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14:03, 4 October 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Fukui Castle (It may also be that school buildings are easier to relocate than government administrative buildings, I suppose.)
18:38, 30 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle (Yes, Chris shared the pics of their expedition with us. Seems like there was a bear encounter. People going alone should take precautions.)
17:55, 30 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle (It looks like Eric is a trendsetter when it comes to Ichijodani. He added this detailed article about Ichijodani to JCastle a few weeks ago. It seems like others are already following in his footsteps. Just this week, a group from the Gifu Castle Research Society visited the Ichijodani Mountaintop Castle. Also, Nakai Hitoshi is going to give a talk about Ichijodani next Wednesday (4th October) at the Ichijodani Asakura Family Museum.)
17:48, 30 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Yodo Castle (I first visited this castle ruin in 2010. I revisited this castle ruin in February this year to mainly photograph some of the kokuins there. There are numerous kokuins at this castle, but some of them have become somewhat weathered and hard to spot while others are covered by weeds and not clearly visible. On the castle keep’s ishigaki, someone has used white chalk to make some of the kokuins more visible. As Suupaahiroo has commented below, there is a shachihoko from Yodo Castle on display...)
17:04, 29 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Takeda Yakata (Ibaraki) (Font? or all the 旧 ?)
08:49, 25 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Takeda Yakata (Ibaraki) (Image 18 with the kanji: can't decide if i love it or hate it)
21:53, 24 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Kanazawa Castle (I revisited Kanazawa Castle earlier this year with my wife. It was my fifth time to check out this splendid castle with a mixture of rebuilt and extant structures. Between 2008 and 2011, I visited Kanazawa Castle annually. This time round, I spent two whole days exploring Kanazawa Castle including some of its outer moats. It’s worth doing some “slow castling” as there is so much ishigaki (stone walls) to behold and photograph. In some ways, Kanazawa Castle’s stone walls can be quite impressi...)
09:06, 23 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (will share this in the group!)
08:26, 22 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (I'm aiming to go this Sunday. You guys gave me major FOMO.)
20:45, 19 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (Great! I'm glad you made it there. Those "little areas" would be the highlight at most castles. That whole karamete from behind the Oremawari down through the To-no-yon Gate is simply amazing. Not to mention the Harakirimaru and that area back around the tenshu that you can't get into anymore either. These are places most people don't even take notice of. I certainly hope they are made available more regularly. I don't know why these areas that used to be open are no longer. I've heard compe...)
12:53, 19 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (Well, I made it to Himeji yesterday and thoroughly enjoyed it, as usual. Going into the small keeps and attached buildings was a lot of fun: I love keep complexes with many passageways and stairs, and visiting the small keeps in addition to the main keep really gives you that kind of experience. It's the aspect of Matsuyama Castle that I love most, so it's nice to be able to get it at Himeji as well. And it also gives you a lot of great views of the Honmaru that you can't get from the mai...)
11:48, 19 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Okazaki Castle (nice change. I wonder why they did that.)
18:02, 18 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Kanazawa Castle (There are two sets of explanations at Kanazawa Castle about the relative size of the Tsurumaru Storehouse, which was built in 1848, when compared to others castle storehouses around Japan. The much shorter explanation in English is vaguer about comparative size of the storehouse merely stating that it is one of the largest storehouses in Japan, while the more detailed Japanese one states that it is the largest storehouse found on any castle grounds.)
17:51, 18 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Okazaki Castle (Eric is in his visit notes is absolutely right about how much ishigaki is at this castle. I went to Okazaki Castle twice, in 2008 and 2011. In the past, I have always visited Okazaki Castle in conjunction with at least one other castle on a trip to Aichi, so I hadn’t checked out this castle’s grounds comprehensively. However, for my recent visit, I decided to focus only on Okazaki Castle, spending over 4 hours walking around the whole castle site. In my past visits, I had completely underapp...)
07:15, 18 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Kaminogou Castle (Mikawa) (There's a fantastic model of this castle held at the local public meeting hall. I'll share some pictures to the gallery at some point.)
12:27, 17 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (Thanks for the advice. I appreciate it!)
22:03, 15 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (It's thanks to your deep delving into Ichijodani that all of us expat castle fans have such a detailed article all in just one place and without the need to plough through some Japanese castle books.)
