100 Fine Castles of Japan

Himeji Castle

The castles in Top 100 Japanese Castles or 100 Fine Castles of Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku-Meijō) were chosen based on their significance in culture, history, and in their regions by the Japanese Castle Association (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) in 2006.[1]

In 2017, Japanese Castle Association created an additional finest 100 castles list as Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles.[2]

Hokkaidō

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Nemuro Peninsula Chashi Site
根室半島チャシ跡群
Hokkaido Nemuro From the 16C
to the 18C
Ainu people
アイヌ民族
Goryōkaku
五稜郭
Hokkaido Hakodate 1866 Tokugawa shogunate
徳川軍和新政府軍
Matsumae Castle
松前城
Hokkaido Matsumae 1606 Matsumae Takahiro
松前 崇広

Tōhoku region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Hirosaki Castle
弘前城
Aomori Hirosaki 1611 Tsugaru Tamenobu
津軽為信
Tsugaru Nobuhira
津軽信枚
Ne Castle
根城
Aomori Hachinohe 1334 Moroyuki Nanbu
南部師行
Morioka Castle
盛岡城
Iwate Morioka 1598 Nanbu Nobunao
南部信直
Sendai Castle
仙台城
Miyagi Sendai 1601 Date Masamune
伊達政宗
Taga Fort
多賀城
Miyagi Tagajō 724 Ōno no Azumabito
小野東人
Kubota Castle
久保田城
Akita Akita 1604 Satake Yoshinobu
佐竹義宣
Yamagata Castle
山形城
Yamagata Yamagata 1356 Shiba Kaneyori
斯波 兼頼
Nihonmatsu Castle
二本松城
Fukushima Nihonmatsu Muromachi period Hatakeyama Mitsuyasu
Aizuwakamatsu Castle
会津若松城
Fukushima Aizuwakamatsu 1384 Ashina Naomori
蘆名直盛
Komine Castle
小峰城
Fukushima Shirakawa 1340 Yūki Chikatomo

Kantō and Kōshin'etsu region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Mito Castle
水戸城
Ibaraki Mito 1198 Baba Sukemoto
Banna-ji
鑁阿寺
Tochigi Ashikaga 1196 Minamoto no Yoshiyasu
源義康
Minowa Castle
箕輪城
Gunma Takasaki 1512 Nagano Narihisa
Kanayama Castle
金山城
Gunma Ōta 1469 Iwamatsu Iezumi
岩松家純
Hachigata Castle
鉢形城
Saitama Yorii 1476 Nagao Kageharu
長尾景春
Kawagoe Castle
川越城
Saitama Kawagoe 1457 Uesugi Mochitomo
上杉持朝
Sakura Castle
佐倉城
Chiba Sakura Tenbun era Kashima Chikamiki
Edo Castle
江戸城
Tokyo Chiyoda 1457 Ōta Dōkan
太田道灌
Hachiōji Castle
八王子城
Tokyo Hachiōji 1587 Hōjō Ujiteru
北条氏照
Odawara Castle
小田原城
Kanagawa Odawara 1633 Ōmori Yoriharu
大森頼春
Tsutsujigasaki Castle
躑躅ヶ崎館
Yamanashi Kōfu 1519 Takeda Nobutora
武田信虎
Kōfu Castle
甲府城
Yamanashi Kōfu 1583 Tokugawa Ieyasu
徳川家康
Matsushiro Castle
松代城
Nagano Nagano 1560 Takeda Shingen
武田信玄
Ueda Castle
上田城
Nagano Ueda 1583 Sanada Masayuki
真田昌幸
Komoro Castle
小諸城
Nagano Komoro 1554 Takeda Shingen
武田信玄
Matsumoto Castle
松本城
Nagano Matsumoto 1504 Shimadachi Sadanaga
Takatō Castle
高遠城
Nagano Ina ? ?
Shibata Castle
新発田城
Niigata Shibata 1654? Shibata clan?
Kasugayama Castle
春日山城
Niigata Jōetsu Nanboku-chō period Nagao clan
Uesugi clan

Hokuriku region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Takaoka Castle
高岡城
Toyama Takaoka 1609 Maeda Toshinaga
Nanao Castle
七尾城
Ishikawa Nanao 1429 Hatakeyama Mitsunori
Kanazawa Castle
金沢城
Ishikawa Kanazawa 1580 Sakuma Morimasa
Maruoka Castle
丸岡城
Fukui Sakai 1576 Shibata Katsutoyo
Ichijōdani Castle
一乗谷城
Fukui Fukui Nanboku-chō period Asakura clan

Tōkai region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Iwamura Castle
岩村城
Gifu Ena 1221 Tōyama Kagetomo
Gifu Castle
岐阜城
Gifu Gifu 1201 Nikaidō Yukimasa
Yamanaka Castle
山中城
Shizuoka Mishima 1570 Hōjō Ujiyasu
Sunpu Castle
駿府城
Shizuoka Shizuoka 1585 Tokugawa Ieyasu
Kakegawa Castle
掛川城
Shizuoka Kakegawa 1487 Asahina Yasuhiro
Inuyama Castle
犬山城
Aichi Inuyama 1469 Oda Hirochika
Nagoya Castle
名古屋城
Aichi Nagoya 1609 Tokugawa Ieyasu
Okazaki Castle
岡崎城
Aichi Okazaki 1452? Saigō clan
Nagashino Castle
長篠城
Aichi Shinshiro 1508 Suganuma Motonari
Iga Ueno Castle
伊賀上野城
Mie Iga 1585 Tsutsui Sadatsugu
Matsusaka Castle
松阪城
Mie Matsusaka 1588 Gamō Ujisato

