Visiting & spotting

How to read a Japanese castle

A few clues help you see how a castle worked, and which parts are old.

What to look for

• The floors of the keep get smaller as you climb, and the top floor has a small shrine. JNTO: Himeji Castle
• 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
• The castle was built for war, with 115 gun and arrow slots. Matsumoto Castle official website: The Keep and Its Structure
• The corner watchtowers have ishi-otoshi: stone-dropping chutes above the walls. Nagoya Castle official website: Nagoya Castle
• The keep is topped with golden shachihoko: tiger-fish roof ornaments. Nagoya Castle official website: Nagoya Castle
• The wall stones carry the marks of the 20 daimyo who were ordered to build the castle. Nagoya Castle official website: Nagoya Castle
• The south-west corner watchtower looks two storeys high from outside but has three floors. Nagoya Castle official website: Nagoya Castle

Old or rebuilt?

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

The tower is 58 metres tall and made of steel and concrete, on the old stone base. Japan Tourism Agency: Osaka Castle Main Tower

In 1960 the castle towers were rebuilt in steel-framed reinforced concrete, paid for by Kumamoto citizens. Kumamoto Castle official website: History

Before you set off

Matsuyama Castle sits on top of Mt. Katsuyama and can be reached by ropeway, chairlift or on foot. JNTO: Discover Japan’s Twelve Original Castles

After 60 years, the 1959 concrete keeps were closed because of ageing and earthquake-resistance problems. Nagoya Castle official website: Tower Keep Restoration

After a five-year project that began in 2010, the castle fully reopened on 27 March 2015. JNTO: Himeji Castle

Next: the big facts page →