Tour of the 12 Existing Castles: 5 National Treasures and 7 Important Cultural Properties
Tour of the 12 Existing Castles: 5 National Treasures and 7 Important Cultural Properties
SO12 spotsThe 12 Existing Castles are castles where the keeps from the Edo period or earlier still remain. Of these, 5 castles - Himeji, Matsumoto, Inuyama, Hikone, and Matsue - are National Treasures, and the remaining 7 castles are Important Cultural Properties of Japan. We have compiled the 12 castles scattered across the country by National Treasure and Important Cultural Property status.
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National Treasure Castles (5 castles)
Matsumoto Castle in Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, and its keep is a National Treasure. It is a five-story, six-floor main keep covered in black wooden siding, known for its reflection in the water moat and its view of the Northern Alps.
Inuyama Castle in Inuyama City, Aichi Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, and its keep is a National Treasure. It is a tower-style keep built on a hill along the Kiso River, offering a panoramic view of the castle town from the top floor's veranda.
Hikone Castle in Hikone City, Shiga Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, and its keep is a National Treasure. It is the former residence of the Ii clan, with defensive features such as the Tenbin Yagura (balance turret) and ascending stone walls still remaining.
Himeji Castle in Himeji City, Hyogo Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, its keep is a National Treasure, and it is a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site. It is a complex keep known as the "White Heron Castle" due to its white-plastered exterior.
Important Cultural Property Castles (7 castles)
Hirosaki Castle in Hirosaki City, Aomori Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, its keep is an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and it is the only existing castle keep in the Tohoku region. It is also known as a famous spot for cherry blossoms in Hirosaki Park.
Maruoka Castle in Sakai City, Fukui Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, its keep is an Important Cultural Property of Japan, and it is the only existing castle keep in the Hokuriku region. It is a simple, tower-style keep with stone tiles.
Bicchu Matsuyama Castle in Takahashi City, Okayama Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, and its keep is an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is built on Mt. Gagyū at an altitude of approximately 430 meters, making it the highest existing castle keep in Japan. It is also known for its appearance floating in the sea of clouds.
Matsuyama Castle (Iyo Matsuyama Castle) in Matsuyama City, Ehime Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, and its keep is an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is a complex keep built on the summit of Mt. Katsu, overlooking the Seto Inland Sea and the city.
Kochi Castle in Kochi City, Kochi Prefecture. It is one of the 12 Existing Castles, and its keep is an Important Cultural Property of Japan. It is the only castle where both the keep and the main keep's palace buildings still exist.