Hitoyoshi Castle

 

Hitoyoshi Castle, like most castles in Japan, is pretty much a ruin having been dismantled in the early meiji Period. However the remaining stonework is quite impressive, especially in the context of its location.

It is built on the banks of the Kumagawa River and uses it and a tributary as a moat. The form it is in now dates back to the early 17th Century. A gate and a small yagura have been rebuilt in modern times.

The originalcastle on the site was built in the 13th Century. The castle nd the surrounding area is unusual in that it was held by the same clan, the Sagara, from the 13th Century until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.

It is free to enter and is particular spectacular in November when the autumn colors are in full swing

Okayama Castle

Okayama Castle was constructed between 1573 to 1597 by the Ukita Clan. They were on the wrong side of the Battle of Sekigahara and so the castle passed briefly to the Kobayakawa Clan before coming under the control of the Ikeda Clan who held it until the abolition of the domains in 1869.

The castle's nickname was  Crow Castle because of its black exterior. The famous Himeji Castle not far away was likewise nicknamed "White Egret Castle".

The Asahi River was utilized as a moat on two sides of the castle.

Some of the roof decorations are gilded, but for its first few years all the roof tiles were  gilded earning it the nickname Golden Crow Castle.

This last photo is taken from Korakuen Garden which was built by the Ikeda.

Kitsuki Castle the Smallest Castle in Japan

Kitsuki Castle

Claimed to be the smallest castle in Japan, Kitsuki castle is located in northern Kyushu in the town of Kitsuki in Oita.

The keep is a mere three storeys, but the castle does occupy a strategic position on a headland overlooking the river and sea.

A castle was built here in the late 14th Century by Kitsuki Yorinao, though it must be said that the Japanese definition of castle would in many cases be called s small fortification in English.

I like Kitsuki. There is an excellent, well-preserved samurai district near the castle which I will post on later. The current keep is a modern reconstruction though they have made an effort to keep signs of modern times out of the grounds.

Kabosu Juice From Oita Prefecture

Obi Castle

On the 25th day of my first walk around Kyushu I started out by taking a train and backtracking a ways as I wanted to visit the castle at Obi.

It is not a well-known castle, nor very large, but it is surrounded by a well preserved samurai district and the stone walls are in good condition. The gate house was quite impressive also.

I'm not sure if it ever had a keep but there is a reconstruction of the daimyos "palace" and a museum displaying armour and weapons and such.

For more details on the castles history, access, entry fees etc please see a longer piece I wrote for Japanvisitor.

Nobeoka Castle Ruins

Origunally called Agata Castle, Nobeoka castle was never very big and didn't even have a keep, ony a three-story turret that only lasted 30 years before burning down.

Built on a small hill at the junction of two rivers, a succession of clans controlled the castle with the Naito holding it until the castle was decommissioned in 1870.

There are no buildings left but the gate was rebuilt in 1993. Like most castle ruins the grounds are now planted in cherry trees.

a more than twenty meter high wall supposedly would collapse and crush 1,000 attackers should a single keystone be removed. Saigo held the castle briefly in 1870.

Now it is a popular ohanami spot.

Saiki Castle

Saiki Castle

Saiki, on the coast of southern Oita Prefecture was a castle town in the Edo Period. Built in 1606 by Mori Takamasa, Tsuruya Castle, now known as Saiki Castle, was built on top of  Mount Hachiman.

Most of the castle burnt down in a fire just 11 years later, and was not rebuilt as Mori relocated his headquarters to the base of the mountain, where the main gate of the castle, built in 1637, is the only structure still standing.

After quite a climb up the mountain you can still see a lot of the original stonework . It was not a big castle but had a three storey keep.

It is worth the climb for the expansive views down on the town, across to Shikoku, and across the banjo River.

Kabosu Juice From Oita Prefecture

Usuki Castle

Originally situated atop a small island that connected to the mainland by a sandbar at low tide, Usuki Castle is now in the middle of the town.

It was built by Otomo Sorin in 1562 who moved here from Funai Castle a little north. It's position was much better for defense and he left his son in charge of Funai castle.

The Shimazu attacked the fortress aided by a troop of Buddhist monks. Sorin had become  Christian and the Buddhist monks sacked and burned all Christian churches in retaliation for the destruction of their temples in the area. Sorin used a cannon against the Shimazu, possible the first time a cannon had been used to defend a castle in Japan., but was eventually defeated though first all the Christians in the castle had been evacuated by Portugese ships.

In 1873 the castle was decommissioned and almost all structures dismantled and a few years later the castle easily fell to Saigo Takamori. The main gate was rebuilt in 2001.

Yuzukosho (yuzu pepper) is a signature product from Usuki

Funai Castle

The ruins of Funai Castle are in downtown Oita City, though when it was built this was the coast. Some form of catle was here in the mid 16th Century, but its current form soidified at the end of the 16th century.

It is most famously known as one of Otomo Sorin's castles though he was defeated here by the Shimazu in 1586. Sorin is probably the most well known of the Christian warlords. Hideyoshi helped him retake the castle but later took the fief away from Sorins son.

Most of the castle burned down in 1743 and like most castles was decommisioned in 1872. The main gate and two towers were reconstructed in 1965 and in 1996 the covered bridge was restored.

It is now a free park and a popular spot for cherry blossom viewing.

Murakami Pirate Castle

It was late afternoon as I crossed over the bridge onto Innoshima Island on the first day of my walk along the Shimanami Kaido. I stepped up my pace as there was somewhere I wanted to visit before it closed for the day.

The Murakami were a clan of samurai who for a long time, until Hideyoshi moved them, controlled the waters of the Inland Sea from a series of bases on the islands.

Called pirates, or a navy, depending on who wrote the history, Innoshima was one of their main bases and there were numerous fortifications on the island, though the current structures are far more grand and substantial than anything that existed back then.

There is a small museum and it is possible for visitors to put on some samurai armour for photo ops.

The Tea House at Hagi Castle

Hagi Castle

Within the grounds of the Hagi Castle ruins there are not many buildings. A small storehouse, a fairly modern shrine, but there is also a small traditional teahouse set among some gardens.

Of all the times I have been there it has only been open once, but there always seems to be someone working on the gardens.

I believe it is possible to have tea here but I can find no information as to when or how much.

It is a nice place to wander and take pics though....

Buy dokudami herbal tea from Japan