List of 100 famous Japanese castles


List of 100 famous Japanese castles (Nihon Hyaku Meijo)


It is said that there are several hundred of large castles in Japan, and if include small castles the number will reach to several thousand. Of course the selection of "famous" castle highly depends on each person, but as an one standard, 100 famous Japanese castles (日本百名城) is often used.

100 famous Japanese castles were selected by Japan Castle Foundation, a voluntary association consist of historians, researchers of architecture,  archaeologists and so on, in 2006. The following 100 famous Japanese castles were nominated and selected under the following conditions;

1) Having excellent historical value
2) Place of famous historical events
3) Representing each region and era
4) One to five castles per prefecture

Due to above reasons some castles other than typical castles are included, and because of number limitation some excellent castles are out of list. But it is a useful list to grasp the overview of Japanese castles at first. See also 100 more famous Japanese castles published in April 2017.


Eastern Japan area (complete)




No
Name
Image
Location/
prefecture
Type
Major
Remnants
Remarks
1


Nemuro city, Hokkaido
Indigenous forts
Clay walls and moats

2


Hakodate city, Hokkaido
Western style fortress
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

3


Matsumae town, Hokkaido
Modern castle
Gates, stone walls, clay walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
4


Hirosaki city, Aomori
Modern castle
Main tower, turrets, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
5


Hachinohe city, Aomori
Medieval castle
Clay walls and moats

6



Morioka city, Iwate
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

7


Tagajo city, Miyagi
Ancient castle
Clay walls and moats

8


Sendai city, Miyagi
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

9


Akita city, Akita
Modern castle
Clay walls and moats

10

Yamagata city, Yamagata
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

11


Nihonmatsu city, Fukushima
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

12


AIzu Wakamatsu city, Fukushima
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
13


Shirakawa city, Fukushima
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
14


Mito city, Ibaraki
Modern castle
Gate, clay walls and moats

15


Ashikaga city, Tochigi
Medieval residence
Temple building, clay walls and moats
Bannaji Temple
16


Misato town, Gunma
Medieval castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

17


Ota city, Gunma
Medieval castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

18


Yorii town, Saitama
Medieval castle
Clay walls and moats

19


Kawagoe city, Saitama
Modern castle
Palace building and clay walls

20


Sakura city, Chiba
Modern castle
Clay walls and moats

21


Chiyodaku,  Tokyo
Modern castle
Turrets, gates, stone walls and moats
Imperial Palace
22


Hachioji city, Tokyo
Medieval castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

23


Odawara city, Kanagawa
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
24


Kofu city, Yamanashi
Medieval castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats
Tsutsujigasaki Palace
25


Kofu city, Yamanashi
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

26


Nagano city, Nagano
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats
Kaizu Castle
27


Ueda city, Nagano
Modern castle
Turrets and stone walls

28


Komoro city, Nagano
Modern castle
Gates, stone walls and moats

29

Matsumoto city, Nagano
Modern castle
Main tower, turrets, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
National Treasure
30


Takato town, Nagano
Modern castle
Gates, clay walls and moats

31


Shibata city, Niigata
Modern castle
Turret, gate, stone walls and moats

32


Joetsu city, Niigata
Medieval castle
Clay walls and moats



Central Japan area (complete)


No
Name
Image
Location/
prefecture
Type
Major Remnants
Remarks
33


Takaoka city, Toyama
Modern castle
Clay walls and moats

34


Nanao city, Ishikawa
Medieval castle
Stone walls and clay walls

35


Kanazawa city, Ishikawa
Modern castle
Turret, gate, stone walls and moats

36


Maruoka city, Fukui
Modern castle
Main tower and stone walls
12 original main towers
37

Fukui city, Fukui
Medieval castle
Clay walls and dry moats, ruins of Japanese gardens

38


Iwamura town, Gifu
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

39




Gifu city, Gifu
Medieval castle
Stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
40


Mishima city, Shizuoka
Medieval castle
Clay walls and moats

41


Shizuoka city, Shizuoka
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

42


Kakegawa city, Shizuoka
Modern castle
Palace building, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
43


Inuyama city, Aichi
Modern castle
Main tower and stone walls
12 original main towers
National Treasure
44


