Tsuruga Castle, Medieval castle in Tsuruga, Japan
Tsuruga Castle is a medieval fortress located on Mount Tentsutsu in Fukui Prefecture, built across an expansive hilltop site. The original complex included multiple buildings and structures arranged across the elevated terrain.
The castle was founded in 1583 by Hachiya Yoritaka with a three-story keep and was later transformed into a water fortress by Otani Yoshitsugu. This conversion made it one of the region's major defensive structures.
The original castle gate is preserved at Raigoji Temple, while the nearby Hachiman Shrine displays wooden dragon carvings and stone lanterns from that era. These objects can still be seen today and show how people decorated and built important structures centuries ago.
The site is best reached from JR Tsuruga Station and sits on a hilltop, so comfortable walking shoes are recommended for exploring. The nearest surviving structures are found in nearby temples and shrines that are easy to access.
Excavations under a nearby school found building foundations dating to the original castle period, revealing the settlement extended beyond what surface remains suggest. These discoveries show the complex was larger than what tourists typically see today.
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