- Type
- Castle
- Built
- c. 1593 · 16th century
- Location
- Nagano Prefecture, Japan
- Visiting
- probably – Wikidata lists it as a museum or gives tickets, opening hours or visitor numbers; check before you go
- Coordinates
- 36.2389°, 137.9692°
History
In the early 16th century the Ogasawara clan built Fukashi Fort on this site, and it changed hands several times during the turbulent Sengoku period. The present keep was raised in the 1590s by Ishikawa Kazumasa and his son Yasunaga, and in the 17th century a red-railed moon-viewing turret was added. After the Meiji reforms the castle was put up for auction and faced demolition, but local residents raised money to buy it back. A major restoration followed in the early 20th century, and today its keep is one of only five in Japan designated a National Treasure.
What to see
Visitors climb very steep wooden staircases through six interior levels, passing gun ports, stone-drop openings and massive original beams. The lower floors display a collection of historic firearms, including Japanese matchlock guns. The best view is from outside, where the black-and-white keep is reflected in the moat and, on clear days, the snowy peaks of the Northern Alps rise behind it.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q739612
Popularity: articles about this site in 37 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).