Hirosaki Castle is a hirayama-style Japanese castle constructed in 1611. It was the seat of the Tsugaru clan, a 47,000 koku tozama daimyō clan who ruled over Hirosaki Domain, Mutsu Province, in what is now central Hirosaki, Aomori Prefecture, Japan. It was also referred to as Takaoka Castle .
Hirosaki Castle
Aerial photograph
Hirosaki Castle as featured on a 1930s travel poster
Hirosaki Castle Keep Tower
Japanese castles are fortresses constructed primarily of wood and stone. They evolved from the wooden stockades of earlier centuries and came into their best-known form in the 16th century. Castles in Japan were built to guard important or strategic sites, such as ports, river crossings, or crossroads, and almost always incorporated the landscape into their defenses.
Himeji Castle, a World Heritage Site in Hyōgo Prefecture, is the most visited castle in Japan.
Tsuyama Castle was a typical hilltop castle.
The reconstructed western gate of Ki castle
A image of the Katsurayama Castle, destroyed during the Siege of Katsurayama in March 1557