Shogunate Japan: Castle towns

This interactive Google map shows the location of the castle in Japan, with information on each and the opportunity to take a 3D tour of each one.

This website includes a video documentary about the architecture style of castles and palaces during feudal Japan.

Fortresses have been built in Japan since early times. A particular need for castles arose in the 15th century after the central government's authority had weakened and Japan had fallen into the chaotic era of warring states (sengoku jidai). During that era, Japan consisted of dozens of small independent states which fought each other and built small castles on top of mountains for defense purposes. This article describes the history of these castles and what they looked like, as well as including links to some famous examples of castle towns.

Architectural historian Jennifer Mitchelhill and photographer David Green spent over three years documenting Japan's 24 samurai-era (1600-1868) castles. In this article, Mitchelhill gives us a tour of some these architectural marvels, explaining their history, their defensive strategies and their geography.

At the time of the Meiji Restoration, in 1868, some 250 castle towns (jokamachi) formed the core of a well developed urban network in Japan. Although constructed primarily as defended residences for provincial lords (daimyo) and their retainers, castle towns necessarily became local administrative headquarters through which political authority was channeled from the shogun’s citadel in Edo (now Tokyo) to all parts of the Japanese countryside. This article describes the layout of castle towns and why they were built, and includes images and maps of castle towns.