Fukuyama Castle: Difference between revisions

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|Year Reconstructed=1966 (concrete)
|Year Reconstructed=1966 (concrete)
|Artifacts=Fushimi Yagura, Sujigane Gate
|Artifacts=Fushimi Yagura, Sujigane Gate
|Features=main keep, gates, turrets, palace, stone walls, walls
|Features=main keep, gates, turrets, stone walls, walls
|Access=Fukuyama Sta. (San'yo line); 2 minute walk
|Access=Fukuyama Sta. (San'yo line); 2 minute walk
|Visitor Information=Museum open 9am-5pm; Closed Mondays except holidays (close the following day)
|Time Required=120 mins
|Website=http://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/fukuyamajyo/
|Website=http://www.city.fukuyama.hiroshima.jp/fukuyamajyo/
|City=Fukuyama
|City=Fukuyama
|Prefecture=Hiroshima Prefecture
|Prefecture=Hiroshima Prefecture
|Notes=Right next to the train station, Fukuyama Castle has become one of the must-see castles of Western Japan.  While the main keep is a reconstruction, it is a very good reconstruction in terms of outside look. The museum inside is very engaging for castle and history fans alike. In recent years, they re-plated the north side of the keep with iron plates as it originally was and cleaned up the site by removing many of the trees that blocked your view of the yagura and main keep. The original Fushimi Yagura, Sujigane Gate, Bell Tower and reconstructed Inui yagura provide many photogenic angles combined with the multiple layers of well preserved stone walls. If you visit, plan some time to take great photos from the shinkansen platform windows too! For the castle fan that wants to add a little extra to the trip, there are a few places around town with the remains of stone walls and there is even a gate from a former samurai residence.  You can check out these extras with a map in the album "Castle Town."
|Notes=Right next to the train station, Fukuyama Castle has become one of the must-see castles of Western Japan.  While the main keep is a reconstruction, it is a very good reconstruction in terms of outside appearance. The museum inside is very engaging for castle and history fans alike. In recent years, they plated the north side of the keep with iron plates as it originally was and cleaned up the site by removing many of the trees that blocked your view of the yagura and main keep.  
 
The original Fushimi Yagura, Sujigane Gate, Bell Tower and reconstructed Inui yagura provide many photogenic angles combined with the multiple layers of well preserved stone walls. If you visit, plan some time to take great photos from the shinkansen platform windows too! For the castle fan that wants to add a little extra to the trip, there are a few places around town with the remains of stone walls and there is even a gate from a former samurai residence.  You can check out these extras with a map in the album [[Fukuyama Castle - Castle Town|Castle Town]].
|History=In 1619, Mizuno Katsunari, a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu, was the first of the Tokugawa hereditary vassals (fudai daimyo) to be stationed in the Chuugoku region. He was placed here at Fukuyama to be just between the non-hereditary vassals (tozama daimyo) in Hiroshima and Okayama. He received great support from the Tokugawa in the form of money, materials and buildings transferred from Fushimi Castle (the Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gate survive today) to build this rather large and strong castle (23 yagura and 10 gates) quickly. It shows the importance Tokugawa placed on showing his strength to these tozama daimyo. The castle was completed in 1622.  
|History=In 1619, Mizuno Katsunari, a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu, was the first of the Tokugawa hereditary vassals (fudai daimyo) to be stationed in the Chuugoku region. He was placed here at Fukuyama to be just between the non-hereditary vassals (tozama daimyo) in Hiroshima and Okayama. He received great support from the Tokugawa in the form of money, materials and buildings transferred from Fushimi Castle (the Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gate survive today) to build this rather large and strong castle (23 yagura and 10 gates) quickly. It shows the importance Tokugawa placed on showing his strength to these tozama daimyo. The castle was completed in 1622.  


The iron plating was added to the north side of the castle because it was the most vulnerable. There is no moat on this side and it was presumed any attack would come from the north. Sure enough, the Choshu forces did attack from the north and were stopped around the area of a shrine, now called the Abe Shrine. The Akamon, or Red Gate, still has a bullet hole in it from the attack.
The iron plating was added to the north side of the castle because it was the most vulnerable. There is no moat on this side and it was presumed that any attack would come from the north. Sure enough, the Choshu forces did attack from the north and were stopped around the area of a shrine, now called the Abe Shrine. The Akamon, or Red Gate, still has a bullet hole in it from the attack.