22:00, 15 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (You’ll have to go through the Main Keep before you get to the part of the castle where you pay in cash for the 500yen ticket to get into the special opening section starting near the East Small Keep. You might be able to get into the Main Keep and then find a section where the in-going route and out-going route nearly cross each other and take a short cut, but there is no way to just visit the two small keeps and Ro no Watari Yagura without going through the Main Keep. The Bizen Gate and Orem...)
21:54, 15 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (Thanks for the info about the boat ride. It sounds like the boat ride takes people around most of the inner moat. I’ve only ever taken photos of the ishigaki of the bailey which is now a zoo from a distance near the Sakuramonbashi. I guess one of these days, I should pay to get into the zoo, so I can take those ishigaki photos close up or take that boat ride as an alternative.)
15:15, 15 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (I'm hoping to go there on Monday to see these buildings. I won't even try to go to the main keep (which I've been inside of 7-8 times anyway), but seems that I've never been in the other buildings besides the long Nishinomaru Yagura, which I think is always open.)
15:12, 15 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (I can't remember exactly, but seemed like it took maybe 40 minutes? It went all around the moats, and they even took us to the old zoo/amusement park complex and explained that as well.)
23:41, 14 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (Thanks! I really appreciate it and glad you got something out of it. It did get a little long. I keep asking myself how I fall down these rabbit holes but then I can't stop until I'm satisfied and that turns into a longish article like this (or the whole website for that matter). A book someday would be awesome.)
23:04, 14 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (BTW - the same could be said for the boat tour at Osaka Castle which is exactly why I wanted to do it at Himeji too.)
23:03, 14 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (Nice! I've wanted to do this for a long time, but they only do it for limited times each year and never when I'm there!)
22:56, 14 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (I went back to Himeji Castle for a third time this year in August to visit the parts of castles which have specially been opened to visitors to commemorate the 30th anniversary since Himeji Castle was added to the World Heritage List. Unlike my previous two previous visits in February this year, the place is now chock full of both international and local tourists again after Japan reopened its borders after the Covid-19 pandemic. The special opening of the East Small Keep and the Northwest (I...)
22:47, 14 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (How long did the boat tour take? I saw that boat in the moat when I visited Himeji Castle last month, but I opted not to do the boat ride as it was a blazing hot day when I visited.)
22:43, 14 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Amagasaki Castle (Matthew, thanks for sharing your impression of the rebuilt Amagasaki Castle based on your recent visit. From your comment, it looks like it has decent museum. I visited a decade ago when there was no rebuilt castle keep and very little to see at this castle site. Amagasaki Castle is low on my list of castles to revisit, but I should go and check out the reconstructed castle keep / museum.)
22:39, 14 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (Eric, this is a superb and certainly the most informative article in English about Ichijodani castle town’s ruins and its surrounding fortifications. It’s obvious the result of a labour of love based on having read a number of books and printed materials in Japanese combined with visiting this expansive site over two days. I have two of the books you have listed, including one that is by Saeki Tetsuya. It certainly takes time to read through them, particularly for foreigners like us with Japa...)
13:00, 14 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Himeji Castle (I've been to Himeji Castle a number of times--maybe 8? Probably more than any castle except for Osaka. Anyway, it's always a great visit, and is almost certainly the best castle in Japan, but I wanted to mention something different: the last time I went there, they had boat tours around the moats, and there was a lot of explanation about the ishigaki--different styles, different periods, and how you can tell when and how they were made. It's all in Japanese of course, and gave my Japanese...)
07:50, 14 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Edo Castle Stone Quarries (Great! I'm glad it was useful. There is not much info out there on this topic.)
23:37, 11 September 2023 RohanInTokyo talk contribs posted a new comment on Edo Castle Stone Quarries (An amazing. It's good to read this type of material to round out my knowledge of Japanese. There is so much here I didn't know. Actually ... most of it I didn't know!)
15:32, 11 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Fukuoka Castle (I did some reading about the Kinen Turret and its whereabouts. Looks like it was dismantled in 2019 for ishigaki repairs and its parts were put in storage. It was supposed to have been restored in 2022, but there has been no recent news that I can find about it being restored, so presumably it's still in storage. I suppose it has been delayed for some reason. Hopefully they will get around to putting it back together soon.)
