Ashikaga (Tochigi) Maebashi (Gunma)
Takasaki (Gunma) Minowa (Gunma) Tatebayashi (Gunma) Kanayama (Gunma) Hachigata (Saitama)
Oshi (Saitama) Kawagoe (Saitama) Sakura (Chiba) Edo (Tokyo) Hachioji (Tokyo)
Odawara (Kanagawa) Kasugayama (Niigata) Takada (Niigata) Shibata (Niigata) Toyama
Takaoka (Toyama) Komatsu (Ishikawa) Kanazawa Nanao (Ishikawa) Komaruyama (Ishikawa)
Fukui Ono (Fukui) Kitanosho (Fukui) Maruoka (Fukui) Nochiseyama (Fukui)
Ichijodani (Fukui) Obama (Fukui) Kofu (Yamanashi) Takedashi (Yamanashi) Matsumoto (Nagano)
Matsushiro (Nagano) Ueda (Nagano) Komoro (Nagano) Takato (Nagano) Gifu
Ogaki (Gifu) Gujo-Hachiman (Gifu) Sunomata (Gifu) Iwamura (Gifu) Takayama (Gifu)
Sunpu (Shizuoka) Kakegawa (Shizuoka) Hamamatsu (Shizuoka) Yamanaka (Shizuoka) Nagoya
Nagashino (Aichi) Okazaki (Aichi) Komaki (Aichi) Kiyosu (Aichi) Inuyama (Aichi)
Iga-Ueno (Mie) Kameyama (Mie) Tsu (Mie) Kuwana (Mie) Kambe (Mie)
Matsusaka (Mie) Tamaru (Mie) Toba (Mie) Odani (Shiga) Nagahama (Shiga)
Hikone (Shiga) Sawayama (Shiga) Oomizo (Shiga) Azuchi (Shiga) Hachiman-yama (Shiga)
Zeze (Shiga) Kannonji (Shiga) Sakamoto (Shiga) Otsu (Shiga) Minakuchi (Shiga)
Hino (Shiga) Nijo (Kyoto) Yodo (Kyoto) Shoryuji (Kyoto) Fukuchiyama (Kyoto)
Sonobe (Kyoto) Fushimi (Kyoto) Tanabe (Kyoto) Kameyama (Kyoto) Osaka
Kishiwada (Osaka) Chijaya (Osaka) Ikeda (Osaka) Hanakuma (Hyogo) Ako (Hyogo)
Akashi (Hyogo) Tamba-Sasayama (Hyogo) Himeji (Hyogo) Takeda (Hyogo) Amagasaki (Hyogo)
Yamato-Koriyama (Nara) Takatori (Nara) Koizumi (Nara) Wakayama Shingu (Wakayama)
Tottori Kawahara (Tottori) Yonago (Tottori) Matsue (Shimane) Tsuwano (Shimane)
Gassan-Toda (Shimane) Okayama Tsuyama (Okayama) Bicchu-Matsuyama
(Okayama)		 Bicchu-Takamatsu
(Okayama)
Kinojo (Okayama) Niwase (Okayama) Natsukawa (Okayama) Shimotsui (Okayama) Hiroshima
Fukuyama (Hiroshima) Mihara (Hiroshima) Yoshida-Koriyama
(Hiroshima)		 Iwakuni (Yamaguchi) Hagi (Yamaguchi)
Tokushima Takamatsu (Kagawa) Marugame (Kagawa) Matsuyama (Ehime) Imabari (Ehime)
Kawanoe (Ehime) Uwajima (Ehime) Ozu (Ehime) Yuzuki (Ehime) Kochi
Kokura (Fukuoka) Fukuoka Oono (Fukuoka) Saga Nagoya (Saga)
Karatsu (Saga) Yoshinogari (Saga) Shimabara (Nagasaki) Hirado (Nagasaki) Kumamoto
Hitoyoshi (Kumamoto) Oita Nakatsu (Oita) Oka (Oita) Obi (Miyazaki)
Kagoshima Shuri (Okinawa) Nakijin (Okinawa) Nakagusuku (Okinawa)


Castle Name Location Built in Built by Owners Lost in Note
Nemuro Nemuro, Hokkaido 16-18C Ainu     National historic site
Goryokaku Hakodate, Hokkaido 1866 TOKUGAWA Shogunate   1869 National historic site
Matsumae Matsumae, Hokkaido 1606 MATSUMAE Takahiro Matsumae 1875 National historic site
Hirosaki Hirosaki, Aomori 1611 TSUGARU Tamenobu Tsugaru 1871 12 Existing Castle Towers
Ne-jo Hachinohe, Aomori 1334 NAMBU Moroyuki Nambu 1627 National historic site
Morioka Morioka, Iwate 1598 NAMBU Nobunao Nambu 1871 National historic site
Sendai Sendai, Miyagi 1601 DATE Masamune Date 1871 National historic site
