Yatsushiro Castle, Japanese castle in Yatsushiro, Japan
Yatsushiro Castle is a castle ruin in Yatsushiro, Kumamoto Prefecture, Japan. The site preserves water moats and stone walls from the Edo period typical of 17th-century military fortifications.
The castle arose in 1622 after an earthquake destroyed the previous fortress at Mugishima. After construction, control soon passed to the Hosokawa clan who managed the site until the Meiji Restoration.
The name comes from the original lord who built the fortress, though his family later surrendered control to the Hosokawa clan under shogunate orders. The tea house Shohinken from 1688 holds a garden of miniature landscapes that now carries recognition as a national cultural property.
A walk through the ruins can easily connect with visits to other nearby attractions including Hinagu Onsen hot spring. The stone walls and water moats remain accessible year-round and offer insight into Edo-period fortification building.
The grounds received national historic site status in 2014 together with two other old fortifications in the region. This joint designation underscores the role of the three castles in local defense history.
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