Karatsu Castle (Karatsu-jō) is a Japanese castle located in Karatsu, Saga
Prefecture, Japan. It is a hirayamajiro, a castle built on a plain rather than
a hill or mountain. At the end of the Edo period, Karatsu castle was home to
the Ogasawara clan, daimyō of Karatsu Domain. It was also known as "Dancing
Crane Castle" (Maizuru-jō).
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Karatsu castle map.
The grounds of Karatsu Castle are known for their beautiful azalea,
cherry and wisteria blossoms in season.
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Karatsu Bay.
Karatsu Castle, which stands beside Karatsu Bay, is unusual in that the
stonework rises directly out of the water, using the ocean as a natural
moat. It is a medium-size castle with the Honmaru (inner bailey) located
on top of Mount Manto, the Ni-no-maru (2nd bailey) and the San-no-maru
(3rd bailey) in the west, and the outer structures to the south.
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The donjon.
The current donjon and some other structures of the castle were
reconstructed in 1966 to boost local tourism and to function as a local
museum. The current donjon features five tiers and five stories, with a
lower ground floor; it also houses an exhibition area. Many of the
yagura date from the same time, although the Tatsumi Yagura was added in
1990.
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Panoramic view.
Panoramic view from the top of the castle over Karatsu Bay.
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Karatsu (Karatsu-shi) is a city located in Saga Prefecture on the
island of Kyushu, Japan. Its name, formed from the Japanese word roots
kara (China, or continental East Asia in general), and
tsu (port), signifies its historical importance as an ancient
trading port between Japan with China and Korea.
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Due to its proximity to mainland Asia, Karatsu has long been known as
a stopover to Korea and China.
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