Kitsuki, Castle town in Oita Prefecture, Japan.
Kitsuki is a city on the southern tip of Kunisaki Peninsula in Oita Prefecture, situated on a coastal plateau overlooking Beppu Bay. The urban area spans 280 square kilometers with mountainous terrain in the north and west, creating a natural backdrop for the town center.
The city grew around a castle built in 1394, which became the administrative center for the Kitsuki Domain. Under the Matsudaira clan during the Edo period, it developed as an important regional hub.
Two elevated samurai quarters frame the central merchant district, each containing traditional houses that show how different social classes lived side by side. Walking through these areas today, you can see the physical separation that defined feudal society.
Visitors can purchase a combination ticket for around 1200 yen that grants access to multiple sites including samurai residences and the castle museum. The layout makes it easy to explore on foot, with different quarters stacked at various elevations.
The reconstructed castle is among Japan's smallest fortresses, standing on a coastal plateau with views of the Seto Inland Sea. This particular location makes it an observation point with an unusual perspective on Japanese castle architecture.
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