Kitsuki Castle

History

The castle was founded in 1393 by Kitsuki Yorinao. In 1599, the castle came under the control of Hosokawa Tadaoki. The main keep burned down after a lightning strike in 1608 and was never rebuilt. The Hosokawa were transferred to Kumamoto in 1632 and the Ogasawara Tadatomo became the new castle lord. Matsudaira Hidechika became lord of the castle in 1645 and the Matsudaira family continued to rule until the Meiji Restoration.

Visit Notes

Nice view of the surrounding area.

Profile and photos contributed by Frank T.

Gallery

Castle Profile
English Name	Kitsuki Castle
Japanese Name	杵築城
Alternate Names	Katsuyama-jo, Gagyu-jo
Founder	Kitsuki Yorinao
Year Founded	1393
Castle Type	Hilltop
Castle Condition	Reconstructed main keep
Historical Period	Edo Period
Main Keep Structure	3 levels, 3 storeys
Year Reconstructed	1970 (concrete)
Features	main keep, stone walls
Visitor Information
Access	Kitsuki Sta. (JR Nippo line), bus
Visitor Information
Time Required
Website	http://www.city.kitsuki.lg.jp/modules/itemmanager/index.php?like=0&level=4&genreid=8&itemid=118&storyid=149
Location	Kitsuki, Oita Prefecture
Coordinates	33° 24' 53.10" N, 131° 37' 39.61" E
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Admin
Added to Jcastle	2011
Admin Year Visited	Viewer Contributed
Admin Visits	Viewer Donated

2.75

(4 votes)

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Kiddus i2003Gunshi

113 months ago

Score 0

Small but in a great location , a bonus is the Buke Yashiki area nearby.

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FurinkazanDaimyo

139 months ago

Score 0

The building is a simple concrete museum, but what did my day is that you are allowed to take pictures of everything inside, and there are some very interesting artifacts. The view from the tower is marvelous. When i arrived at the station i was lucky to encounter an old japanese tourist who was looking to get to the castle. When he saw he had to wait for a bus he adressed a taxi. He heard that i was looking to go to the castle and asked me to go with him. I agreed and he insisted to pay the full fee of the taxi. He spoke english and he was a great token in the castle and after that we went to the samurai residences in the vicinity. Kitsuki is known to have alot of bukeyashiki(=samurai-residences) and i confirm that the streets are interesting to visit.

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