is a

Japanese castle are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries, and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such ...

located in

Chūō-ku, Fukuoka is one of the seven Wards of Japan, wards of Fukuoka, Fukuoka, Fukuoka city in Japan. The ward is located in the center of the city. It includes Tenjin and Daimyō which are among the largest downtown areas in Kyūshū, Nagahama, which is known ...

, Japan. It is also known as Maizuru Castle (舞鶴城 Maizuru-jō) or Seki Castle (石城 Seki-jō). Completed in the early

Edo period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

for ''

tozama daimyō was a class of powerful magnates or ''daimyō'' (大名) considered to be outsiders by the ruler of Japan.Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Dictionary, ''Tozama daimyō'' were classified in the Tokugawa Shogunate (江戸幕府) as ''daimyō'' w ...

Kuroda Nagamasa was a ''daimyō'' during the late Azuchi–Momoyama and early Edo periods. He was the son of Kuroda Kanbei, Toyotomi Hideyoshi's chief strategist and adviser. Biography His childhood name was Shojumaru (松寿丸). In 1577, when Nagamasa was a ...

, it has been decreed a

historic site A historic site or heritage site is an official location where pieces of political, military, cultural, or social history have been preserved due to their cultural heritage value. Historic sites are usually protected by law, and many have been rec ...

by the Japanese government. The castle lies in the centre of

Fukuoka is the sixth-largest city in Japan, the second-largest port city after Yokohama, and the capital city of Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. The city is built along the shores of Hakata Bay, and has been a center of international commerce since ancie ...

, on top of Fukusaki hill. The , Naka-gawa in Japanese, acts as a natural moat on the eastern side of the castle, while the western side uses a

mudflat Mudflats or mud flats, also known as tidal flats or, in Ireland, slob or slobs, are coastal wetlands that form in intertidal areas where sediments have been deposited by tides or rivers. A global analysis published in 2019 suggested that tidal fl ...

as a natural moat. Hakata, a ward with a bustling

port A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as Ham ...

, is located on the opposite side of the Naka River to the east. The

castle town A castle town is a settlement built adjacent to or surrounding a castle. Castle towns were common in Medieval Europe. Some examples include small towns like Alnwick and Arundel, which are still dominated by their castles. In Western Europe, ...

was established on the northern side, facing the sea. Much of the castle grounds has been converted to Maizuru Park, which houses several sports facilities, a courthouse, and an art museum. Heiwadai Baseball Stadium, the past home field of the

Nishitetsu Lions The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based north of Tokyo in Tokorozawa, Saitama Prefecture. Before 1979, they were based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyushu. The team is owned by a subsidiary of Seibu Railway, wh ...

and the

Fukuoka Daiei Hawks The are a Japanese professional baseball team based in Fukuoka, Fukuoka Prefecture. They compete in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) as a member of the Pacific League. The team was formerly known as the Nankai Hawks and was based in Osaka. ...

, was also located on the castle grounds. Some of the castle's

gate A gate or gateway is a point of entry to or from a space enclosed by walls. The word derived from old Norse "gat" meaning road or path; But other terms include ''yett and port''. The concept originally referred to the gap or hole in the wall ...

s as well as its towers and turrets, known as ''

yagura Yagura may refer to: * Yagura castle * Yagura opening * Yagura (tombs) * Yagura (tower) is the Japanese word for "tower", "turret", "keep", or "scaffold". The word is most often seen in reference to structures in Japanese castle compounds bu ...

s'', are preserved inside the park, one of which has been marked as an important historical artifact by the Japanese government. The remnants of a ''korokan'' (鴻臚館), an ancient guest house for foreign diplomats, were discovered under the castle grounds in 1987, showing that the castle was a vital geographical checkpoint even into the

Heian period The is the last division of classical Japanese history, running from 794 to 1185. It followed the Nara period, beginning when the 50th emperor, Emperor Kanmu, moved the capital of Japan to Heian-kyō (modern Kyoto). means "peace" in Japanese. ...

. This is the only ''korokan'' remnant found in all of Japan.

History

In 1600,

received huge rewards in the form of land in

Chikuzen Province was an old province of Japan in the area that is today part of Fukuoka Prefecture in Kyūshū. It was sometimes called or , with Chikugo Province. Chikuzen bordered Buzen, Bungo, Chikugo, and Hizen Provinces. History The original provincial ...

for his contributions during the

Battle of Sekigahara The Battle of Sekigahara (Shinjitai: ; Kyūjitai: , Hepburn romanization: ''Sekigahara no Tatakai'') was a decisive battle on October 21, 1600 (Keichō 5, 15th day of the 9th month) in what is now Gifu prefecture, Japan, at the end of ...

and moved into

Najima Castle is a hilltop castle, located in Fukuoka City, Fukuoka Prefecture, Japan. Today, only its ruins still stand. History Najima Castle was located on a peninsula projecting into Hakata Bay on the north of the estuary of the Tatara River. The castle f ...