Taga Tagajo, Miyagi 724 OONO Azumabito   unknown National historic site
Shiroishi Shiroishi, Miyagi Kamakura SHIROISHI Katakura 1875  
Kubota Akita 1604 SATAKE Yoshinobu Satake 1880 reconstructed tower
Yokote Yokote, Akita unknown ONODERA Tomura 1868 reconstructed tenshu
Yamagata Yamagata 1356 SHIBA Kaneyori Mogami 1871 National historic site
Wakamatsu Wakamatsu, Fukushima 1384 ASHINA Naomori Matsudaira 1874 National historic site
Shirakawa-Komine Shirakawa, Fukushima 1340 YUUKI Chikatomo Gamou 1871 National historic site
Nihonmatsu Nihonmatsu, Fukushima Muromachi NIHONMATSU,
Mitsuyasu		 Niwa 1872 National historic site
Mito Mito, Ibaraki 1198 BABA Sukemoto Tokugawa 1871 National historic site
Tsuchiura Tsuchiura, Ibaraki 1441 WAKAIZUMI Saburo Tsuchiya 1871 Prefectural historic site
Utsunomiya Utsunomiya, Tochigi Heian FUJIWARA Hidesato Toda 1868  
Ashikaga Ashikaga, Tochigi 1196 ASHIKAGA Yoshikane Ashikaga using National historic site
Maebashi Maebashi, Gunma 15C NAGANO Masanari Uesugi 1871  
Takasaki Takasaki, Gunma 1597 II Naomasa Ando 1871 Prefectural historic site
Minowa Takasaki, Gunma 1512 NAGANO Narihisa Hojo 1590 National historic site
Tatebayashi Tatebayashi, Gunma 15C AKAI Terumitsu Tokugawa 1874  
Kanayama Oota, Gunma 1469 IWAMATSU Iezumi Takayama 1590 National historic site
Kawagoe Kawagoe, Saitama 1457 OTA Doshin Sakai 1869 National historic site
Hachigata Yorii, Saitama 1476 NAGAO Kageharu Uesugi 1590 National historic site
Oshi Gyoda, Saitama 15C NARITA Matsudaira 1871  
Sakura Chiba 1550? KASHIMA Mikitane Chiba 1873 Chiba City historic site
Edo Tokyo 1457 OTA Dokan Tokugawa using Imperial Palace
Hachiouji Hachiouji, Tokyo 1587 HOJO Ujiteru Hojo 1590 National historic site
Odawara Odawara, Kanagawa 1417 OMORI Yoriharu Gohojo 1871 National historic site
Kasugayama Joetsu, Niigata 14C UESUGI Nagao 1607 National historic site
Takada Joetsu, Niigata 1614 MATSUDAIRA Tadateru Inaba 1871 Prefectural historic site
Shibata Shibata, Niigata unknown SHIBATA Mizoguchi 1873 National historic site
Toyama Toyama 1543 JINBO Nagamoto Sassa 1871 imitation tenshu
Takaoka Takaoka, Toyama 1609 MAEDA Toshinaga Maeda 1615 National historic site
Komatsu Komatsu, Ishikawa 1576 WAKABAYASHI Maeda 1872  
Kanazawa Kanazawa, Ishikawa 1580 SAKUMA Maeda 1871 National historic site
Nanao Nanao, Ishikawa 1429 HATAKEYAMA Uesugi 1589 National historic site
Komaruyama Nanao, Ishikawa 1582 MAEDA Toshiie Maeda 1615  
Kitanosho Fukui 1575 SHIBATA Katsuie Shibata 1583  
Fukui Fukui 1601 YUKI Hideyasu Matsudaira 1871  
Ono Ono, Fukui 1575 KANAMORI Nagachika Kanamori 1871  
Maruoka Sakai, Fukui 1576 SHIBATA Katsutoyo Honda 1871 12 Existing Castle Towers
Ichijodani Fukui 13C ASAKURA Asakura 1575 National historic site
Obama Obama, Fukui 1601 KYOGOKU Takatsugu Sakai 1871 Prefectural historic site
Nochiseyama Obama, Fukui 1522 TAKEDA Motomitsu Niwa 1642  
Kofu Kofu, Yamanashi 1583 TOKUGAWA Ieyasu Yanagisawa 1873 Prefectural historic site
