Shimabara Castle, Nagasaki - Getting There, Highlights, And More!

The Features of Shimabara Castle

Photo courtesy of Nagasaki Tourist Organization

Shimabara Castle is located in Shimabara city in Nagasaki prefecture, part of the Kyushu region. The castle was constructed by the foot of the Unzendake mountain, which is a volcano that represents Nagasaki, and is also right by the Ariake sea.

The castle standing today was reconstructed in the 1960s' using old documents. The original castle that once stood in the same place was constructed 400 years ago, but after 1868 during the Meiji Restoration (*1), a good portion of the tenshu and the castle was torn down and the only thing that was left was its surrounding stone walls and the moat.

The main highlight of the castle was the tenshu (*1) part of the castle. Standard castle towers are three stories high, but the Shimabara Castle tower is five stories high. Many castles have a barge-board (a mountain shaped board attached to a gable roof), but Shimabara Castle does not have one. Therefore, the castle overall has a very beautiful and graceful feeling to it.

In this article, we would like to introduce the highlights, access, and events held here at Shimabara Castle.

*1 Meiji Restoration: The series of revolutions at the end of Edo Period (1603 - 1868) after the shogunal government was removed and the Meiji government was created.
*2 Tenshu: The tallest part of the castle. It is also the symbol of the castle.

Basic Information About Shimabara Castle

Shimabara Castle is open all year from 9:00-17:30. Last entry is at 17:00.

The castle entry fee is 540 yen for adults, 270 yen for elementary, middle school and high school students.

Getting to Shimabara Castle

Photo courtesy of Nagasaki Tourist Organization

In order to get to Shimabara Castle from Nagasaki Station, first, take the JR limited express Kamome train bound for Hakata and get off at Isahaya Station. It takes approximately 20 minutes and costs 760 yen. From Isahaya Station, take the Shimabara railway bound for Shimabara Gaiko Station and get off at Shimabara Station. It takes around an hour and 10 minutes and costs 1430 yen.

From Shimabara Station, it is about a 10-minute walk to Shimabara Castle.

For more information about getting to Nagasaki from Tokyo, please read Ways To Travel To Nagasaki, The Doorway To Kyushu.