
TOC
Original Castles
There are more than 300 castles in Japan, but there are only 12 original castles with existing towers.
The 12 castles are as follows.

Hirosaki Castle
Hirosaki Castle (弘前城) is a historic castle located in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture, in the northern part of Honshu, the main island of Japan. It was o...

Matsumoto Castle
Matsumoto Castle (松本城), also known as the "Crow Castle" due to its black exterior, is a historic castle located in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture, Japa...

Inuyama Castle
Inuyama Castle (犬山城) is a historic castle located in the city of Inuyama, Aichi Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the oldest and most well-preserved castles...

Maruoka Castle
Maruoka Castle (丸岡城), located in Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture, is a mountain castle known as one of the 12 existing castle towers, built in the 16th centu...

Himeji Castle
Himeji Castle (姫路城) is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most famous castles in Japan. It is located in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture, and is of...

Hikone Castle
Hikone Castle (彦根城), located in Hikone, Shiga Prefecture, Japan, is a historic castle that holds great significance in Japanese history. It was built in t...

Matsue Castle
Matsue Castle (松江城) is a castle located in Matsue City, Shimane Prefecture, Japan. It is also known as "Black Castle" due to its black exterior. The castl...

Bitchu-Matsuyama Castle
Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (備中松山城) is a mountain castle located in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture. It is one of the few remaining castles in Japan that...

Kochi Castle
Kochi Castle (高知城) is a castle located in the city of Kochi in Kochi Prefecture, Japan. It was originally built in 1601 and has since become one of the mo...

Marugame Castle
Marugame Castle (丸亀城) is a castle located in Marugame City, Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. The castle was built in 1597 by Ikoma Chikamasa during the Azuchi-Mo...

Matsuyama Castle
Matsuyama Castle (松山城), also known as Kinshu Castle, is a historic castle located in Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the twelve original ...

Uwajima Castle
Uwajima Castle (宇和島城), also known as Tsurushima Castle, is a historic castle located in the city of Uwajima in Ehime Prefecture, Japan. It was originally...