(名島城 Najima-jō) to form the Fukuoka

han Han may refer to: Ethnic groups * Han Chinese, or Han People (): the name for the largest ethnic group in China, which also constitutes the world's largest ethnic group. ** Han Taiwanese (): the name for the ethnic group of the Taiwanese p ...

. Najima Castle had been created by

Tachibana Akitoshi The term has at least two different meanings, and has been used in several contexts. People * – a clan of ''kuge'' (court nobles) prominent in the Nara and Heian periods (710–1185) * – a clan of ''daimyō'' (feudal lords) prominent in the Mu ...

and was expanded by

Kobayakawa Takakage was a samurai and daimyō (feudal lord) during the Sengoku period and Azuchi–Momoyama period. He was the third son of Mōri Motonari who was adopted by the Kobayakawa clan and became its 14th clan head. He merged the two branches of the Koba ...

, but was much too small to accommodate a large han, leading to the selection of Fukusaki hill as a new castle site. Construction began in 1601 (

Keichō was a after ''Bunroku'' and before ''Genna''. This period spanned from October 1596 to July 1615. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * 1596 : The era name was changed to ''Keichō'' to mark the passing of various natural disasters ...

year 6). Yoshitaka, an expert at establishing fortifications, and Noguchi Kazunari, a stonemason who had worked on

Edo Castle is a flatland castle that was built in 1457 by Ōta Dōkan in Edo, Toshima District, Musashi Province. In modern times it is part of the Tokyo Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo and is therefore also known as . Tokugawa Ieyasu established the ...

and

Osaka Castle is a Japanese castle in Chūō-ku, Osaka, Japan. The castle is one of Japan's most famous landmarks and it played a major role in the unification of Japan during the sixteenth century of the Azuchi-Momoyama period. Layout The main tower ...

, directed the construction. Completed in 1607 (

year 12) after seven years of work, the castle is said to have contained an impressive 47 ''yaguras'', and covered an area of 47,000 square metres (making it the largest in the

Kyūshū is the third-largest island of Japan's five main islands and the most southerly of the four largest islands ( i.e. excluding Okinawa). In the past, it has been known as , and . The historical regional name referred to Kyushu and its surround ...

region).

Katō Kiyomasa was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the Azuchi–Momoyama and Edo periods. His court title was Higo-no-kami. His name as a child was ''Yashamaru'', and first name was ''Toranosuke''. He was one of Hideyoshi's Seven Spears of Shizugatake. Biography ...

of the nearby

Kumamoto is the capital city of Kumamoto Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, Japan. , the city has an estimated population of 738,907 and a population density of 1,893 people per km2. The total area is 390.32 km2. had a population of 1,461,000, ...

han lauded the castle for its grandeur. The

dry stone Dry stone, sometimes called drystack or, in Scotland, drystane, is a building method by which structures are constructed from stones without any mortar to bind them together. Dry stone structures are stable because of their construction m ...

fortification designed by Noguchi was especially impressive, giving the castle the name "Seki-jō" (literally "Stone Castle"). The castle and castle town were renamed "Fukuoka" from "Fukusaki", after Fukuoka of

Bizen Province was a province of Japan on the Inland Sea side of Honshū, in what is today the southeastern part of Okayama Prefecture. It was sometimes called , with Bitchū and Bingo Provinces. Bizen borders Mimasaka, Harima, and Bitchū Provinces. Bizen ...

(current

Setouchi, Okayama is a city located in southern Okayama Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 36,499 in 15,934 households and a population density of 290 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Setouchi is located in so ...

), where the Kuroda family had originated. Several minor repairs were made during the Edo period, and full-scale renovation was conducted during the

Bakumatsu was the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate ended. Between 1853 and 1867, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a feudal Tokugawa shogunate to the modern empire of the Meiji government ...

period. In 1871, ( Meiji year 4) the

abolition of the han system The in the Empire of Japan and its replacement by a system of prefectures in 1871 was the culmination of the Meiji Restoration begun in 1868, the starting year of the Meiji period. Under the reform, all daimyos (, ''daimyō'', feudal lords) ...

forced the abandonment of the castle. Many of the buildings inside the castle grounds were taken down or moved to other locations. In 1920, ( Taishō year 9) the Kinen Yagura was relocated to Taishō temple in

Yahata Higashi-ku, Kitakyushu was a city in Japan until it was absorbed into the newly created city of Kitakyushu in 1963. The construction of Fukuoka Castle began in 1601 and was completed in 1607. The plan is considered to have been directed by

. An old document suggests that Kuroda Nagamasa planned a gate and its surrounding area after many consultations with his distinguished commanding officers. The process of construction is fairly well known, based on archaeological and geological research and old documents, which provided the details for developing an understanding of the process of castle construction. Because there had been a range of hills from the Akasaka-yama hill (present-day Sakurazaka 2 chome), which is about 30 metres (98 ft) above sea level, to the hill which was to become the site of the ''hon-maru'', an area to the south of the castle was excavated to form a moat. The hills to the south of the moat were also excavated and altered to become gently sloping hills. The top section of a hillock to the northwest of the inner castle was also truncated because it was higher than the ''hon-maru''. The hillock was then used as the site for a retirement residence for

Kuroda Yoshitaka , also known as , was a Japanese ''daimyō'' of the late Sengoku through early Edo periods. Renowned as a man of great ambition, he succeeded Takenaka Hanbei as a chief strategist and adviser to Toyotomi Hideyoshi. Kuroda became a Christian wh ...

