If you love castles, you should visit at least once! A tour of Hiroshima's stunning castles

• Table of Contents
• 1. Learn about Hiroshima's history! Hiroshima Castle
• 2. Koriyama Castle Ruins: The largest mountain castle in the Chugoku region!
• 3. Mihara Castle Ruins, adjacent to the JR Mihara Station platform!
• 4. Innoshima Suigun Castle: A rare castle-style naval museum in Japan!
• 5. You can even stay overnight at the castle! Fukuyama Castle Park

1. Learn about Hiroshima's history! Hiroshima Castle

Construction of Hiroshima Castle began in 1589 in this area blessed with land and water transportation by Mori Terumoto, who ruled over most of the Chugoku region. At that time, large-scale construction was carried out, including the stone walls, moats, castle tower, and other buildings, as well as the castle town.

Although the castle tower and some other buildings remained even after the Meiji era, all of the buildings were completely destroyed by the atomic bomb.

The castle tower was rebuilt in 1958 and now functions as a museum showcasing the history of Hiroshima through documents and models, as well as holding special exhibitions and various outreach programs.

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2. Koriyama Castle Ruins: The largest mountain castle in the Chugoku region!

Koriyama Castle, which was used as the residence of Mori Motonari, is one of the largest mountain castles in the Chugoku region.

It is unknown when the castle was built, but in the mid-15th century it stood on an independent ridge in the southeast of Koriyama as the main castle of the Mori clan. It is believed that the entire mountain was fortified during the time of Motonari in the mid-16th century.

It is said that Koriyama Castle continued to be maintained even after the clan's base was moved to Hiroshima Castle in 1591, but it was abandoned when the clan was transferred to another province after the Battle of Sekigahara in 1600.

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3. Mihara Castle Ruins, adjacent to the JR Mihara Station platform!

It is said that Mihara Castle was begun to be built in 1567 by Kobayakawa Takakage, the son of Mori Motonari, on reclaimed land connecting two islands at the mouth of the river.

This castle is called the "Floating Castle" because it appears to be floating on the sea, and is known for being the first in Japan to have high stone walls that rose from the sea.

Currently, the Sanyo Main Line passes through the main castle, and only the castle tower base, the surrounding moat, and some other parts remain, but it is protected as a national historic site.

4. Innoshima Suigun Castle: A rare castle-style naval museum in Japan!

Built in 1983 in Innoshima, the navy's hometown, this castle-style navy museum is rare across Japan.

From the Nanboku-cho period through the Muromachi and Sengoku periods, the Murakami Navy dominated the seas of this region and demonstrated its power as a naval kingdom.

Historical materials such as weapons, relics, and ancient documents are on display in the main citadel, and the corner tower, which also serves as an observation deck, is used as a ship museum.

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5. You can even stay overnight at the castle! Fukuyama Castle Park

It is famous as a castle that can be seen very close from the Shinkansen platform, which is rare nationwide. It was built in 1619 by Mizuno Katsunari, a cousin of Tokugawa Ieyasu.

Within the castle are castle towers and castle buildings such as the Fushimi Turret and Sujigane Gomon Gate, which are designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, and the castle ruins are preserved as a national historic site.

The castle tower was destroyed by fire during the war in 1945, but was rebuilt in 1966. It now serves as a museum that conveys the history of Fukuyama City, displaying the belongings and documents of successive feudal lords.

You can also experience a "castle stay" where you can rent out the facilities of Fukuyama Castle exclusively!

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