Takedashi Kofu, Yamanashi 1519 TAKEDA Nobutora Takeda 1594 National historic site
Matsumoto Matsumoto, Nagano 1504 OGASAWARA Sadatomo Ishikawa 1871 National Treasures
Matsushiro Nagano 1560 TAKEDA Shingen Takeda 1873 National historic site
Ueda Ueda, Nagano 1583 SANADA Masayuki Sanada 1874 National historic site
Komoro Komoro, Nagano 1554 SENGOKU Hidehisa Takeda 1871  
Takato Ina, Nagano unknown unknown Takeda 1872 National historic site
Gifu Gifu 1201 NIKAIDO Yukimasa Oda 1600  
Ogaki Ogaki, Gifu 1500 TAKEGOSHI Hisatsuna Toda 1871  
Sunomata Ogaki, Gifu 1566 KINOSHITA Tokichiro Kinoshita unknown  
Iwamura Ena, Gifu 1221 TOYAMA Kagetomo Niwa 1871 3 Mountain Castles
Gujo-Hachiman Gujo, Gifu 1559 ENDO Morikazu Endo 1869 imitation tenshu
Takayama Takayama, Gifu 1588 KANAMORI Nagachika Kanamori 1695 Prefectural historic site
Sunpu Shizuoka 1585 TOKUGAWA Ieyasu Tokugawa 1869  
Kakegawa Kakegawa Shizuoka 1480 ASAHINA Yasuhiro Yamauchi 1871 National important cultural properties
Hamamatsu Hamamatsu, Shizuoka 1520 IMAGAWA Sadasuke Tokugawa 1871 imitation tenshu
Yamanaka Mishima, Shizuoka 1570? HOJO Ujiyasu Matsuda 1590 National historic site
Nagoya Nagoya, Aichi 1609 TOKUGAWA Ieyasu Tokugawa 1871 National historic site
Nagashino Shinjo, Aichi 1508 SUGANUMA Motonari Okudaira 1576 National historic site
Okazaki Okazaki, Aichi 1452 SAIGO Tsuguyori Matsudaira 1873  
Komaki Komaki, Aichi 1563 ODA Nobunaga Oda 1567  
Kiyosu Nagoya, Aichi 1405 SHIBA Yoshishige Oda 1610 imitation tenshu
Inuyama Inuyama, Aichi 1469 ODA Hirochika Naruse 1871 National Treasures
Iga-Ueno Iga, Mie 1585 TSUTSUI Sadatsugu Todo 1871 National historic site
Kameyama Kameyama, Mie 1265 SEKI Sanetada Honda 1873  
Tsu Tsu, Mie 1570 HOSONO Fujiatsu Todo 1871  
Kuwana Kuwana, Mie 1601 HONDA Tadakatsu Honda 1873  
Kambe Suzuka, Mie 1555 KAMBE Tomomori Kambe 1871  
Matsusaka Matsusaka, Mie 1588 GAMO Ujisato Gamou 1871 National historic site
Tamaru Tokai, Mie 14C KITABATAKE Chikafusa Tamaru 1872  
Toba Toba, Mie 1594 KUKI Yoshitaka Kuki 1871  
Odani Nagahama, Shiga 1516 AZAI Sukemasa Azai 1575 National historic site
Nagahama Nagahama, Shiga 1573 HASHIBA Hideyoshi Hashiba 1615 imitation tenshu
Hikone Hikone, Shiga 1622 II Naotugu Ii 1874 National Treasures
Sawayama Hikone, Shiga 13C SAHO Ishida 1606  
Kannonji Omi-Hachiman, Shiga 1480 ROKKAKU Ujiyori Sasaki 1568 National historic site
Azuchi Omi-Hachiman, Shiga 1576 ODA Nobunaga Oda 1585 National historic site
Hachimanyama Omi-Hachiman, Shiga 1585 TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi Hashiba 1595  
Minakuchi Kouka, Shiga 1634 TOKUGAWA Iemitsu Kato 1873  
Oomizo Takashima, Shiga 1579 ODA Nobusumi Oda 1872  
Sakamoto Otsu, Shiga 1571 AKECHI Mitsuhide Akechi 1586  
Otsu Otsu, Shiga 1586 ASANO Nagamasa Kyogoku 1601  
Zeze Otsu, Shiga 1601 TOKUGAWA Ieyasu Toda 1870 National important cultural properties
Hino Gamou, Shiga 1533 GAmou Sadahide Tanaka 1600  