. A cove or an inlet on the west of the inner castle, in which Ōhori Park and Arato are now situated, was utilized for the Ohori Moat (Big Moat) in the cove's southern half and for a town in its northern half by a reclaiming and dredging process. At the same time the Hii (Tajima) River, which was flowing into the cove, was diverted from its course to the west. On the west of the inner castle, two linear moats were excavated from the inner castle to the confluence of the Shiju River (the present-day Yakuin-shin River) and the Naka River. This large scale construction required a great number of stones. An analysis of their composition reveals that they came from the islands of Noko-no-shima, Itoshima, Sawara and Kashii, and the region from Noma to Teratsuka. According to old books, the stones and buildings of the dismantled

were shipped to Fukuoka and the stones which had been used for the Genko Borui walls (walls built to thwart the Mongolian invaders) and the ancient burial mounds in and around Hirao village and the Hirao-yama hills were also reused for Fukuoka Castle. From these facts it can be inferred that the constructors of the castle had a difficult time collecting the stones. The important walls were constructed under the direction of Noguchi Sasuke Kazushige, who was renowned for his skills in construction stone walls, and who in later years participated in the construction of

and

. For the castle construction, wealthy merchants, Kamiya Sotan and Shimai Soshitsu, provided greatly appreciated financial help. After completing the project, Yoshitaka and Nagamasa named the castle, "Fukuoka", in commemoration of the land of his forefathers, which is present-day Fukuoka, Setouchi-shi, Okayama Prefecture.

Hon-maru

A ''hon-maru'' is a ''

kuruwa is a Japanese term for the walls of a Japanese castle, and the regions bounded by the arrangement of those walls. The term may also be written as 郭, and the term is also used for castles built after the Edo period. The kuruwa serves as a def ...

'' located in the heart of a Japanese castle, which is a complex of ''kuruwas''. Fukuoka Castle was built in the style of Teikaku-shiki or Hashigokaku-shiki (a plan in which the ''hon-maru, ni-no-maru'', and ''san-no-maru'' share common defensive lines on one side, because the topography and the castle plan gives a particular advantage to that side) and its ''hon-maru'' is situated in the south of the inner castle. The ''hon-maru'' measures 125 metres (410 ft) from east to west, and 230 metres (755 ft) from north to south. The ''hon-maru'' is shaped like an abbreviated form of a cross because of the complicated exterior lines of stone walls. The ''de-sumis'' (salient corners) on the north side of the ''hon-maru'' are rectangular flanking projections which increase the castle's defensibility; the ''iri-sumis'' (receded corners) on the south side of the ''hon-maru'' also increase the castle's defensibility because they permit cross fire at the enemy at the southern corners of the ''hon-maru''. The top of the foundation of the ''dai-

tenshu is an architectural typology found in Japanese castle complexes. They are easily identifiable as the highest tower within the castle. Common translations of ''tenshu'' include keep, main keep, or ''donjon''. ''Tenshu'' are characterized as ty ...

'' (large donjon) is 36.3 metres (119 ft) above sea level, and at the centre of the ''hon-maru'', 23 metres (76 ft) above sea level. The ''hon-maru'' of Fukuoka Castle was divided into a northern part and a southern part by the stone foundations for the ''sho-tenshu'' (small donjon), the ''chū-tenshu'' (medium donjon), the ''dai-tenshu'' (large donjon), and the ''kanritsu-shiki tenshu-kuruwa'' (a ''kuruwa'' formed of rectangular buildings as the final strategic position in time of siege). The southern part is apparently the ''tenshu-kuruwa'' (a ''kuruwa'' especially designed for the defence of the ''tenshu''), playing the role of the ''tsume-no-maru'' (a ''kuruwa'' for the final fighting of a siege), and it is the most fortified place in the castle. On the northwest corner of the foundation of the ''tenshu'', the ''tenshu kuruwa'' has in addition the ''kanritsu-shiki tenshu-kuruwa''. This particular feature indicates that the castle's purpose was defensive. The foundation for the ''dai-tenshu'' (large donjon) measures about 24.8 metres (81 ft) from east to west, and 22.4 metres (74 ft) from north to south, and covers an area the size of the first floor of the ''tenshu'' of

Himeji Castle is a hilltop Japanese castle complex situated in the city of Himeji which is located in the Hyōgo Prefecture of Japan. The castle is regarded as the finest surviving example of prototypical Japanese castle architecture, comprising a network of ...

