Beautiful Samurai Castles You should visit in Japan

 

Japanese castles (城 : shiro) were fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. Castles first appeared throughout Japan in the 15th century, during the era of the warring states.

Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such as ports, river crossings, or crossroads, and almost always incorporated the landscape into their defenses.

 

 

Warlords erected small, wooden castles on mountain tops, to defend against the frequent attacks of that time. After the unification of Japan, under Nobunaga Oda, castles started getting a lot bigger and more beautiful.

Even after many centuries, Japan’s castles still mesmerize tourists with their unique architecture and feudal charm.

 

 

You might often imagine Europe as the land of castles. Yet, the castles of samurais and regional lords in Japan harbor dramatic histories of their own.

Japan once had 5000 castles. They were particularly common in the Sengoku Period  that was a turbulent time of war that lasted from 1467–1603. In the Edo-era (1603〜1868) the number of castles was significantly streamlined as peace set in for extended periods of time.

 

 

By the 1860s, Japan began a program of aggressive modernization and castles were seen as symbols of Japan’s old ways. Many castles were auctioned and scraped in the late 1800s.

The next great wave of castle destruction was in WWII. Many castles had been converted into military posts and were a target of American bombers.

 

 

Despite all this destruction, there are still original castles to be seen in Japan. There are also many modern reconstructions. In the 1960s, Japan went on a castle reconstruction boom that resurrected historical castles.

The following are some of Japan’s most visited castles that have either survived the perils of history, been reconstructed or are castle ruins.

 

 

Please check out this list of the most beautiful castles in Japan ♡

 

 

 

 

☆ Himeji Castle 

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☆ Matsumoto Castle 

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☆ Nagoya Castle 

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☆ Osaka Castle 

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☆ Matsue Castle 

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☆ Hirosaki Castle 

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☆ Hikone  Castle 

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☆ Shimabara  Castle 

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☆ Shuri  Castle 

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☆ Okayama  Castle 

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☆ Kumamoto  Castle 

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☆ Hiroshima  Castle 

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☆ Nijo  Castle 

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☆ Inuyama  Castle 

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☆ Edo  Castle 

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☆ Fukuoka  Castle Ruins

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☆ Aizu Wakamatsu  Castle  

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☆ Hara  Castle ruins

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