Theme guide
Castles
Most castles in Japan were rebuilt. Only 12 original keeps survive from the Edo period or earlier, and five of them are National Treasures.
- Places to visit
- 95
- Protected site
- 27
Original or rebuilt?
Many castles you see today were rebuilt in concrete in the 20th century, often with a museum inside. The 12 original keeps are wooden towers that survived from the Edo period or earlier. Inside, expect steep wooden stairs, low beams and small windows built for defence.
The five National Treasures
- Himeji Castle (Hyogo)
- Matsumoto Castle (Nagano)
- Inuyama Castle (Aichi)
- Hikone Castle (Shiga)
- Matsue Castle (Shimane)
Good to know
- Original keeps usually ask you to take your shoes off, and the stairs are steep. Wear socks, easy shoes and carry a small bag.
- Spring is the busiest season, as many castle grounds are cherry blossom spots. Go early in the morning.
- Walk the old town around the castle too: many keep merchant streets, samurai houses and local food. See history & heritage.
Where to find the most
Places to start with
Up to three places per prefecture, nationally protected sites first.
Region
88 places match
- HokkaidoUsukeshi Fort宇須岸館A castle in Hokkaido, Japan.
- AomoriMoriyama Fort森山館A castle in Aomori Prefecture, Japan.
- IwateOtsuchi Castle大槌城A castle in Iwate Prefecture, Japan.
- AkitaKakunodate Castle角館城A castle in Akita Prefecture, Japan.
- FukushimaRyozen Castle霊山城A castle in Fukushima Prefecture, Japan.
- TochigiProtected siteKarasawa Castle唐澤城A castle in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
- TochigiKoyama Castle児山城A castle in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan.
- GunmaProtected siteIwabitsu Castle岩櫃城A castle in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
- GunmaNitta Kanayama Castle新田金山城A castle in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.In Ota, Gunma
- GunmaMarble Village Lockheart Castle大理石村ロックハート城A castle in Gunma Prefecture, Japan.
- SaitamaSugiyama Castle杉山城A castle in Saitama Prefecture, Japan.
- ChibaKatsuura Castle勝浦城A castle in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
- ChibaMariyatsu Castle真里谷城A castle in Chiba Prefecture, Japan.
- TokyoProtected siteTakiyama Castle滝山城A castle in Tokyo, Japan.In Hachioji
- TokyoShirokane Choja Yashiki Site白金長者屋敷A historic site in Tokyo, Japan.In Minato
- TokyoHachioji Castle八王子城A castle in Tokyo, Japan.In Hachioji
- KanagawaTakanosu Castle鷹之巣城A castle in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan.
- NiigataKariwa Katsuyama Castle勝山城 (越後国刈羽郡)A castle in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
- NiigataArato Castle荒戸城A castle in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.
- NiigataKasugayama Castle春日山城A castle in Niigata Prefecture, Japan.In Joetsu
- ToyamaShinjo Castle新庄城A castle in Toyama Prefecture, Japan.In Toyama city
- ToyamaMatsukura Castle松倉城A castle in Toyama Prefecture, Japan.
- IshikawaNanao Castle七尾城A castle in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.
- IshikawaSekidosan Castle石動山城A castle in Ishikawa Prefecture, Japan.
Questions travellers ask
How many original castles are there in Japan?
12 castle keeps survive from the Edo period or earlier. Five are National Treasures: Himeji, Matsumoto, Inuyama, Hikone and Matsue.
Which castle should I see first?
Himeji Castle in Hyogo is the best known and a World Heritage site. It is an easy day trip by train from Osaka or Kyoto.
Other themes
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.