, which has an area of 550.025 square metres. It has long been believed that there had not been a ''tenshu'' on the foundation; however, indirect descriptions of a ''tenshu'' are seen in a few old documents and the existence of an annex for the ''tenshu'' is indicated on some old maps. The problem is now being studied by various researchers. (Kuroda Nagamasa tried to destroy all the documents which were related to Christianity. Since "tenshu" also means "(Christian) God", it is possible that he destroyed almost all the documents which contained the word "tenshu".) The ''hon-maru'' residence, which was located to the north of the foundation of the ''dai-tenshu'' (large donjon), served as a domicile for lords until the second lord, Kuroda Tadayuki, built a new residence in the ''san-no-maru''. In the ''hon-maru'' residence, there was a 56 tatami-mat (109 sq.m. in Chikuzen) audience chamber and the Shaka-no-ma (Buddha Room) where Iken-kai (regular meetings in which principal retainers were permitted to freely speak their opinions whether they agreed with the lord's position or opinion or not) were held. In the ''hon-maru'', there were some Shinto shrines, as in the case of many other castles in Japan. On the west of the foundation of the ''dai-tenshu'' (large donjon), there was a Niyakuichioji Shrine. This shrine was a branch of the Kego Shrine, which was dedicated to three gods of war. In Meiwa 5 (1768), the Seisho-Gongen Shrine was built to the east of the foundation of the ''dai-tenshu'' to deify

, and in An'ei 2 (1773) the Suikyo-Gongen Shrine was raised to honor

in the same building. Both shrines are still in existence in their new location in Nishi-koen Park (on Arato-yama hill) as one shrine, today called the "Terumo Shrine."

Ni-no-maru

A ''ni-no-maru'' (as a common noun) is the second most important ''kuruwa''. The ''ni-no-maru'' of Fukuoka Castle consists of four major ''kuruwas''; i.e., ''Ni-no-kuruwa, Ni-no-maru'' (as a proper noun), ''Minami-no-maru'', the ''mizunote'', and some minor ''kuruwas'', all which are adjacent to the ''hon-maru''. The height of the ''Ni-no-kuruwa'', which is an elongated L-shaped ''kuruwa'', is 17–18 metres (56–59 ft.) above sea level with the dimension of about 310 metres (1017 ft) from north to south. This ''kuruwa'' was designed to defend the gates of the ''hon-maru'' and functioned as a key ''kuruwa'' which controlled access to the ''hon-maru'' through its many gates. This ''kuruwa'' is well fortified; for example, it had a ''kakushi-guruwa'' (a hidden ''kuruwa''), which was located to the south of the Kirinoki-zaka Gate and used for laying an ambush against an approaching enemy. Depicted in some old maps are several ''yaguras'' and something like a hitching post stable, but there are no other buildings, such as a residence complex. The rectangular ''Ni-no-maru'' measures 135 metres (443 ft) from east to west, 150 metres (492 ft) from north to south, and 15–17 metres (49–56 ft.) above sea level. A map made in the early 17th century shows a residence bounded by ''yaguras'', walls, and ''nagayas'' (long structures). Another illustrated map of the castle made during the reign of the third lord, Kuroda Mitsuyuki, has a note about this ''kuruwa'' which says, "Ni-no-maru, the residence of Hizen-no-kami." Considering that Hizen-no-kami (an honorary title which meant "governor of Hizen") was the title given to the heir of Mitsuyuki, this compound was used as the residence of the heir to the lordship, at least when the map was made in the late 17th century. In addition, another old document indicates that the residence of Mitsuyuki, then the heir of Lord Tadayuki, was in the Ni-no-maru, while yet another document says that during the reign of the fifth lord Nobumasa, his uncle Nagakiyo, the lord of the county of Nogata, had stayed in the Ni-no-maru when he visited Fukuoka. The ''kuruwa'', which is mentioned in the two latter documents, probably refers to the Ni-no-maru. The ''Minami-no-maru'', another ''kuruwa'' shaped like a rectangle, measures about 70 metres (230 ft) from east to west and 110 metres (361 ft) from north to south. The height of the top of the foundation is more than 20 metres (66 ft) above sea level. This ''kuruwa'' was not only a defence against an enemy approaching from the south but also a kind of ''kakushi-guruwa'' (hidden ''kuruwa'') where an ambush could be laid to launch a pincer attack from this ''kuruwa'' and the ''hon-maru'' on enemy soldiers approaching the ''hon-maru''. Some documents indicate that there was a residence for the deputy castellan (the lord's councilor who was in charge of the castle during the lord's absence). The ''mizunote'', which has a dimension of about 120 metres (394 ft) from east to west and 160 metres (525 ft) from north to south, was situated to the east of the ''hon-maru''. The ''mizunote'' is a ''kuruwa'' which has a well or a reservoir for drinking water. In Fukuoka Castle, the ''mizunote'' was built with a catchment reservoir which, in times of siege, also played the role of a sutebori-moat which forced the enemies to take a roundabout way to attack. In addition to the sutebori-moat, there was an L-shaped ''obi-guruwa'' along the sides of the ''hon-maru'' and Ni-no-maru, enabling simultaneous defensive fire from various levels. According to a report ("The Intelligence Report on the Provinces of Chikuzen, Chikugo, Hizen and Higo") on this castle which was made by a shōgun's ''shinobi'' or ninja-spy, there was a

flower garden A flower garden or floral garden is any garden or part of a garden where plants that flower are grown and displayed. This normally refers mostly to herbaceous plants, rather than flowering woody plants, which dominate in the shrubbery and w ...

surrounded by bamboo bushes to the south of the reservoir.

