In a quiet corner of Shiga Prefecture, on the slopes of a thickly forested hill overlooking Lake Biwa, I came across the scattered remnants of what was, for a few glorious years, the mightiest fortress in all of Japan. A castle to end all castles, unequalled in size or grandeur by anything that had comeContinue reading “Field Report: Azuchi Castle Ruins and Museums, Shiga, Japan – Part One (03 May 2017)”
Tag Archives: Castles
Field Report: Takeda Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (02 May 2017)
In this post, I’ll take you to the ruins of a hilltop castle in Hyōgo Prefecture: a place where stone walls, sheer drops, and fantastic views come together to create one of the most splendid castle vistas I’ve seen anywhere in Japan. Some people have dubbed it “Japan’s Machu Picchu” – an exaggeration, to beContinue reading “Field Report: Takeda Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (02 May 2017)”
Field Snapshot: Yet Another Peek at the Honmaru Palace of Nagoya Castle, Japan (24 November 2016)
I’d been to Nagoya Castle a couple of times already, but there was something in particular that I was itching to come back for. And in any event, I’d gladly jump on any excuse to visit one of my favourite castles in Japan.
Field Report: Ōzu Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (23 November 2016)
I’ve mentioned before how some of Japan’s long-destroyed Edo Period castles are now being reconstructed using historically faithful materials and techniques. This stands in contrast to the mid-20th century trend of building castle replicas out of concrete and fitting them with modern interiors. Last autumn, I visited one of the finest examples of the newContinue reading “Field Report: Ōzu Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (23 November 2016)”
Field Report: Uwajima Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (22 November 2016)
There are just twelve original castles remaining in Japan, four of which are on the island of Shikoku. I visited one of them (Matsuyama) several years ago, and I added two more to the tally (Kōchi and Marugame) earlier during this present trip. Today, let’s tick the last Shikoku item off our list – andContinue reading “Field Report: Uwajima Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (22 November 2016)”
Field Report: Imabari Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (21 November 2016)
I’ve logged thousands of miles of travel through the years in pursuit of the two Japanese things that interest me the most: trains and castles. Needless to say, I find a journey especially rewarding when I can satisfy my thirst for both in one fell swoop – and there are few places better endowed inContinue reading “Field Report: Imabari Castle, Ehime Prefecture, Japan (21 November 2016)”
Field Report: Okayama Castle and Kōraku-en, Japan (20 November 2016)
I’m no stranger to Okayama, or its castle, or its magnificent garden. And there’s certainly a lot that one can say about all three … but as I’m itching to write about the Shikoku stage of this Japan adventure, let’s just pore over a few snapshots and be done with it.
Field Report: Akō Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (20 November 2016)
I’m not an admirer of the Forty-seven Rōnin. I’ve done a fair bit of research on this famous 18th-century tale of revenge, and my position as it currently stands is 1) the deed itself was not as honourable as we’re told, and 2) their target was not as guilty as he’s been made out toContinue reading “Field Report: Akō Castle, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan (20 November 2016)”
Field Report: Marugame Castle, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan (19 November 2016)
In my previous post, we had a look at one of Japan’s twelve remaining original castles. On my way back to Okayama, I managed to squeeze in one more. I now regret making that brief stopover – not because the castle I saw was disappointing, but because it was so flipping awesome that I can’tContinue reading “Field Report: Marugame Castle, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan (19 November 2016)”
Field Report: Kōchi Castle, Japan (19 November 2016)
There are scores of castles scattered all across Japan, but only twelve of them still have their original tenshu (main tower); the rest have either modern-day replicas or empty, ruined foundations. Even rarer are those that have all of the structures in their honmaru (innermost enclosure) intact, tenshu and palace and defensive towers and all.Continue reading “Field Report: Kōchi Castle, Japan (19 November 2016)”
Within striking distance 