Culture & history

Castles

Only twelve castle keeps survive from the Edo period. Compare the white of Himeji with the black of Matsumoto.

Travel tips

Keeps have steep stairs inside, and you take your shoes off to go up.

9 places to go

Tap a pin to jump to that place's description.

Chubu & Hokuriku

1
Matsumoto Castle
Attraction
An original black keep standing against the Northern Alps.
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2
Inuyama Castle
Attraction
An original keep overlooking the Kiso River.
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3
Nagoya Castle
Attraction
Known for its golden roof ornaments; the reconstructed Honmaru Palace is the highlight.
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Kansai

4
Himeji Castle
Attraction
A World Heritage site with its original keep, a straight walk from the station.
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5
Hikone Castle
Attraction
An original keep beside Lake Biwa.
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6
Osaka Castle
Attraction
A keep rebuilt in the 20th century, set in a large park, with a museum inside.
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7
Nijo Castle
Attraction
Kyoto's castle, with "nightingale" floors that chirp as you walk.
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Kyushu

8
Kumamoto
Station
Take the tram from the station to Kumamoto Castle, still under restoration after the 2016 earthquake.
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Okinawa

9
Shurijo Castle
Attraction
The castle of the Ryukyu Kingdom; its main hall, lost to fire in 2019, is being rebuilt.
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From people who went

Tips about the places in this theme, most helpful first.

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Event dates, operating days, reservation rules and opening hours can change. Please check the official information before you go.

Photo and data credits

The white keep of Himeji Castle Reggaeman (Public domain) / The black keep of Matsumoto Castle Syced (CC0) / The green-roofed main keep of Nagoya Castle against a blue sky Syced (CC0) / The main tower of Osaka Castle among fresh green leaves ttshr1970 (CC BY 3.0) / The entrance of Ninomaru Palace at Nijo Castle 稲垣啓二 (CC BY-SA 4.0) / Kumamoto Castle's restored keep (2021) Tokyo-Good (CC BY-SA 4.0) / The throne in the main hall of Shuri Castle Uwe Aranas (CEphoto) (CC BY-SA 3.0). Cropped and resized.