San-no-maru

The inner castle of Fukuoka Castle is the area surrounded by a continuous moat, which measures about 1000 metres (3281 ft) from east to west and 700 metres (2297 ft) from north to south. Even without the moat, the inner castle of Fukuoka Castle, in its grandiose scale, is as large as some of the castles built by the Tokugawa Shogunate, such as

Nagoya Castle is a Japanese castle located in Nagoya, Japan. Nagoya Castle was constructed by the Owari Domain in 1612 during the Edo period on the site of an earlier castle of the Oda clan in the Sengoku period. Nagoya Castle was the heart of one of the ...

and

of the Tokugawa Period. However, thanks to the wide roads which ran throughout the ''san-no-maru'', especially from the Kami-no-hashi Gateway through the Shimo-no-hashi Gateway, soldiers could move quickly to the point of attack in case of fire concentrated at some point of the castle. The ''san-no-maru'', which is also called the ''san-no-kuruwa'', covers a large proportion of this inner castle and is divided into an eastern section and a western section by the Matsunoki-zaka Approach, Takayashiki, and the stone walls between them. The foundation level of the western section is 5–6 metres (16–20 ft.) above sea level, while the eastern section is 2–3 metres higher than the western section within the mound lines along the moats, which were 8–17 metres above sea level. The height of Takayashiki is approximately 13 metres (43 ft). In the eastern section, soon after the castle's completion, Kuroda Zusho, Kuroda Yoshin, Mori/Bori Tajima, and Kuriyama Bingo (principal retainers) initially occupied the residences that were aligned along the edge of the northern moat of the inner castle, from the eastern edge of the inner castle to the Shimo-no-hashi Gateway. On the east of the Ni-no-maru, there was another residence which was initially occupied by Inoue Suo. These residences were continuously occupied by principal retainers from the time of the castle's completion through the last days of the Tokugawa Shogunate. The principal retainers who resided in these residences were often required by their lord's command to relocate there, as were the residents in the castle town. These retainers' residences, which were all approximately the same size, enabled an effective defensive disposition. A castle's garrison of soldiers is said to have been one to two soldiers per ''

tsubo A ''pyeong'' (abbreviationpy) is a Korean unit of area and floorspace, equal to a square '' kan'' or 36square Korean feet. The ''ping'' and ''tsubo'' are its equivalent Taiwanese and Japanese units, similarly based on a square '' bu'' ( ja:步) ...

'' (4 sq.m.), and accordingly, each residence could contain 1000–2000 soldiers. After the completion of the castle, in the western section of the inner castle were the Daikan-cho residential quarters. The structural divisions depicted on the map of "The Intelligence Report on the Provinces of Chikuzen, Chikugo, Hizen and Higo", which was written by a shōgun's

shinobi A or was a covert agent or mercenary in feudal Japan. The functions of a ninja included reconnaissance, espionage, infiltration, deception, ambush, bodyguarding and their fighting skills in martial arts, including ninjutsu.Kawakami, pp. 21� ...

and compiled in

Kan'ei was a after ''Genna'' and before ''Shōhō.'' This period spanned the years from February 1624 through December 1644. The reigning emperors and empress were , and .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 411./ref> Chang ...

-4 (1627), probably reflect the early days of this castle. The "Illustrated Map of All Fukuoka and Hakata", made in

Shōhō was a after ''Kan'ei'' and before ''Keian''. This period spanned the years from December 1644 through February 1648. The reigning emperor was .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834) ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 412./ref> Change of era * 1644 : The ...

-3 (1646), shows different structural divisions in the western section. According to this map, there were five residences for principal retainers in the western section, and the lord's residence was on the west of the stone wall between the Matsunoki-zaka Approach and the Kirinoki-zaka Approach. The only other facility depicted in the map besides the residences was an independent section of the finance department to the south of Takayashiki. A facsimile of a map which was supposedly made in

Kanbun A is a form of Classical Chinese used in Japan from the Nara period to the mid-20th century. Much of Japanese literature was written in this style and it was the general writing style for official and intellectual works throughout the period. A ...

-11 (1671) shows that the lord's residence had moved to the west of Takayashiki. This is the residence which was newly built in the same year, and it went by the name of O-shita-no-yashiki. From this time, the lord's residence did not move until the end of Tokugawa Shogunate. In

Hōreki , also known as Horyaku, was a after ''Kan'en'' and before ''Meiwa''. The period spanned the years from October 1751 through June 1764. The reigning emperor and empress were and .Titsingh, Isaac. (1834 ''Annales des empereurs du japon'', p. 418 ...