Nijo Kyoto 1603 TOKUGAWA Ieyasu Tokugawa 1871 World heritage
Yodo Kyoto 1623 MATSUDAIRA Sadatsuna Matsudaira 1871  
Fushimi Kyoto 1592 TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi Toyotomi 1623 imitation tenshu
Shoryuji Nagaokakyo, Kyoto 1339 HOSOKAWA Yoriharu Hosokawa 1649  
Fukuchiyama Fukuchiyama, Kyoto 1579 AKECHI Mitsuhide Akechi 1873 restored tenshu
Kameyama Kameoka, Kyoto 1578 AKECHI Mitsuhide Akechi 1877  
Sonobe Nantan, Kyoto 1619 KOIDE Yoshichika Koide 1872  
Tabane Maizuru, Kyoto 1579 HOSOKAWA Fujitaka Makino 1873  
Osaka Osaka 1583 TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi Toyotomi 1868  
Kishiwada Kishiwada, Osaka 1425 SHINANO Yasuyoshi Koide 1871 reconstructed tenshu
Chihaya Minami-Kawachi, Osaka 1332 KUSUNOKI Masashige Kusunoki 1392 National historic site
Ikeda Ikeda, Osaka 1334 IKEDA Noriyori Muraki 15C  
Himeji Himeji, Hyogo 1349 AKAMATSU Sadayori Kodera 1871 National Treasures
Akashi Akashi, Hyogo 1618 OGASAWARA Tadazane Matsudaira 1874 National historic site
Ako Ako, Hyogo 1480 OKA Mitsuhiro Asano 1873 National historic site
Hanakuma Kobe 1568 ARAKI Murashige Oogawara 1580  
Tamba-Sasayama Sasayama, Hyogo 1609 TOKUGAWA Ieyasu Matsudaira 1871 National historic site
Takeda Asagi, Hyogo 1431 YAMANA Sozen Ota 1600 Castle in the sky
Amagasaki Amagasaki, Hyogo 1617 TODA Ujikane Matsudaira 1873  
Yamato-Koriyama Koriyama, Nara 1580 TSUTSUI Junkei Toyotomi 1873  
Takatori Takaichi, Nara 1332 OCHI Kunizumi Tsutsui 1873 3 Mountain Castles
Yamato-Koizumi Koriyama, Nara 15C KOIZUMI Katagiri 1873 reconstructed yagura
Wakayama Wakayama 1585 TOYOTOMI Hidenaga Tokugawa 1871 National historic site
Shingu Shingu, Wakayama 1618 ASANO Tadayoshi Mizuno 1873 National historic site
Tottori Tottori 1550 Tajima-YAMANA Kikkawa 1871 National historic site
Kawahara Tottori 1570? TAKEDA Takanobu? Hashiba unknown imitation tenshu
Yonago Yonago, Tottori 1470 YAMANA Kikkawa 1871 National historic site
Matsue Matsue, Shimane 1611 HORIO Tadauji Kyogoku 1871 National Treasures
Tsuwano Kasoku, Shimane 1295 YOSHIMI Yoriyuki Yoshimi 1871 National historic site
Gassan-Toda Yasugi, Shimane 1185 SASAKI Yoshikiyo Amago 1611 National historic site
Okayama Okayama 1365 UWAGAMI Takanao Ikeda 1873 National historic site
Tsuyama Tsuyama, Okayama 1444 YAMANA Tadamasa Yamana 1873 National historic site
Bicchu-Matsuyama Takahashi, Okayama 1240 AKIBA Shigenobu Mimura 1874 12 Existing Castle Towers
3 Mountain Castles
Bicchu-Takmatsu Okayama unknown ISHIKAWA Shimizu 1620  
Kinojo Soja, Okayama 7C Yamato Imperial court ? unknown National historic site
Niwase Okayama 16C MIMURA Motochika Togawa 1869  
Natsukawa Okayama 1395 MIMURA Iechika Inoue 1869  Prefectural historic site
Shimotsui Kurashiki, Okayama 1595 UKITA Hideie Ikeda 1639  Prefectural historic site
Hiroshima Hiroshima 1589 MOURI Terumoto Mouri 1874 National historic site
Fukuyama Fukuyama, Hiroshima 1622 MIZUNO Katsunori Mizuno 1874 National historic site
