Today we visit the Matsumoto Castle, one of four castles designated as ‘National Treasures’ of Japan with over 400 years of history. With the Japanese Alps in the the background and a red bridge connecting the surrounding moat, it is one of the most picturesque castles in all of Japan.
Today we head up to the picturesque castle on a hilltop in downtown Chiba. The ruins of the Inohana Castle go back to early 1100’s when it was created by Chiba Tsuneshige, however the replica that stands today is from sketches of a late 16th century design that somewhat reduces the authenticity of the castle.
We dropped by Hirosaki Castle today, the only remaining castle from the Edo period in the Tohoku area of Japan. Built in 1611, the castle is renowned for the weeping Sakura blossoms in its surrounding park.
We take a walk to the Tsuruga Castle in Aizu Wakamatsu, a city where the influences of samurai remain strong even today. The five storied impregnable fortress and castle tower that stands today is a replica reconstructed in 1965, based on photographs and historical documents of the preceding Kurokawa Castle, built in 1384.
Shuri Castle served as the center of politics, foreign affairs and culture of the Ryukyu Kingdom since the 14th century, until Okinawa became a Japanese prefecture in 1879. The World Heritage Site with its brilliant colors and stylish Ryukyu architecture is strikingly different from any castle I have witnessed in all of Japan.
Fukuyama Castle is one of the most beautiful castles I have witnessed on my travels in Japan. It belongs to the Edo Period. Most of the structures were destroyed in the air raids of World War II in 1945. Only the Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gate have survived the ravages of time.
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