-13 (1763), a considerable part of the O-shita-no-yashiki Residence was destroyed by fire and reconstructed the following year. The residence then underwent renovation in

Meiwa was a after ''Hōreki'' and before ''An'ei.'' This period spanned the years from June 1764 through November 1772. The reigning empress and emperor were and . Change of era * 1764 : The era name became ''Meiwa'' (meaning "Bright Harmony") bec ...

-7 (1770). The residence contained an audience chamber where the lord met with his retainers, the lord's living quarters, a large and a small study, a lesson room, secretaries' office, a recording room, a finance department office, anterooms for principal retainers and five commissioners, an apartment complex for court ladies, a kitchen, a granary which stored the five primary food staples, a charcoal storehouse, an archive, a treasury storehouse, a ''

noh is a major form of classical Japanese dance-drama that has been performed since the 14th century. Developed by Kan'ami and his son Zeami, it is the oldest major theatre art that is still regularly performed today. Although the terms Noh and ' ...

'' stage, and no less than 15 wells. On the north of the O-shita-no-yashiki Residence, there were two sections of structures previously used as the principal retainer's residences. This site was then used for the Kita-no-maru (an annex to the O-shita-no-yashiki Residence where the mistresses of the lord lived), the firewood storehouse, the treasurer's residence, treasure houses, a wood workshop, and a flower garden. On the south of the O-shita-no-yashiki Residence there were two sections of structures previously used as principal retainers' residences. These were replaced by a Goyo-yashiki, which may have been a government officials' apartment complex, and then a horse riding ground in Meiwa 8 (1771). In

Bunka was a after '' Kyōwa'' and before '' Bunsei''. The period spanned the years from January 1804 to April 1818. The reigning emperors were and . Change of era * February 11, 1804 (): The new era name of ''Bunka'' ( meaning "Culture" or "Civili ...

-8 (1811), the hawkers' office was moved from the south of the castle to an area adjacent to the riding ground. Facing the Oimawashi Gateway lies the Uemono-kuruwa where the wall stones bear many types of seals carved into them. These seals indicate the groups belonging to different principle retainers at the quarries which provided stones for the castle's construction. This practice enabled administrators to accurately credit retainers with their contribution.

Mounds and moats of the inner castle

The inner castle of Fukuoka Castle is clearly defined by mounds and moats from the outer castle and the extramural areas. Most of the mounds are well preserved today and they still show the defense capability they offered. The height of the mound of the inner castle is about 8 meters (26 ft) along the Ohori Moat (Big Moat), 12 metres (39 ft) on the east side, 17 metres (56 ft) at the southeast corner of the ''mizunote'', and 16 metres (53 ft) to the west of the ''hon-maru'' above sea level. On the north side, although most of the mound is damaged, it can be inferred that it was about 10 metres above sea level if we consider the detailed accounts of "The Illustrated Map of All Fukuoka and Hakata". Except on the southern side, the mound of the inner castle was usually characterized by a ''koshimaki-sekirui'' or a ''mizutataki-ishigaki'' (a revetment constructed at the lower part of the mound), some of which can still be seen. In addition, around the gates were strengthened stone walls, which are 10 metres (33 ft) high. In Keicho 20 (1615), the mound was planted with pine trees that acted as ''shitomi-uemono'' (visual barriers), prevented landslides, and served as windbreaks, as flaming torches, as building materials, and as emergency food. On the western and eastern sides, the mound lines have many ''ori'' (cremaillere, a front or face with receding steps, which consists of short and long branches) which permit flanking fire. The ''byobu-ori'' (tenaille lines formed by making alternate angles salient and re-entering), which can be seen from the south of the inner castle to the area to the east of the inner castle, is enormous. In general, ''byobu-ori'' have been shown to resemble the defensive lines of western fortifications. They thus bear eloquent witness to the depth of the foresight of "Kuroda Yoshitaka". The moats of Fukuoka Castle were very wide compared with the castles of other ''tozama-daimyos'' (feudal lords who did not become retainers of the Tokugawa until after the decisive victory of Tokugawa at the battle of Sekigahara in 1600). The moat is about 115 metres (377 ft) wide on the southeast, and on the south, where there are high mounds on both sides of the moat, about 45 metres (148 ft), while to the north of the castle, it is about 70 metres (230 ft) wide on average. The Ohori Moat (Big Moat) has a width of about 600 metres (1969 ft), even after the construction of the Odote Causeway on the west of the Ohori Moat. The single, wide moat surrounding the inner castle is one of the features of this castle and only in few other castles built in the modern period can such an example be seen. The Ohori Moat was originally more than 3 ''ken'' (5.9 metres in Chikuzen) deep, and as for the other moats, more than 1 ken (2.0 metres in Chikuzen) deep at both sides, and more than 3 ken deep in the middle of the moat. By the mid-17th century, the Ohori Moat, formed by reclaiming and dredging a large cove at the time of castle construction, was filled with sediment and the Torikai area was drained and turned into grassy land. Accordingly, during the period of Empo (1673–1689), the area that was turned into land was developed into rice fields, and the Odote Causeway was built along the shorelines. At the same time, the Komo River was modified to flow on the west of the Odote Causeway so that the silt in the flows would be carried to the sea by the river. After these works, the dimensions of the Ohori Moat were reduced; the water surface was however still more than twice as large as the present Ohori.