Nagoya city, Aichi
Modern castle
Turrets, gates, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
45


Okazaki city, Aichi
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
46


Shinshiro city, Aichi
Medieval castle
Clay walls and moats

47


Igaueno city, Mie
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
48


Matsusaka city, Mie
Modern castle
Stone walls  and moats

49


Nagahama city, Shiga
Medieval castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

50


Hikone city, Shiga
Modern castle
Main tower, turrets, gates, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers 
National Treasure
51


Omi Hachiman city, Shiga
Medieval castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

52


Omi Hachiman city, Shiga
Medieval castle
Stone walls and clay walls

53

Kyoto city, Kyoto
Modern castle
Palace building, turret, gates, stone walls and moats
World Heritage
54


Osaka city, Osaka
Modern castle
Turrets, gates, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
55

Chihaya Akasaka Village, Osaka
Medieval castle
Clay walls

56


Asago city, Hyogo
Medieval castle
Stone walls

57


Sasatama city, Hyogo
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

58


Akashi city, Hyogo
Modern castle
Turrets, stone walls and moats

59

HImeji city, Hyogo
Modern castle
Main tower, turrets, gates, fances, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
World Heritage
National Treasure
60


Ako city, Hyogo
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

61


Takatori Town, Nara
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

62


Wakayama city, Wakayama
Modern castle
Gates, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower



Western Japan area (complete)


No
Name
Image
Location/
prefecture
Type
Major Remnants
Remarks
63


Tottori city, Tottori
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

64


Matsue city, Shimane
Modern castle
Main tower, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers, National Treasure
65


Yasuki city, Shimane
Medieval castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

66


Tsuwano town, Shimane
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls, moats, turrets and gate

67


Tsuyama city, Okayama
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

68


Takahashi city, Okayama
Modern castle
Main tower, turret, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
69


Sojya city, Okayama
Ancient castle
Stone walls and clay walls

70


Okayama city, Okayama
Modern castle
Turrets, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
71


Fukuyama city, Hiroshima
Modern castle
Turret, gate, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
72


Aki Takada city, Hiroshima
Medieval castle
Clay walls and moats

73

Hiroshima city, Hiroshima
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
74

Iwakuni city, Yamaguchi
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
75


Hagi city, Yamaguchi
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

76


Tokushima city, Tokushima
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

77


Takamatsu city, Kagawa
Modern castle
Turrets, stone walls and moats

78


Marugame city, Kagawa
Modern castle
Main tower, gate, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
79


Imabari city, Ehime
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
80


Matsuyama city, Ehime
Medieval castle
Clay walls and moats

81


Matsuyama city, Ehime
Modern castle
Main tower, turrets, gates, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
82


Ozu city, Ehime
Modern castle
Turrets, warehouse, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
83


Uwajima city, Ehime
Modern castle
Main tower, gate, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
84


Kochi city, Kochi
Modern castle
Main tower, palace building, turrets, gates, stone walls and moats
12 original main towers
85


Fukuoka city, Fukuoka
Modern castle
Turrets,  stone walls and moats

86



Onojyo city, Fukuoka
Ancient castle
Stone walls and clay walls

87


Karatsu city, Saga
Medieval castle
Stone walls and moats

88


Yoshinogari town, Saga
Ancient ruin
Clay walls and moats

89


Saga city, Saga
Modern castle
Gate, stone walls、clay walls and moats

90



Hirado city, Nagasaki
Modern castle
Turret, gate, stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
91



Shimabara city, Nagasaki
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
92


Kumamoto city, Kumamoto
Modern castle
Turrets, gate,  stone walls and moats
Reconstructed main tower
93


Hitoyoshi city, Kumamoto
Modern castle
Stone walls, clay walls and moats

94



Oita city, Oita
Modern castle
Turrets, stone walls and moats

95



Takeda city, Oita
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

96



Nichinan city, Miyazaki
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

97



Kagoshima city, Kagoshima
Modern castle
Stone walls and moats

98



Nakijin village, Okinawa
Medieval castle
Stone walls
World Heritage
99


Kita Nakagusuku village, Okinawa
Medieval castle
Stone walls
World Heritage
100


Naha city, Okinawa
Modern castle
Stone walls
World Heritage

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