Zakimi Castle Ruins are the remains of a historic castle from the 1400’s. Only the castle’s beautifully curved stone walls remain today, though some have been reconstructed due to damage during war times. The castle is an important part of Ryukyu history, and is often missed by tourists in Okinawa despite being listed as a …
Hiroshima Castle (広島城), cutely nicknamed the “Carp Castle“, is located in the center of Hiroshima city. It is a castle with history dating back to the 1590’s. While completely destroyed by the Atomic Bomb in 1945, it has been reconstructed in it’s original appearance, and today hosts a museum documenting the history of Hiroshima prior …
Kanazawa Castle Park in Kanazawa, Ishikawa Prefecture, is a larger park where the important Kanazawa Castle was located from 1580 to 1871. Today the park contains the few buildings that have survived various fires over the centuries, and a couple of reconstructed buildings which give a sense of the castles style, size and significance. Accommodation …
Maruoka Castle is a small (3-story) Japanese castle located in Maruoka, just north of Fukui City in Fukui Prefecture. It is an old castle and one of only 12 original castles to survive the battles occurring around the Meiji Restoration (1868) and the wars of the following century. This makes Maruoka Castle part of a …
Until 1868, Kyoto Imperial Palace was the seat and home of the ruling Emperor of Japan. The palace is located in Kyoto Gyoen, a park complex which encompasses the Imperial Palace and Sento Imperial Palace. The park and outdoor area of the palaces are open to the public at no charge. Visitors can apply for …
Nijo Castle is a beautiful and well preserved castle, built in Kyoto between 1601 and 1626 by the Tokugawa clan. It features two palaces and numerous gardens. The complex is listed as a UNESCO world heritage site. Nijō-jō, as the castle is called in Japanese, is a flatland type castle. That means it’s not built …
Matsumoto castle is one of Japans most unique and beautiful castles. The castle complex is designated both as national treasures and cultural treasure. Matsumoto Castle together with Himeji Castle and Kumamoto Castle are considered the 3 most beautiful (and famous) castles in the country. It is also one of only 12 surviving original castles in …
Osaka Castle plays a central role in the history of the unified Japan. This beautiful castle is definitely worth a visit, both for it’s beauty, historic importance and scenic views.
Himeji Castle, also called “White Heron Castle”, is the most visited castle in Japan. In 2015 Himeji Castle was visited by almost 3 million people. That is a really impressive number of visitors. So after seeing a few photos online we didn’t hesitate to get of our Shinkansen train in Himeji, when we were transferring …
