Questions people actually ask
Short answers, each with its source. Longer ones live on the topic pages.
What is a castle keep?
At its centre is the Tenshu-gun: the donjon, keeps and the structures that connect them. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Himeji-jo The floors of the keep get smaller as you climb, and the top floor has a small shrine. JNTO: Himeji Castle
How many original castles are left?
JNTO lists twelve still-standing original castles. JNTO: Discover Japan’s Twelve Original Castles 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
Which castle keep is the oldest?
JNTO’s list says Matsumoto’s main tower is said to be the oldest surviving castle tower in Japan. JNTO: Discover Japan’s Twelve Original Castles JNTO’s Inuyama page says Inuyama is said to have the oldest existing castle tower. JNTO: Inuyama Castle
Why is Himeji called White Heron Castle?
Its white plastered earthen walls have earned it the name Shirasagi-jo, White Heron Castle. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Himeji-jo The thick white plaster resists fire and bullets. JNTO: Himeji Castle (UNESCO)
Why are the stone walls curved?
Kumamoto’s curved stone walls are called musha-gaeshi, roughly “warrior repellent”: the higher you climb, the steeper they get. Kumamoto Castle official website: History
What are the golden fish on the roofs?
The keep is topped with golden shachihoko: tiger-fish roof ornaments. Nagoya Castle official website: Nagoya Castle The scales of both golden ornaments are covered in 18 carat gold. Nagoya Castle official website: Nagoya Castle
Were Japanese castles made of wood?
UNESCO calls it a masterpiece of construction in wood. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Himeji-jo The tower is 58 metres tall and made of steel and concrete, on the old stone base. Japan Tourism Agency: Osaka Castle Main Tower
Which castle is a World Heritage site?
JNTO’s leaflet says Himeji was registered as a World Cultural Heritage site in 1993. JNTO: Castles in Japan (Tourist Information Center leaflet, April 2024) UNESCO calls Himeji-jo the finest surviving example of early 17th-century Japanese castle architecture. UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Himeji-jo
What happened to the castles after 1868?
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 It was nearly torn down in the Meiji era and was saved by local people. Matsumoto Castle official website: About Matsumoto Castle
Were the castles damaged in the Second World War?
Nagoya Castle was destroyed by firebombing in an air raid in 1945. Nagoya Castle official website: History Himeji was spared from damage during the Second World War. JNTO: Himeji Castle (UNESCO)
Where does this fit in the national curriculum?
At KS2, the non-European society is one study chosen from early Islamic civilisation, Mayan civilisation or Benin; Japan is not one of the options. Department for Education: National curriculum in England, history programmes of study At KS3, pupils should make at least one study of a significant society or issue in world history and its links with other world developments. Department for Education: National curriculum in England, history programmes of study
Our sources give dates and totals in different ways, and some disagree by a year or count different groups of towers. We copy each figure as its source gives it, rather than converting, so every figure matches its link. Every fact was checked against its source on the date shown on the sources page. See when sources disagree for the open questions side by side.