Fukuyama Castle was one of the greatest castles of the Edo Period and many buildings survived the Meiji Restoration, but were mostly destroyed in the air raids of 1945. Only the Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gate survived.
Fukuyama Castle was one of the greatest castles of the Edo Period. Many buildings survived the Meiji Restoration, but were mostly destroyed in the air raids of 1945. Only the Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gate survived.
|Year Visited=2009, 2023
|Year Visited=2009, 2023
|AddedJcastle=2006
|AddedJcastle=2006
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|GPSLocation=34.49103, 133.36112
|GPSLocation=34.49103, 133.36112
|Contributor=Eric
|Contributor=Eric
|FriendsLinks={{FriendsLinks
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|FriendWebsiteURL=https://shirobito.jp/castle/72
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|FriendWebsiteURL=https://kojodan.jp/castle/84/
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|FriendWebsiteName=Shiro Meguri Fan
|FriendWebsiteURL=https://www.shirofan.com/shiro/tyugoku/fukuyama/fukuyama.html
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|FriendWebsiteName=Japan Castle Explorer
|FriendWebsiteURL=http://www.japancastle.jp/2014/08/Fukuyama-castle.html
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|rating_average=3.18
|castleElev=23
|castleElev=23

Latest revision as of 11:57, 30 June 2024

Right next to the train station, Fukuyama Castle has become one of the must-see castles of Western Japan. While the main keep is a reconstruction, it is a very good reconstruction in terms of outside appearance. The museum inside is very engaging for castle and history fans alike. In recent years,

Fukuyama302.jpeg

History

In 1619, Mizuno Katsunari, a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu, was the first of the Tokugawa hereditary vassals (fudai daimyo) to be stationed in the Chuugoku region. He was placed here at Fukuyama to be just between the non-hereditary vassals (tozama daimyo) in Hiroshima and Okayama. He received great support from the Tokugawa in the form of money, materials and buildings transferred from Fushimi Castle (the Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gate survive today) to build this rather large and strong castle (23 yagura and 10 gates) quickly. It shows the importance Tokugawa placed on showing his strength to these tozama daimyo. The castle was completed in 1622.

The iron plating was added to the north side of the castle because it was the most vulnerable. There is no moat on this side and it was presumed that any attack would come from the north. Sure enough, the Choshu forces did attack from the north and were stopped around the area of a shrine, now called the Abe Shrine. The Akamon, or Red Gate, still has a bullet hole in it from the attack.

Fukuyama Castle was one of the greatest castles of the Edo Period. Many buildings survived the Meiji Restoration, but were mostly destroyed in the air raids of 1945. Only the Fushimi Yagura and Sujigane Gate survived.


Field Notes

Right next to the train station, Fukuyama Castle has become one of the must-see castles of Western Japan. While the main keep is a reconstruction, it is a very good reconstruction in terms of outside appearance. The museum inside is very engaging for castle and history fans alike. In recent years, they plated the north side of the keep with iron plates as it originally was and cleaned up the site by removing many of the trees that blocked your view of the yagura and main keep.

The original Fushimi Yagura, Sujigane Gate, Bell Tower and reconstructed Inui yagura provide many photogenic angles combined with the multiple layers of well preserved stone walls. If you visit, plan some time to take great photos from the shinkansen platform windows too! For the castle fan that wants to add a little extra to the trip, there are a few places around town with the remains of stone walls and there is even a gate from a former samurai residence. You can check out these extras with a map in the album Castle Town.


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Gallery
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  • Fushimi Yagura
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More Galleries and Feature Pages

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Nagayamon Gate

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Castle Town

(19 photos)

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Kokuin Collection

(21 photos)

Castle Profile
English Name Fukuyama Castle
Japanese Name 福山城
Alternate Names Hisamatsu-jo, Iyoo-jo
Founder Mizuno Katsunari
Year Founded 1622
Castle Type Hilltop
Castle Condition Reconstructed main keep
Designations Top 100 Castles, has Important Cultural Properties, National Historic Site
Historical Period Edo Period
Main Keep Structure 5 levels, 6 stories
Year Reconstructed 1966 (concrete)
Artifacts Fushimi Yagura, Sujigane Gate
Features main keep, gates, turrets, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access Fukuyama Sta. (San'yo line); 2 minute walk
Hours Museum open 9am-5pm; Closed Mondays except holidays (close the following day)
Time Required 120 mins
URL Castle Website
Location Fukuyama, Hiroshima Prefecture
Coordinates 34.49103, 133.36112
Loading map...
Admin
Added to Jcastle 2006
Contributor Eric
Admin Year Visited 2009, 2023
Admin Visits November 14, 2009; June 8, 2023
Friends of JCastle
Shirobito
Kojodan
Shiro Meguri Fan
Japan Castle Explorer


3.43
(23 votes)
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