Shimabara Castle

Shimabara Castle, located in the center of Shimabara City, Nagasaki Prefecture, faces the Ariake Sea with Mount Unzen rising behind it. It is a flatland castle that reflects the typical style of the Edo period. Also known as Moritake Castle or Takaku Castle, it has been designated a National Historic Site. The castle layout follows a rectangular renkaku (linked baileys) structure and is famous for its tall, massive stone walls. The honmaru (main bailey) is surrounded by a water moat and connected to the ninomaru (second bailey) by only one “Corridor Bridge.” Although this design had defensive weaknesses, it gave Shimabara Castle a distinctive architectural character.

During the Edo period, Shimabara Castle served as the political and military center of the Shimabara Domain, governed by the Matsukura clan with a stipend of 40,000 koku. A grand scale construction included the tenshu (main keep) and forty-nine turrets built entirely with stone walls. However, the excessive mobilization of labor and resources for the castle’s construction became one of the causes of the peasants’ uprising. The castle’s tenshu was a five-story, five-tiered independent sotōgata (tower style) structure, plain in appearance without elaborate karahafu gables. Its top floor was originally surrounded by open railings, later enclosed with wooden boards, resulting in a style resembling the “Tang construction” (karazukuri).

After the Meiji Restoration, Shimabara Castle was decommissioned, and most of its original buildings were dismantled. Today, the tenshu, turrets, and long walls have been reconstructed in the honmaru, with the tenshu now serving as a museum. Visitors can explore exhibitions such as the Kirishitan Museum (Christian History Hall), the Local History Museum, and the Folk Museum, which showcase the diverse history and culture of the Shimabara region.

The preserved stone walls and moats still exude a historical atmosphere. In the past, lotus roots were cultivated in the castle moats, and a “Lotus Root Harvesting Festival” was even held, creating a unique local tradition.

According to legend, the Matsukura clan originally planned to build the castle in Imamura, but a divine dream advised: “To the north lies a hill called Morio. Compared to Imamura, that place will prosper as the true site for castle building.” Thus, the castle was built on Morio Hill. Remarkably, during the great Shimabara Disaster of 1792 (a massive eruption of Mount Unzen), the castle suffered minimal damage, earning high praise in the Shimabara Disaster Records.