Nakiri Castle, Japanese castle in Shima, Japan.
Nakiri Castle is a Japanese castle ruin on a coastal hilltop in the Shima area of Mie Prefecture. What remains today includes stone foundations, earthwork embankments, and dry moats that once formed a fortified compound overlooking the sea.
The castle dates to the early 17th century, when it was built to help local lords govern this stretch of coastline during the Edo period. It fell out of use after the feudal system ended in the 19th century and was gradually abandoned.
The ruins sit on a hill where visitors can still look out over the sea and surrounding villages, much as those who once held the castle did. The stone foundations and earthworks that remain give a sense of how the site once commanded the landscape.
The site requires a short uphill walk on uneven ground, so sturdy footwear is a good idea. Information panels on site explain the layout of the former castle, which helps to make sense of what you are looking at.
Unlike many Japanese castles, Nakiri relied almost entirely on earthworks rather than stone walls for its defenses, a type known in Japan as a dozan castle. This style of fortification was common but is now rarely seen because so few examples have survived.
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