11:32, 11 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Kanazawa Castle (By the way, according to the Japanese-language Wiki page for this castle, the Tsurumaru Storehouse is the largest surviving Edo-period castle storehouse in Japan.)
08:50, 10 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (Yessir!)
08:48, 10 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (Let's say it's on a similar scale to the Machu Pichu of Japan! So does the answer to what is Ichijodani-jo satisfy you?)
08:48, 10 September 2023 Eric talk contribs deleted comment #2638 on Ichijodani Castle Town
08:48, 10 September 2023 Eric talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (not unlike the Machu Pichu of Japan! ;) So does the answer to what is Ichijodani-jo satisfy you?)
20:32, 9 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Sasao Castle (My impressions, having been able to enter into the integral baileys: Sasao-toride is an earthworks fortification ruin in Kobuchizawa Township, Hokuto Municipality. The locality is called Shimosasō. This is a yamajiro (mountaintop castle) site, but is easy to get to as it sits on a ridge extending from a plateau with vehicle access. The fort consisted of baileys surrounded by dorui (earthen ramparts) and separated by horikiri (trenches). The mountainsides were further fortified with tatebori...)
20:28, 9 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Sasao Castle (I've added some pictures of the (interiors of) the first and second bailey, as well as their ramparts and the dividing horikiri. Also added co-ordinates for new pictures. Begging pardon of the webmaster, but i also swapped out the highlight image, swapping the picture of the parking area, for an updated picture showing the main bailey.)
19:53, 9 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (There's lots of ruins at 'at the back' that people miss, so check them out the next time you go.)
17:10, 9 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Fukuchiyama Castle (I have been to this castle twice, both times because my son (very interested in Japanese history) requested to visit it. We watched 'Kirin ga Kuru' extensively during the pandemic, so he was on an Akechi Mitsuhide kick. Anyway, as said above and below, it's a nice little castle. The main keep and attached turret are some of the better concrete reconstructions I've been to, with more atmosphere than most (due to a lot of wood trimming and a decent museum). One interesting detail about it...)
16:54, 9 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Bitchu Matsuyama Castle (I really need to visit this one again. I went there about 15 years ago, I think (maybe even longer ago), and what I remember most is that by the time I got to the mountaintop, I was absolutely drenched in sweat. It's a stiff and hot walk in the summer! As for the castle, I remember it being quite nice and authentic, but slightly underwhelming due to its small size. The ishigaki were probably the best part. But now, with my ability to appreciate Japanese castles having been enhanced a g...)
16:44, 9 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle (I'll give this a 5. Not necessarily a 5 as a castle per se, but as a historical site, it's totally unique and beautifully restored. Really, there is nothing else quite like it in Japan.)
12:13, 9 September 2023 Matthew Ward talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (Fantastic article!)
11:58, 9 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle (This is now one of the top profiles on the site. Great work! Guess I'm going back here.)
10:38, 9 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Ichijodani Castle Town (Probably needs a volcano to be compared to Pompeii, but it's a powerful sentiment.)
15:19, 6 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Nishio Castle (The new yagura seems to have been done a bit on the cheap. The black paint (used in place of lacquer?) is already fading to brown. Combined with the concrete in the “restored” stone platform of the tower, and the (for legal reasons) still uncompleted final floor which means that tower can’t be entered, a second viewing proved a little disappointing.)
15:18, 6 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Nishiohhira Jin'ya (Nishiôhara-jin’ya is a partially reconstructed jin’ya site with a gate and walls. The inside of the compound is now a park and a small shrine to Inari.)
15:17, 6 September 2023 ART talk contribs posted a new comment on Oka Castle (Mikawa) (The ruins of Okajō in the Oka Township of Okazaki Municipality feature dorui (earthen ramparts) and karabori (dry moats), but the remains of the structure are only partial, and the layout and orientation of this square-shaped fort is mostly deduced from a prominent corner segment of its walls which still remain. The moat segment continues on but much shallower a little way into the bamboo grove. It is thought that the northern perimeter of the castle was protected by the river terrace. The fo...)
23:00, 4 September 2023 RaymondW talk contribs posted a new comment on Awaya Yakata (@ART. I’m glad you have enjoyed the gusuku profiles that I have added to JCastle. When I have some free time, I’ll add a few more gusuku profiles. There are still gusukus that I have visited not yet up on JCastle.)

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