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Guide to Japanese Castles

Fukuoka Castle

福岡城

Minami tamon yagura
Picture Donated by Japanese Castle Explorer
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Alternate Name Maizuru-jo, Seki-jo
Founder Kuroda Nagamasa
Year 1601
Type Hilltop
Condition Other Buildings
Admin's Rating ★ ★ ★ ☆ ☆
Historical Site National Historic Site
Historical Value Top 100 Castles, Important Cultural Properties
Historical Artifacts Important Cultural Properties:
Minami Maru Tamon Yagura
Location Fukuoka, Fukuoka Pref.
Map Google Map
Access Hakata Sta. (Kagoshima Line)
Website Fukuoka City
Notes not personally visited. The above picture is of the extant Minami Tamon Yagura, an Important Cutural Property. The picture was donated by <a href="http://www.kumin.ne.jp/dmogrady/index.html">Japanese Castle Explorer</a>
History Kuroda Nagamasa received lands around present day Fukuoka for his service in the Battle of Sekigahara. Nagamasa came to Fukuoka in 1601 and began building Fukuoka Castle. In its time, Fukuoka Castle was the largest castle in Kyushu and boasted 47 yagura. Even though there is a foundation for a donjon, there is no evidence that a donjon was ever built. Noguchi Kazushige, who also assisted with Osaka and Edo Castles, built the stone walls of the castle. It is said Kato Kiyomasa was so impressed with the scale and workmanship, he nicknamed it the Stone Castle (Seki-jo).

The Kuroda family ruled for 12 generations and over 270 years. In 1871, the castle was decommissioned and most of the buildings were disassembled or moved.

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Viewer Comments

(3) | Post Comment
  • Julian (from Canada)    October 23, 2009 at 09:22 AM
    This was the most disappointing castle I've seen in Japan. I was there six years ago, and it looked like a fancy wall around a vacant lot.
  • Anonymous    May 02, 2009 at 06:22 PM
    I spent 3 days traveling around Northern Kyushu and visited 10 different castles/ruins. Fukuoka was the most disappointing. The 4 star rating is extremely generous. A visit to Saga Castle ruins is definitely more enjoyable. It has the original main gate and a reconstructed palace. It is also very English friendly with free audio deffices......If only I knew about Yoshinogari when I was in Saga, as this is apparently a fantastic reconstructed fortified Yayoi site.
  • Anonymous    March 28, 2009 at 08:50 AM
    I just spent a nice afternoon here with the cherry blossoms in full bloom. The Shimonohashi Otemon gate, which was completed late 2008, looked great.