Today’s Japan Photo: Nakatsu Castle 中津城
After visiting the Takarazuka Revue 宝塚歌劇団, its time for us to head back on track to explore the wonderful castle of Japan for our Today’s Japan photo series. Today we will journey to Oita prefecture to visit the Nakatsu Castle 中津城.
This photo was uploaded taken off shirofan. Here’s a little more information on Nakatsu Castle 中津城:
The daimyo Kuroda Yoshitaka started to build Nakatsu Castle, a flatland castle on the border of Fukuoka Prefecture on the island of Kyushu, in 1587. Warlord Toyotomi Hideyoshi originally stationed Kuroda Yoshitaka in the area, but awarded Kuroda a larger domain after his exploits in the Battle of Sekigahara of 1600. Evidently not the quickest builder, Kuroda left the castle incomplete.
He was replaced at Nakatsu by Hosokawa Tadaoki, who completed both Nakatsu and the nearby Kokura Castle. After several generations, the Hosokawa clan was displaced by the Ogasawaras, who held the area until 1717. The final samurai clan to own Nakatsu Castle was the Okudaira family, who lived there from 1717 until the Meiji Restoration in 1868.
The total area of the castle grounds was about 78,000 sq m. The shape of the whole castle grounds resembles an open fan. The entire castle was destroyed by fire in the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. The present five-tiered donjon was rebuilt in 1964..
You know, I seriously thought these castles were hundreds of years old. Then I read the “rebuilt” word on the description and my previous belief shatters into a million pieces TT__TT
Agreed.
I do like the look of this small castle. When it was rebuilt in the 1960′s, it was in fact modeled from the main tower of Hagi castle.
I’ve got to say that if you keep taking the train further south, Ōita Pref has so many more interesting places, not to mention castle ruins.