Kokura Castle

Update by ART (January 2024; visited 2019): Kokura Castle's main features are its survivng ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts), dorui (earthen ramparts) and mizubori (water moats). It also has a reconstructed donjon, built from concrete and serving as a museum, and other mock reconstructions. The castl

History

In 1600 after the Battle of Sekigahara, Hosokawa Tadaoki was rewarded the lands of Buzen and Bungo. The ruling castle of the area was really at Nakatsu Castle, but Hosokawa found Kokura to be a much more convenient place from which to rule. It is also located at the vital point in transportation between Kyushu and Honshu. He started building Kokura Castle in 1602 and completed it in 1608.

Hosokawa's Son, Tadatoshi, was moved to Kumamoto in 1632. Ogasawara Tadazane replaced him and 9 generations of his descendents ruled for the next 230 years. The main keep burned down in a fire in 1837 and was not rebuilt. The castle itself was intentionally burned down and abandoned in 1866 when the Ogasawara fled Kokura during the second Battle of Shochuseito.

The reconstructed castle you see today is borogata style with decorative gables called kara hafu and irimoya hafu, but the original main keep was a very simple sotogata and had no such gables.

Field Notes

Update by ART (January 2024; visited 2019):

Kokura Castle's main features are its survivng ishigaki (stone-piled ramparts), dorui (earthen ramparts) and mizubori (water moats). It also has a reconstructed donjon, built from concrete and serving as a museum, and other mock reconstructions. The castle ground's further contain a restored garden and villa used by the lords of the castle.

Mock Reconstructions:

The appearance of the tenshu at Kokurajō is not historically accurate; the museum building was erected in 1959 out of concrete, and, whilst it seems that the original form of the tenshu was well understood even then, it was decided that the new tenshu would be "beautified" with the addition of hafu (gables). This means that the tower does not even bear an outward resemblance to what existed historically in its place. Although unfortunate, this is more than enough justification in my opinion for it to be destroyed with prejudice, and reconstructed out of historical materials. The historically accurate keep would look more appealing and suitable.

The tenshu of Kokurajō was built in the karaźukuri (唐造) style. Karaźukuri, in this case, refers to the style wherein the uppermost tier is larger than the preceeding one. I have also heard the use of hoardings on Japanse castles referred to as nanbanźukuri ('barbarian style').

There are reconstructed yagura. One of three-tiers is called the nukagura (raw rice store), which I think is or was a restaurant. The others consist of a two-tier yagura connected by a corridor turret to the tenshu.

Also located on the castle grounds is a built-up shrine complex made up of shrine buildings and what I would call 'castle-inspired' structures. Although obviously not historically accurate I did find them quite interesting, representing to me a sort of nativist alternative to modern multistorey architecture.

Garden:

The garden at Kokura Castle is a traditional daimyō-style garden centered upon the reconstructed shoin (drawing room) of the detatched palace called Go'Yūsho (Place of Leisure), also referred to historically as the detached villa of the Ogasawara Clan. The villa was the heart of Ogasawara-ryū Reihō (School of Etiquette), cultivated by the lords of Kokura Castle. The restored complex consists of tea rooms, a library, an exhibition hall, and the reconstructed shoin, the balcony of which hangs delicately over the garden pond. The layout of the garden dates to 1798, arranged by Lord Ogasawara Tadamitsu. All original structures were destroyed in the Chōshū War of 1866. The site was excavated and restored in the 1990s.

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Gallery

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  main keep
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  main keep
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  donjon
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  yagura
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  moat
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  Photos from here by ART
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  View of main keep and outer moat
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  Villa buildings of Goyusho as seen from the keep
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  Mogi-tenshu and tenshudai
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  Ishigaki and dobei at main gate site
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  Tsukimi-yagura (recon.) seen from Tamonguchi masugata
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  Tsukimi-yagura (reconstructed)
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  Model showing how the donjon complex really looked!
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  shachihoko on ahistorical gable of keep
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  Meiji period lighthouse
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  Mogi-tenshu and faux-reconstructed keep with connecting corridor
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Castle Profile
English Name	Kokura Castle
Japanese Name	小倉城
Alternate Names	Katsuyama-jo, Yuukin-jo
Founder	Hosokawa Tadaoki
Year Founded	1608
Castle Type	Flatland
Castle Condition	Reconstructed main keep
Designations	Next 100 Castles
Historical Period	Edo Period
Main Keep Structure	4 levels, 5 stories
Year Reconstructed	1959 (concrete)
Artifacts	Mogi-Tenshu, Yagura, Ishigaki, Mizubori, Dobei, &c.
Features	main keep, turrets, samurai homes, water moats, stone walls, walls
Visitor Information
Access	Kokura Stn on the Kagoshima Line, or Nishi-Kokura Stn on the Hitahikosan Line; 10 minute walk
Hours
Time Required
URL	Castle Website
Location	Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture
Coordinates	33.88442, 130.87426
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2006
Contributor	ART
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed

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