Mihara Mihara, Hiroshima 1567 KOBAYAKAWA Takakage Kobayakawa unknown National historic site
Yoshida-Koriyama Aki-Takada, Hiroshima unknown MOURI Mouri 1591 National historic site
Iwakuni Iwakuni, Yamaguchi 1601 KIKKAWA Hiroie Kikkawa 1615 reconstructed tenshu
Hagi Hagi, Yamaguchi 1604 MOURI Terumoto Mouri 1874 National historic site
Tokushima Tokushima 1585 HACHISUKA Iemasa Hachisuka 1869 National historic site
Takamatsu Takamatsu, Kagawa 1590 IKOMA Chikamasa Matsudaira 1869 National historic site
Marugame Marugame, Kagawa 1602 IKOMA Chikamasa Ikoma 1871 12 Existing Castle Towers
Matsuyama Matsuyama, Ehime 1602 KATO Yoshiaki Kato 1873 12 Existing Castle Towers
Imabari Imabari, Ehime 1602 TODO Takatora Todo 1873 restored tenshu
Uwajima Uwajima, Ehime 1601 TODO Takatora Todo 1871 12 Existing Castle Towers
Kawanoe Shikoku-Chuo, Ehime 1337 DOHI Yoshimasa Dohi unknown imitation tenshu
Ozu Ozu, Ehime 1331 UTSUNOMIYA Toyofusa Utsunomiya 1871 National important cultural properties
Yuzuki Matsuyama, Ehime 14C KONO Kobayakawa 1587 National historic site
Kochi Kochi 1603 YAMAUCHI Kazutoyo Yamauchi 1871 12 Existing Castle Towers
Fukuoka Fukuoka 1601 KURODA Nagamasa Kuroda 1871 National historic site
Kokura Kitakyushu, Fukuoka 1602 MOURI Katsunobu Hosokawa 1866 reconstructed tenshu
Ono Onojo, Fukuoka 665 Yamato Imperial court   unknown National historic site
Saga Saga 1602 NABESHIMA Naoshige Nabeshima 1871 National important cultural properties
Nagoya Karatsu, Saga 1591 TOYOTOMI Hideyoshi Toyotomi 1598 National historic site
Yoshinogari Saga BC4 unknown     National historic site
Karatsu Karatsu, Saga 1608 TERAZAWA Hirotaka Terasawa 1871 imitation tenshu
Shimabara Shimabara, Nagasaki 1624 MATSUKURA Shigemasa Matsukura 1871 reconstructed tenshu
Hirado Hirado, Nagasaki 1599 MATSUURA Shigenobu Matsuura 1871 imitation tenshu
Kumamoto Kumamoto 1600 KATO Kiyomasa Kato 1874 reconstructed tenshu
Hitoyoshi Hitoyoshi, Kumamoto 1206 SAGARA Nagayori Sagara 1871 National historic site
Oita Oita 1597 FUKUHARA Nagataka Matsudaira 1872 Prefectural historic site
Nakatsu Nakatsu, Oita 1588 KURODA Yoshitaka Hosokawa 1871 imitation tenshu
Oka Takeda, Oita 1185 OGATA Koreyoshi Nakagawa 1871 National historic site
Obi Nichinan, Miyazaki 15C TSUCHIMOCHI Ito 1871 Local historic site
Kagoshima Kagoshima 1602 SHIMAZU Iehisa Shimazu 1872 Prefectural historic site
Shuri Naha, Okinawa 14C unknown Daiichi-Sho 1879 National historic site, world heritage
Nakijin Nakijin, Okinawa 13C unknown Daiichi-Sho 1665 National historic site, world heritage
Nakagusuku Nakagusuku, Okinawa 14C unknown Nakagusuku 1458 National historic site, world heritage
* Blue background in "Built in" indicates a castle constructed in Edo era.
** Most of castles were lost by the "Order to Abandon Castles" in the Meiji period (1868-).
***The "tenshu" means a castle tower.


Click to find a table of castles.




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