As we all know, Japan is filled with a gigantic, beautiful and fascinating history. This history left the country with many gorgeous monuments, tombs and castles. Therefore, I wanted to quickly go over some popular Japanese castles, because I just find it so interesting, and I hope you do as well!
1) Hiroshima Castle. Hiroshima Castle was established back in year 1589 by Mori Terumoto at the delta of the Otagawa River and recieved the name of "Gokamura" (5 villages). When the feudal system fell, the castle was used by the military as Imperial General Headquarters during the Sino Japanese war. On August 6th 1945 the castle was completely destroyed by the Atomic Bomb blast. The present tower was reconstructed in 1958 and houses a museum today in Hiroshima.
2) Kakegawa Castle. Since its construction in the 15th century, Kakegawa Castle was involved in many battles and was under control of several important warlords such as Toyotomi Hideyoshi and Tokugawas Ieyasu. An earthquake in 1854 destroyed it almost completely. The present castle is a partial reconstruction built in 1861, using traditional techniques to preserve its appearance. The castle exists in central Japan, Shizuoka Prefecture.
3) Kanazawa Castle. Kanazawa Castle was originally founded in 1583 by the Maeda clan, one of the most powerful samurai families which ruled Kanazawa until the Meiji Restoration. The castle was burnt down several times along history, being in 1881 the last time, and the grounds were used by an university campus until 1989. In 1999, a full reconstruction of the castle began, using only traditional techniques.
4) Kumamoto Castle. Kumamoto Castle was constructed in 1607 by the Kato Clan and was one of Japan´s strongest castles, with 49 turrets and 5.3 km of stone walls. In 1887 the castle was besieged during the Boshin civil war and it was badly damaged, although several of the original wooden structures have survived until today. The main keep was reconstructed out of concrete in 1960 and the Lord´s inner palace renovated in 2007.
5) Nagoya Castle. The original Nagoya Castle was constructed in 1525, rebuilt in 1610 and burnt down in an air raid during World War II. The present castle is a modern reconstruction of the main tower, equipped with elevators and used as a museum. This castle is famous for its Kinsaichi, two golden tiger-head dolphins located on either end of the roof which were used as a talisman to prevent fires.
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