Château de Kushizaki, Feudal fortress in Shimonoseki, Japan
Château de Kushizaki is a castle ruin sitting on elevated ground in Shimonoseki, featuring stone walls and moats that overlook the Kanmon Strait separating Honshu and Kyushu. The site preserves foundation platforms and defensive ramparts that reveal the military engineering and defensive layout of a feudal stronghold.
The Mori Clan controlled the castle until 1600, when Mori Hidemoto rebuilt it as his personal residence before it was abandoned in 1615. The British Royal Navy later captured the fortress in 1864 during the Shimonoseki Campaign and seized its cannons.
The castle grounds incorporate traditional Japanese military architecture with stone-piled ramparts and a preserved central tower foundation platform.
The site remains open year-round with no entrance fee required. Visit on dry days, as the steep pathways and ancient stone surfaces can become slippery during rain.
The naval invasion of 1864 left physical traces still visible at the ruins today. This military encounter marked a turning point for the local domain and Japan's development during that era.
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