- Type
- Castle
- Origins
- 1602 · 17th century per Wikidata: founding, first mention or construction
- Location
- Saga Prefecture, Japan
- Commissioned by
- Nabeshima clan
- Coordinates
- 33.2457°, 130.3022°
History
On the site of Muranaka Castle, the seat of the Ryūzōji clan, their former retainers Nabeshima Naoshige and his son Katsushige built a new castle ringed by broad moats in 1602–1611, the centre of the wealthy Saga domain. In 1726 a great fire destroyed most of the buildings, including the keep, which was never rebuilt. In 1838 the daimyō Nabeshima Naomasa built a new palace in the main bailey, from which he directed reforms that made Saga one of Japan's most modern domains. In 1874, during Etō Shinpei's Saga Rebellion, fighting broke out at the castle. The palace was reconstructed in timber in 2004 as a history museum.
What to see
Wide moats covered with lotus and rows of old camphor trees surround the former castle grounds in the city centre. The original Shachi-no-mon gate of 1838 survives, with two copper shachi fish on its roof and bullet marks from 1874. Beyond it stands the rebuilt Honmaru palace with long corridors and tatami-matted halls, and nearby rises the stone base of the former keep.
Wikipedia article Official website Wikidata Q1071095
Popularity: articles about this site in 11 Wikimedia projects (Wikipedia language editions and others).