List of foreign-style castles in Japan explained

This is a list of foreign-style castles in Japan. In Japan, the word '城(shiro) has broader meanings than western world, so this list includes the buildings near to fortresses.

Korean style castles

See also: Korean-style fortresses in Japan.

Castle	Image	Location	data-sort-type=number	First Built	Type	Status
Mizuki Castle		Dazaifu, Fukuoka Prefecture	663	Korean style defensive wall?	Ruins
Nagato Castle		Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture?	665	Korean-style fortress	unknown location
Ōno Castle		Ōnojō, Fukuoka Prefecture	665	Korean-style fortress	Ruins
Kii Castle		Kiyama, Saga Prefecture	665	Korean-style fortress	Ruins
Takayasu Castle		Heguri, Nara Prefecture	667	Korean-style fortress	Ruins
Yashima Castle		Takamatsu, Kagawa Prefecture	667	Korean-style fortress	Ruins,restored stonewall
Kaneda Castle		Tsushima, Nagasaki Prefecture	667	Korean-style fortress	Ruins
Kikuchi Castle		Yamaga, Kumamoto Prefecture	698	Korean-style fortress	Partially reconstructed
Mino Castle		unknown	699	Korean-style fortress	unknown location
Inazumi castle		unknown	699	Korean-style fortress	unknown location
Mio Castle		Takashima, Shiga Prefecture?	672	Korean-style fortress?	unknown location
Ibara Castle		Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture?	719	Korean-style fortress	unknown location
Tsune Castle		Fuchū, Hiroshima Prefecture?	719	Korean-style fortress	unknown location
Kiyama Castle		Tatsuno, Hyogo, Hyogo Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Ōmeguri Komeguri-san Castle		Okayama, Okayama Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Ki Castle		Sōja, Okayama Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Partially reconstructed
Iwaki-san Castle		Hikari, Yamaguchi prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Kiyama Castle		Sakaide, Kagawa prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Einōsan Castle		Saijō, Ehime Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Kakenouma Castle		Iizuka, Fukuoka Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Raizan Castle		Itoshima, Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Hagi Castle		Asakura, Fukuoka Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Ashiki-san Castle		Chikushino, Fukuoka Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Kōra-san Castle		Kurume, Fukuoka Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Zoyama Castle		Miyama, Fukuoka Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Goshogatani castle		Miyako, Fukuoka Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Tōbaru-san Castle		Kōge, Fukuoka prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Obukuma-yama Castle		Saga, Saga prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins
Otsubo-yama Castle		Takeo, Saga, Saga Prefecture	unknown	Kōgoishi	Ruins

Chinese style castle

Castle	Image	Location	data-sort-type=number	First Built	Type	Status
Ito Castle		Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture	756-768^[1]	Chinese style fortress^[2]	Ruins

Portuguese style castle

Castle	Location	data-sort-type=number	First Built	Type	Status
Fortified City of Nagasaki	Nagasaki, Nagasaki Prefecture	1580?	Citadel	Possible ruins remains^[3]

French style castles

French style bastion fort

Castle	Image	Location	data-sort-type=number	First Built	Type	Status
Goryōkaku		Hakodate, Hokkaido	1855	Vauban style star fort^[4]	Reconstructed
Tatsuoka Castle		Saku, Nagano Prefecture	1864-1867	Vauban style star fort^[5]	One Building remains
Shiryōkaku		Hakodate, Hokkaido	1869	French style bastion fort^[6]	Ruins
Shichiryōkaku		Nanae, Hokkaido	?	French style bastion fort	Ruins

Japanese castles with French-style buildings

Castle	Image	Location	data-sort-type=number	First Built	Western style buildings installed	Remaining French-style building
Shibata Castle		Shibata, Niigata Prefecture	Kamakura period	Meiji period	barracks^[7]
Nagoya Castle		Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture	Sengoku period	Meiji period	barracks (relocated to Meiji-mura)^[8]
Matsuyama Castle		Matsuyama, Ehime Prefecture	1603	1922	villa^[9]

• Other Japanese castles stationed by French style Japanese troops includes Sakura Castle, Utsunomiya Castle, Takasaki Castle, Sendai Castle, Kanazawa Castle, Osaka Castle, Himeji Castle, Hiroshima Castle, Marugame Castle, Kumamoto Castle, Kokura Castle, and Fukuoka Castle.^[10]

English style castle

Japanese castles with English-style buildings

Castle	Image	Location	data-sort-type=number	First Built	Western style buildings installed	Remaining English style buildings
Osaka Castle		Osaka, Osaka Prefecture	1583	Meiji period	Headquarters of the 4th Division of the Imperial Japanese Army (now Miraiza Osaka-jo)^[11]

References

• Book: 向井一雄. 2017. よみがえる古代山城 国際戦争と防衛ライン（歴史文化ライブラリー440）. 吉川弘文館. 978-4642058407. .
• Book: 2006. 国指定史跡怡土城跡（前原市文化財調査報告書 第94集）. 前原市教育委員会. . - リンクは九州国立博物館「西都 太宰府」資料観覧ライブラリー。

See also

• Chashi—fortifications built by Ainu people
• Gusuku—the castles of the Ryūkyū Kingdom
• List of castles
• List of castles in Japan

Notes and References

1. Book: ja:日本歴史地名大系 41 福岡県の地名 . 怡土城跡 . 有馬学 . 川添昭二 . 平凡社 . October 2004 . 978-4582490411 . ja.
2. http://www.city.itoshima.lg.jp/s033/010/020/010/110/050/itojou-ato.html 怡土城跡
3. https://this.kiji.is/469696646570296417 起源は16世紀後半の城塞？　長崎学研究所・赤瀬所長　県庁跡地一帯の石垣研究
4. Web site: 城巡りが１０倍楽しくなる おもしろ探訪 日本の城 pp.69-70. June 2015. 扶桑社. 2019-10-13.
5. https://serai.jp/tour/215453 もう一つの五稜郭！長野県の『龍岡城五稜郭』を訪ねてみた
6. https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/korezo/detail/18 五稜郭だけじゃない！四稜郭もあれば三稜郭や七稜郭もあった?!
7. https://www.mod.go.jp/pco/niigata/HP/sirakabe.html　白壁兵舎　広報史料館
8. https://www.meijimura.com/enjoy/sight/building/4-36.html 歩兵第六聯隊兵舎
9. https://www.visitehimejapan.com/en/see-and-do/864
10. https://repository.nabunken.go.jp/dspace/bitstream/11177/6593/1/BB25180515_088_124.pdf 存城と廃城 －城はいつ終わったのか－
11. 橋爪紳也、『大大阪モダン建築』、青幻舎、2007