Castle town

Castle Town / 城下町

This is a subtype of Features

During the Sengoku Period the importance of castles grew as military and government functions became centralized around them. The castle town was viewed as an extension of the castle's defenses. The roads surrounding it are a maze of dead ends, T-junctions, and narrow winding streets. With the increasing administrative role of castles they also became the economic center of the domain. Vassals moved their personal quarters near the castles, peasants, artisans and businessmen soon followed and the successive expansion of these castle towns led to what are some of the largest cities in Japan today. Much of the layout and planning of Tokyo was designed by the Tokugawa to be built around the castle.

The classification of "castle town" is subjective. Many more castles had castle towns than what have been tagged here. I only tagged castles where there are sufficient remnants to give you some atmosphere of a castle town. If you think others should be tagged likewise, please let me know.

Castles with Castle Town

1. Aki Castle
2. Annaka Castle
3. Arikoyama Castle
4. Bitchu Matsuyama Castle
5. Echizen Ohno Castle
6. Hagi Castle
7. Hikone Castle
8. Hirosaki Castle
9. Hizen Kashima Castle
10. Ichijodani Castle
11. Iwakuni Castle
12. Iwamura Castle
13. Izushi Castle
14. Kaibara Jinya
15. Kakunodate Castle
16. Kanazawa Castle
17. Kanegasaki Castle (Iwate)
18. Kawagoe Castle
19. Matsue Castle
20. Matsushiro Castle
21. Miki Castle
22. Obata Jin'ya
23. Obi Castle
24. Ogurayama Castle
25. Ohmori Daikansho
26. Omi Hachiman Castle
27. Takatori Castle
28. Takayama Jin'ya
29. Tsuwano Castle

Loading map...

