Japanese castles, floor by floor.
How Japanese castles were built on curved stone bases, how they kept attackers out, what happened to them after 1868, and castles from Himeji and Matsumoto to Kumamoto, Osaka, Nagoya and Hirosaki. Every fact is checked against UNESCO, the Japan National Tourism Organization (JNTO), the Japan Tourism Agency and the castles’ own websites, and where sources disagree we show each one.
The short version
JNTO says almost all Japan’s castles were taken down after 1868, when samurai rule ended, or lost in the Second World War. JNTO: Discover Japan’s Twelve Original Castles Many castles you see in Japan today are modern replicas. JNTO: Discover Japan’s Twelve Original Castles
JNTO lists twelve still-standing original castles. JNTO: Discover Japan’s Twelve Original Castles Five castles have original main keeps that are National Treasures: Himeji, Inuyama, Matsue, Matsumoto and Hikone. JNTO: Discover Japan’s Twelve Original Castles
UNESCO calls Himeji-jo the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Himeji-jo Its white plastered earthen walls have earned it the name Shirasagi-jo, White Heron Castle. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Himeji-jo
Matsumoto Castle is the oldest surviving castle with five stories outside but six floors inside. Matsumoto Castle official website: About Matsumoto Castle
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A castle that held out
In 1877 the castle withstood a fifty-day siege: 3,500 soldiers inside against a Satsuma army of 13,000. Kumamoto Castle official website: History In 1877 the main tower and the Honmaru Goten palace burnt down; the cause is still not known. Kumamoto Castle official website: History In 1960 the castle towers were rebuilt in steel-framed reinforced concrete, paid for by Kumamoto citizens. Kumamoto Castle official website: History
And a castle in the sky
Bitchu Matsuyama is called the “Mountain Castle in the Sky”, because it seems to float above the clouds. JNTO: Bitchu Matsuyama Castle Bitchu Matsuyama stands on a 430-metre mountaintop, the highest fortress in Japan with a surviving castle tower. JNTO: Castles in Japan (Tourist Information Center leaflet, April 2024) Bitchu Matsuyama’s buildings were in disrepair for many years and were restored by the local community. JNTO: Bitchu Matsuyama Castle More on the castles to see.
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Japanese castles printables
Fact-checked PDFs in A4 and US Letter, for ages 7 to 11, ages 11 to 14, families and visitors to Japanese castles.
Japanese Castles Junior Topic Pack
Ages 7 to 11, schools and families
Meet Himeji, the White Heron Castle, label a castle keep, how a castle kept attackers out, before-or-after-1700 sorting cards, put-it-in-order date cards, a true-or-false quiz, a crossword where every answer is a real fact, a word search, a comic strip, a golden roof ornament to colour, a certificate and a full answer key
Japanese Castles History Detective Pack
Ages 11 to 14
Which is Japan’s oldest castle keep, and why do the sources answer differently? Six short sources with their provenance, an evidence table, a dates task, questions the sources answer differently, what happened to the castles after 1868, and a judgement task, with full answers
Japanese Castles Family Activity Pack
Families, ages 5 and up
Colouring pages, a castle maze, spot-the-difference, design your own castle keep, Useless the Eraser’s Japanese castle jokes and a 20-question quiz to do together
Japanese Castles Spotter’s Field Guide
Adult history fans and travellers
How to read a Japanese castle keep, mountain, hill and flatland castles, stone walls and defences, the people who built them, 12 castles with what the people who look after or describe them say, a timeline, open questions and a checklist
Japanese Castles Visit Journal
Visitors of all ages
Before-you-go checklist, what-to-spot tick lists for outside and inside a castle, six sketch pages, a log for up to 12 visits, and a visit stamps page
Japanese Castles Timeline & Poster Set
Classrooms and home
Six poster pages: a timeline from 1346 to 2021, a castle keep, three kinds of castle site, the way in through the gates, Himeji the White Heron Castle, and Japanese castles in numbers
Best valueThe Complete Japanese Castles Printables Bundle
All six packs plus a bundle guide, A4 and US Letter, in one download. $12.99 instead of $26.44 bought separately.