Kansai region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Odani Castle
小谷城
Shiga Kohoku 1516 Azai Sukemasa
Hikone Castle
彦根城
Shiga Hikone 1622 Ii Naokatsu
Azuchi Castle
安土城
Shiga Ōmihachiman 1576 Oda Nobunaga
Kannonji Castle
観音寺城
Shiga Ōmihachiman 1487 Rokkaku Ujiyori
Nijō Castle
二条城
Kyoto Kyoto 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu
Osaka Castle
大坂城
Osaka Osaka 1583 Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Chihaya Castle
千早城
Osaka Chihayaakasaka 1332 Kusunoki Masashige
Takeda Castle
竹田城
Hyōgo Asago 1431 Yamana Sōzen
Sasayama Castle
篠山城
Hyōgo Sasayama 1609 Tokugawa Ieyasu
Akashi Castle
明石城
Hyōgo Akashi 1618 Ogasawara Tadazane
Himeji Castle
姫路城
Hyōgo Himeji 1346 Akamatsu Sadanori
Akō Castle
赤穂城
Hyōgo Akō 1483 Oka Mitsuhiro
Takatori Castle
高取城
Nara Takatori 1332 Ochi Kunizumi
Wakayama Castle
和歌山城
Wakayama Wakayama 1586 Toyotomi Hidenaga

Chūgoku region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Tottori Castle
鳥取城
Tottori Tottori 1555 Yamana clan
Matsue Castle
松江城
Shimane Matsue 1611 Horio Tadauji
Gassantoda Castle
月山富田城
Shimane Yasugi 1185? Sasaki Yoshikiyo?
Tsuwano Castle
津和野城
Shimane Tsuwano 1295 Yoshimi Yoriyuki
Tsuyama Castle
津山城
Okayama Tsuyama 1444 Yamashina Tadamasa
Bitchū Matsuyama Castle
備中松山城
Okayama Takahashi 1240 Akiba Shigenobu
Ki castle
鬼ノ城
Okayama Sōja 7C? Yamato court?
Okayama Castle
岡山城
Okayama Okayama 1369 Uwagami Takanao
Fukuyama Castle
福山城
Hiroshima Fukuyama 1622 Mizuno Katsunari
Yoshida-Kōriyama Castle
吉田郡山城
Hiroshima Akitakata 1336 Mōri Tokichika
Hiroshima Castle
広島城
Hiroshima Hiroshima 1589 Mōri Terumoto
Iwakuni Castle
岩国城
Yamaguchi Iwakuni 1601 Kikkawa Hiroie
Hagi Castle
萩城
Yamaguchi Hagi 1604 Mōri Terumoto

Shikoku region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Tokushima Castle
徳島城
Tokushima Tokushima 1585 Hachisuka Iemasa
Takamatsu Castle
高松城
Kagawa Takamatsu 1590 Ikoma Chikamasa
Marugame Castle
丸亀城
Kagawa Marugame Muromachi period Nara Motoyasu
Imabari Castle
今治城
Ehime Imabari 1602 Tōdō Takatora
Matsuyama Castle
松山城
Ehime Matsuyama 1602 Katō Yoshiaki
Yuzuki Castle
湯築城
Ehime Matsuyama 14C Kōno clan
Ōzu Castle
大洲城
Ehime Ōzu 1331 Utsunomiya Toyofusa
Uwajima Castle
宇和島城
Ehime Uwajima 1586 Tachibana no Tōyasu
Kōchi Castle
高知城
Kōchi Kōchi 1603 Yamauchi Kazutoyo

Kyūshū region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Fukuoka Castle
福岡城
Fukuoka Fukuoka 1601 Kuroda Nagamasa
Ōno Castle (Chikuzen Province)
大野城
Fukuoka Ōnojō 665 ?
Nagoya Castle
名護屋城
Saga Karatsu 1591 Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Yoshinogari site
吉野ヶ里遺跡
Saga Yoshinogari
Kanzaki
Yayoi period ?
Saga Castle
佐賀城
Saga Saga 1602 Nabeshima clan
Hirado Castle
平戸城
Nagasaki Hirado 1599 Matsura Shigenobu
Shimabara Castle
島原城
Nagasaki Shimabara 1624 Matsukura Shigemasa
Kumamoto Castle
熊本城
Kumamoto Kumamoto 1467 Ideta Hidenobu
Hitoyoshi Castle
人吉城
Kumamoto Hitoyoshi Genkyū era Sagara Nagayori
Funai Castle
府内城
Ōita Ōita 1597 Fukuhara Nagataka
Oka Castle
岡城 (豊後国)
Ōita Taketa 1185 Ogata Koreyoshi
Obi Castle
飫肥城
Miyazaki Nichinan Sengoku period Tsuchimochi clan
Kagoshima Castle
鹿児島城
Kagoshima Kagoshima 1602 Shimazu Iehisa

Okinawa region

[edit]
Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Nakijin Castle
今帰仁城
Okinawa Nakijin 13C? Haniji?
Nakagusuku Castle
中城城
Okinawa Kitanakagusuku 1440 Gosamaru
Shuri Castle
首里城
Okinawa Naha 14C? King of Chūzan

See also

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Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ "日本100名城" (in Japanese). 日本城郭協会. 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  2. ^ "続日本100名城" (in Japanese). 日本城郭協会. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
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