{"format":"googlemaps3","type":"TERRAIN","minzoom":false,"maxzoom":false,"types":["ROADMAP","SATELLITE","HYBRID","TERRAIN"],"limit":500,"offset":0,"link":"all","sort":[""],"order":[],"headers":"show","mainlabel":"","intro":"","outro":"","searchlabel":"... further results","default":"","import-annotation":false,"width":"auto","height":"600px","centre":false,"title":"","label":"","icon":"Darkgreen18.png","lines":[],"polygons":[],"circles":[],"rectangles":[],"copycoords":false,"static":false,"visitedicon":"","wmsoverlay":false,"zoom":false,"layers":[],"controls":["pan","zoom","type","scale","streetview","rotate"],"zoomstyle":"DEFAULT","typestyle":"DEFAULT","autoinfowindows":false,"resizable":false,"kmlrezoom":false,"poi":true,"cluster":false,"clustergridsize":60,"clustermaxzoom":20,"clusterzoomonclick":true,"clusteraveragecenter":true,"clusterminsize":2,"imageoverlays":[],"kml":[],"gkml":[],"searchmarkers":"","fullscreen":false,"scrollwheelzoom":false,"showtitle":true,"hidenamespace":false,"template":"","userparam":"","activeicon":"","pagelabel":false,"ajaxcoordproperty":"","ajaxquery":"","locations":[{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Aki_Castle\" title=\"Aki Castle\"\u003EAki Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Aki Castle","link":"","lat":33.51947,"lon":133.9125,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Annaka_Castle\" title=\"Annaka Castle\"\u003EAnnaka Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Annaka Castle","link":"","lat":36.32939,"lon":138.89655,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Arikoyama_Castle\" title=\"Arikoyama Castle\"\u003EArikoyama Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Arikoyama Castle","link":"","lat":35.45545,"lon":134.87812,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Bitchu_Matsuyama_Castle\" title=\"Bitchu Matsuyama Castle\"\u003EBitchu Matsuyama Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Bitchu Matsuyama Castle","link":"","lat":34.80891,"lon":133.62219,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Echizen_Ohno_Castle\" title=\"Echizen Ohno Castle\"\u003EEchizen Ohno Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Echizen Ohno Castle","link":"","lat":35.98661,"lon":136.4831,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Hagi_Castle\" title=\"Hagi Castle\"\u003EHagi Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Hagi Castle","link":"","lat":34.41767,"lon":131.38344,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Hikone_Castle\" title=\"Hikone Castle\"\u003EHikone Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Hikone Castle","link":"","lat":35.27649,"lon":136.25174,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Hirosaki_Castle\" title=\"Hirosaki Castle\"\u003EHirosaki Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Hirosaki Castle","link":"","lat":40.60783,"lon":140.46533,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Hizen_Kashima_Castle\" title=\"Hizen Kashima Castle\"\u003EHizen Kashima Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Hizen Kashima Castle","link":"","lat":33.10399,"lon":130.09348,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Ichijodani_Castle\" title=\"Ichijodani Castle\"\u003EIchijodani Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Ichijodani Castle","link":"","lat":35.99949,"lon":136.29556,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Iwakuni_Castle\" title=\"Iwakuni Castle\"\u003EIwakuni Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Iwakuni Castle","link":"","lat":34.1752,"lon":132.17422,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Iwamura_Castle\" title=\"Iwamura Castle\"\u003EIwamura Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Iwamura Castle","link":"","lat":35.35993,"lon":137.45102,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Izushi_Castle\" title=\"Izushi Castle\"\u003EIzushi Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Izushi Castle","link":"","lat":35.46025,"lon":134.87445,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Kaibara_Jinya\" title=\"Kaibara Jinya\"\u003EKaibara Jinya\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Kaibara Jinya","link":"","lat":35.12886,"lon":135.08218,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Kakunodate_Castle\" title=\"Kakunodate Castle\"\u003EKakunodate Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Kakunodate Castle","link":"","lat":39.60653,"lon":140.56273,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Kanazawa_Castle\" title=\"Kanazawa Castle\"\u003EKanazawa Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Kanazawa Castle","link":"","lat":36.56549,"lon":136.65928,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Kanegasaki_Castle_(Iwate)\" title=\"Kanegasaki Castle (Iwate)\"\u003EKanegasaki Castle (Iwate)\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Kanegasaki Castle (Iwate)","link":"","lat":39.19756,"lon":141.12266,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Kawagoe_Castle\" title=\"Kawagoe Castle\"\u003EKawagoe Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Kawagoe Castle","link":"","lat":35.92451,"lon":139.49143,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Matsue_Castle\" title=\"Matsue Castle\"\u003EMatsue Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Matsue Castle","link":"","lat":35.47522,"lon":133.04985,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Matsushiro_Castle\" title=\"Matsushiro Castle\"\u003EMatsushiro Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Matsushiro Castle","link":"","lat":36.56596,"lon":138.19598,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Miki_Castle\" title=\"Miki Castle\"\u003EMiki Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Miki Castle","link":"","lat":34.79988,"lon":134.98786,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Obata_Jin%27ya\" title=\"Obata Jin\u0026#039;ya\"\u003EObata Jin'ya\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Obata Jin'ya","link":"","lat":36.22835,"lon":138.91468,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Obi_Castle\" title=\"Obi Castle\"\u003EObi Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Obi Castle","link":"","lat":31.62911,"lon":131.3503,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Ogurayama_Castle\" title=\"Ogurayama Castle\"\u003EOgurayama Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Ogurayama Castle","link":"","lat":35.55059,"lon":136.9109,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Ohmori_Daikansho\" title=\"Ohmori Daikansho\"\u003EOhmori Daikansho\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Ohmori Daikansho","link":"","lat":35.12194,"lon":132.44803,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Omi_Hachiman_Castle\" title=\"Omi Hachiman Castle\"\u003EOmi Hachiman Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Omi Hachiman Castle","link":"","lat":35.14451,"lon":136.08215,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Takatori_Castle\" title=\"Takatori Castle\"\u003ETakatori Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Takatori Castle","link":"","lat":34.4294,"lon":135.82685,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Takayama_Jin%27ya\" title=\"Takayama Jin\u0026#039;ya\"\u003ETakayama Jin'ya\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Takayama Jin'ya","link":"","lat":36.13937,"lon":137.25779,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"},{"text":"\u003Cb\u003E\u003Ca href=\"/view/Tsuwano_Castle\" title=\"Tsuwano Castle\"\u003ETsuwano Castle\u003C/a\u003E\u003C/b\u003E","title":"Tsuwano Castle","link":"","lat":34.4611,"lon":131.76382,"icon":"/smw2019/images/d/db/Darkgreen18.png"}]}