Outer castle

An outer castle is a ''kuruwa'' that includes the castle town, comprising samurai quarters, commoners' dwellings and temples. This ''kuruwa'' is clearly demarcated by defensive lines which consisted of moats, mound lines and gates that separated it from the areas outside the castle. Various writers of old texts differ with regard to the exterior boundaries of the outer castle of Fukuoka Castle; some indicate a smaller area, and some indicate a larger area, but when considering the viewpoint of the science of fortifications, it can be said that the Naka River, the Hizen Moat (present-day Tenjin 1-2 chome), the Naka Moat (present-day Daimyo 1-2 chome), the inner castle, the Tojin-machi-guchi Moat (present-day, Kuromon-gawa-dori Street), and the sea define the boundaries of the outer castle of Fukuoka Castle. The outer castle of Fukuoka Castle measures no less than about from east to west. The east side of the outer castle along the Naka River was fortified by stone walls which were about 10 metres (33 ft) high and more than 700 metres (2297 ft) long. At the midpoint of the stone walls, at the entrance from the Nakajima-nishi Bridge, was the Higashi-toriire Gate. The Higashi-toriire Gate was composed of the Kita-mon (the North Gatehouse), the Minami-mon (the South Gatehouse), and a ''yagura''. (A gateway structure where a ''masugata'' gateway has two gatehouses facing each other, or where a ''yagura'' is placed facing the front of a ''masugata'' gate forecourt, is unique.) This grand gateway and the stone walls of the newly built capital of Chikuzen looked down on and strongly dominated the city of Hakata, which had a very long history as a mercantile city. An old book indicates that there was a Roman Catholic church near the gate, within the walls. This may be the church built in memory of Kuroda Josui, which is mentioned in an annual report of a Jesuit missionary to Japan. The southern side of the outer castle was demarcated by the inner castle and two linear moats along with mound lines, the total length of which was 1,200 metres (3937 ft). There were three gates along the mound lines. These were called the Akasaka Gate, the Yakui Gate, and the Kazuma Gate (Haruyoshi Gate), respectively from west to east. The moat between the Akasaka Gate Entranceway and the Yakui Gate Entranceway was called the Hizen Moat (Saga Moat), because it was excavated with the help of Nabeshima Naoshige, who was then lord of Hizen Province. The Naka Moat was about 60–110 metres (197–361 ft.) wide, and the Hizen Moat was about 60–80 metres (197–263 ft.) wide. Both moats are considerably wider than the moats surrounding outer castles in most of the other Japanese castles. The "Chronicle of Lord Naoshige" says that Kuroda Nagamasa sent laborers from Chikuzen to Hizen to excavate the moat on the east of the North Gate Entranceway of Saga Castle in return for the Hizen Moat construction. The moat, excavated with the help of Nagamasa, was called the Chikuzen Moat. On the west side of the outer castle, there was the Tojin-machi-kuchi Moat (Yana Moat) which was about 17–35 metres (56–115 ft.) wide. Along the eastern side of this moat, there was the Matsu-dote (Pine Mound), while along the Ohori Moat continuing from the south end of the Matsu-dote there was the Sugi-dote (Cedar Mound). On the Matsu-dote defensive line there was a single storey gate, the Kuro Gate, which, unlike the other gates of the outer castle, was not a ''masugata'' gate. There was a weir at the north end of the moat, and fish were kept in water taken in from the sea. In 1863, two major batteries and seven minor batteries were built along the shorelines of the outer castle, as well as other batteries around Hakata Bay due to the threat of foreign invasion.

External defensive elements

Defensive elements can also be seen in the areas outside the castle. To the east of the outer castle, Hakata had already been fortified when castle construction began. The defensive lines of this mercantile city probably appeared during the time of the Mongolian invasions in the late 13th century, when a series of walls was constructed to thwart the invaders. In the 16th century, the age of civil wars, Hakata was fortified in full-scale by diverting the course of the Hie (Mikasa) River to the east of Hakata and excavating moats to the south. After the construction of Fukuoka Castle, Hakata seems to have been designated as a demaru (a detached work placed in front of a gate to cover it) defending the Higashi-toriire Gate together with Nakajima (a man-made island on the estuary of the Naka River). To the east of Hakata there was the Ishido Entranceway and Gate, and on the south, the Tsujinodo Entranceway and Gate. Although these gates were located outside the outer castle of Fukuoka Castle, they were still designated as castle gates. The Yakui River, which was to the south of the outer castle, not only made up a defensive line in itself, but also played an important role in preventing the moat around the inner castle, the Naka Moat and the Hizen Moat, from accumulating the silt which flowed from the heights of the hills to the south of the inner castle. In

Enpō (contemporarily written as 延寳) is the after '' Kanbun'' and before ''Tenna.'' This period spanned the years from September 1673 to September 1681. The reigning emperor was . Change of era * 1673 : The new era of ''Enpō'' (meaning "Prolong ...

