Japanese Castles & Swords

Sendai Castle (Aoba Castle)

Lord: Date Masamune

Sendai Castle was built in 1601 by Date Masamune, the legendary 'One-Eyed Dragon,' and serves as the...

Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle (Tsuruga Castle)

Lord: Gamō Ujisato / Matsudaira Katamori

Aizu-Wakamatsu Castle is a renowned fortress at a strategic point in Tōhoku, known for the tragic st...

Hirosaki Castle

Lord: Tsugaru Tamenobu / Tsugaru clan

Hirosaki Castle was planned by Tsugaru Tamenobu and completed by his son Nobuhira, boasting the only...

Odawara Castle

Lord: Hōjō Ujiyasu / Ōkubo clan

Odawara Castle was the stronghold of the Hōjō clan, who ruled the Kantō region for five generations ...

Matsumoto Castle

Lord: Ishikawa Kazumasa / Matsudaira clan

Matsumoto Castle is a National Treasure featuring a five-story, six-floor tower — the oldest survivi...

Inuyama Castle

Lord: Naruse Masanari / Naruse clan

Inuyama Castle, a National Treasure perched above the Kiso River, is one of the oldest surviving cas...

Nagoya Castle

Lord: Tokugawa Yoshinao (first lord of Owari Tokugawa)

Nagoya Castle was built by Tokugawa Ieyasu as the capstone of national unification. Its tower, crown...

Kanazawa Castle

Lord: Maeda Toshiie / Maeda clan

Kanazawa Castle was the seat of the Maeda clan, lords of the million-koku Kaga domain, and prospered...

Maruoka Castle

Lord: Shibata Katsutoyo / Arima clan

Maruoka Castle was built by Shibata Katsutoyo, nephew of the famous general Shibata Katsuie, and its...

Ueda Castle

Lord: Sanada Masayuki / Sanada clan

Ueda Castle was built by the brilliant strategist Sanada Masayuki, renowned for twice repelling vast...

Tsutsujigasaki Yakata (Takeda Clan Residence)

Lord: Takeda Shingen / Takeda clan

Tsutsujigasaki Yakata was the residence of Takeda Shingen, the fearsome 'Tiger of Kai,' serving as t...

Kasugayama Castle

Lord: Uesugi Kenshin / Uesugi clan

Kasugayama Castle was the stronghold of Uesugi Kenshin, revered as the 'God of War,' and is counted ...

Himeji Castle

Lord: Ikeda Terumasa / Sakai clan

Himeji Castle, known as 'White Heron Castle,' is the supreme masterpiece of Japanese castle architec...

Osaka Castle

Lord: Toyotomi Hideyoshi

Osaka Castle was built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi as a monument to national unification, and it became th...

Azuchi Castle

Lord: Oda Nobunaga

Azuchi Castle was the revolutionary fortress built by Oda Nobunaga on the shores of Lake Biwa as a s...

Hikone Castle

Lord: Ii Naomasa / Ii clan

Hikone Castle is a National Treasure built to fulfill the dying wish of Ii Naomasa, one of the Four ...

Matsue Castle

Lord: Horio Yoshiharu / Matsudaira clan

Matsue Castle is a National Treasure on the shores of Lake Shinji, boasting the only surviving castl...

Okayama Castle

Lord: Ukita Hideie / Ikeda clan

Okayama Castle, nicknamed 'Crow Castle' for its black-lacquered exterior, is a magnificent fortress ...

Hiroshima Castle

Lord: Mōri Terumoto / Asano clan

Hiroshima Castle was built by Mōri Terumoto, hegemon of the Chūgoku region, on the Ōta River delta. ...

Fukuyama Castle

Lord: Mizuno Katsunari / Abe clan

Fukuyama Castle was built by Mizuno Katsunari, a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu, with full backing from t...

Bitchū Matsuyama Castle

Lord: Akiba Shigenobu / Itakura clan

Bitchū Matsuyama Castle, perched at 430 meters on Mount Gagyū, boasts the highest-altitude surviving...

Kōchi Castle

Lord: Yamauchi Kazutoyo / Yamauchi clan

Kōchi Castle was built by Yamauchi Kazutoyo after receiving the Tosa domain for his service at Sekig...

Marugame Castle

Lord: Ikoma Chikamasa / Kyōgoku clan

Marugame Castle is celebrated as a masterpiece of stone wall engineering. Its four-tiered walls, ris...

Uwajima Castle

Lord: Tōdō Takatora / Date clan (Uwajima)

Uwajima Castle is a coastal fortress built by the master castle architect Tōdō Takatora, possessing ...

Matsuyama Castle

Lord: Katō Yoshiaki / Matsudaira clan

Matsuyama Castle was built by Katō Yoshiaki following his exploits at Sekigahara, featuring a specta...

Kumamoto Castle

Lord: Katō Kiyomasa

Kumamoto Castle is one of Japan's three great castles, built with the full passion and expertise of ...

Shuri Castle

Lord: Kings of Ryūkyū (Shō dynasty)

Shuri Castle served as the royal palace of the Ryūkyū Kingdom for approximately 450 years, functioni...