- Type
- Ruin
- Built
- 1604 · 17th century
- Location
- Yamaguchi Prefecture, Japan
- Heritage
- part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site (an old town or a valley, for example)
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 34.4176°, 131.3825°
History
After the defeat at Sekigahara in 1600, Tokugawa Ieyasu stripped the Mōri clan of most of its lands, leaving it only the provinces of Nagato and Suō. Mōri Terumoto had to build a new seat, and in 1604 he began a castle in remote Hagi on the Sea of Japan; it was finished in 1608. The castle combined a residence with a five-storey keep at the foot of Mount Shizuki and a stronghold on its summit. In 1863 Mōri Takachika moved the domain's government to Yamaguchi, and in 1874, under the Meiji reforms, the castle buildings were pulled down.
What to see
What remains are stone walls, the moat and the base of the keep, set in Shizuki Park, known for its cherry blossoms, with Shizuki Shrine on the former courtyard. A path climbs to the remains of the upper stronghold on the summit. The ruins and the neighbouring samurai quarter are part of the UNESCO listing of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1064830
Popularity: articles about this site in 17 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).