-6 (1678), a bridge that connected Haruyoshi Town and the Kazuma Gate Entranceway was newly built. It was placed obliquely so that enemies could not attack the gate directly. To the west of the castle were the Komo (Myoan-ji) and Hii (Tajima) Rivers, which served as defensive barriers.

Castle town

Defensive aspects of Japanese castles extend to the castle towns which surround them. Temple placement at strategic points and street design are the most notable examples. In and around Fukuoka Castle, several Buddhist temples were placed at strategic locations, probably because temple buildings could be used as barracks, temple courtyards as assembling places, and tombstones from temple cemeteries as material to build stone walls. Even after the completion of Fukuoka Castle, temples were still being relocated to strategic points, and in consequence the castle was fortified by degrees. In the castle town, many streets were planned to be T-shaped or L-shaped, and the streets that led to the Higashi-toriire Gate and to the Kuro Gate were curved. This planning, which is typical of city planning in castle towns of the Edo Period (1603–1868), weakened the enemy's psychological and strategic ability to attack while at the same time it enabled temporary defensive lines to be constructed more easily. This street layout makes modern city planning difficult, and Fukuokans are still having problems driving the severely angled streets which follow the original street design of the castle town. At the same time, it is one of the vestiges of Fukuoka Castle which reminds the inhabitants that they are living in a city that developed from a well-fortified castle.

Aftermath

Reconstructed tower at Fukuoka Castle January 2019

Soon after the Meiji Restoration in 1868, the castle ended its history as a residence of the ruling nobility. The O-shita-no-yashiki Residence was then used as the government center of Fukuoka Prefecture, a new regional administrative unit which adopted the name of the castle. In Meiji 9 (1876) the government centre was moved to the southeastern area of what was once the outer castle of Fukuoka Castle, and the castle was then used as a military complex up until 1945, when the Pacific War ended, and the site began to be used by U.S. American occupation forces. When the site of the inner castle was designated a national historical site in 1957, most of the castle structures in the inner castle had in the meanwhile decayed, been demolished, or burnt down, except for the following seven structures, which survive up to the present time: #Tamon Yagura (Minami-no-maru Nishi-hira Yagura)—Located atop the western wall of the Minami-no-maru. #Shimo-no-hashi Gate—The second floor of the structure was removed. #(Go-) Hon-maru Omote-(go-)mon (main gate of the ''hon-maru'')—Located to the north of the ''hon-maru''; moved to Sofuku-ji Temple. #Hanami Yagura (Cherry-blossom-viewing Yagura)—Located in the southwestern corner of the inner castle; moved to Sofuku-ji Temple, but being returned to its original location. #Shiomi Yagura (Sea-water-viewing Yagura)—Located in the northwestern corner of the inner castle; moved to Sofuku-ji Temple, but being returned to its original location. (This structure has long been believed to be the Tsukimi Yagura.) #Kinen Yagura (Prayer Yagura)—Located on the northeastern corner of the ''hon-maru''; Moved to Taishō-ji Temple in the present-day city of Kitakyushu and returned to its original location. (The aftermath of this structure is not quite certain, because the exterior of the structure and some documents, including an old photograph, contradict each other.) #Inosuke Yagura or Ko-tokiuchi Yagura (Former Clock Yagura)—Located on the western wall of the ''hon-maru''; moved to the Kuroda family's detached residence located to the north of the inner castle, then to the Shimo-no-hashi Gateway. (This structure has long been believed to be the Shiomi Yagura.) The stone walls in the inner castle, however, are fairly well preserved, except for the following: #The stone wall to the south of the Higashi-Ni-no-maru. #The stone walls around the Matsunoki-zaka Gateway. #The stone walls around the Oimawashi Gateway. #Some parts of the revetment on both sides of the moats. The mound lines are also well preserved today, although many parts of the moats have been reclaimed. The inner castle site is now used as Maizuru (Dancing Crane) Park and Ohori Park, places of recreation and relaxation for the Fukuokan public. These parks include an athletic stadium, other sports facilities, flower gardens, Fukuoka City Museum of Art, Fukuoka District and High Courts, and Jonai residential quarter. As for the outer castle, almost all the stone walls, mound lines and structures were demolished soon after the Meiji Restoration. The Hizen Moat and the Naka Moat were reclaimed and the Tojin-machiji-guchi Moat was converted into a culvert. However, a portion of the stone walls to the south of the Higashi-toriire Gate and an upper portion of the northern stone walls (bulwark) of the battery adjacent to the estuary of the Naka River can still be seen today.

Footnotes

External links

Japanese Castle Explorer- Fukuoka Castle (in English)

{{Coord, 33.584381, 130.383103, format=dms, display=title, type:landmark_region:JP_scale:10000 Castles in Fukuoka Prefecture Buildings and structures in Fukuoka Tourist attractions in Fukuoka