Kokura Castle — Attraction in Kitakyushu

Kokura, facing the Kanmon Straits, was a key location for land and sea transportation and was the site of forts and castles since ancient times. There is also a history of the battles fought by many powerful clans to control this area. The history of Kokura Castle began at the end of the Sengoku period (1569), when the Mori clan of the Chugoku region built a castle on its current site. After that, Takahashi Akitane and Mori Katsunobu lived in the castle, and in 1602, Hosokawa Tadaoki, who entered the country after his contributions in the Battle of Sekigahara, began full-scale construction, which took about seven years. As a measure to prosper the castle town, Tadaoki gathered merchants and craftsmen from all over the country and implemented a policy to protect commerce and industry. Foreign trade also flourished, and the Gion Festival was born at the same time.

After the Hosokawa clan was transferred to Kumamoto, Ogasawara Tadazane, a fudai daimyo related by marriage to the Hosokawa clan, entered the country from Akashi in Harima Province in 1632. Kokura and the Ogasawara Domain received special orders from the shogun Tokugawa Iemitsu to monitor the Kyushu feudal lords. During this period, Kokura established its important position as the starting point of the highways leading to various parts of Kyushu, and at the same time, Kokura Castle became even more well-developed and the castle town flourished. During the time of Ogasawara Tadamitsu, a stroll-style garden with a spring was also built in the castle's lower residence. However, in 1837, it was completely destroyed by a fire that started inside the castle. It was rebuilt two years later, but the castle tower was not rebuilt.

At the end of the Edo period, Kokura became the first base for attacking the Choshu clan. The Kokura and Kumamoto clans fought bravely, but the soldiers of the other Kyushu clans had no will to fight, and in 1866 they were forced to set fire to Kokura Castle and retreat from the front line. During the Seinan War in 1877, the 14th Infantry Regiment stationed in Kokura Castle was led by General Nogi and marched to the front. After that, the headquarters of the 12th Infantry Brigade and the 12th Infantry Division were placed in the castle. After the Pacific War, the castle was taken over by the United States, but was released in 1957, and the castle tower was rebuilt in 1959 due to the strong desire of the citizens.

This castle tower is called the "Kara-zukuri karazukuri castle tower" and is characterized by the absence of a roof eaves between the fourth and fifth floors, and the fifth floor being larger than the fourth floor. In addition, the castle's stone walls are made without using cut stone and are constructed using rough stone, giving them a simple yet grand atmosphere.

2023/10/06 小倉城クリテリウム Kokura...

I recently visited Kokura Castle and it is the most interesting Japanese Castle I have visited so far. The entrance is decorated with furin which creates a very nice sound when the wind blows through. Right inside the castle, you will see a long corridor displayed with a series of miniature models showing the history of Kokura. Opposite to the model, there is a movie room that plays a mini-movie talking about why this castle was built and what the area has experienced until modern days. This movie is made in very good quality and I do recommend visitors to watch it.

Then you will reach an area designed with a lot of interactive displays which are fun and educational. You can experience shooting arrows when riding horses, doing quizzes that are relevant to the castle, trying to be a laborer to hold a heavy rock, etc.

On upper floors, there is more information on Kokura’s history and artifacts. There is also an observation deck on the top floor which you will be able to see the nice view around the castle area. The view is great during sunset.

Another good thing about the castle is that they open longer than normal tourist attractions until 8 pm during summer which means you can take your time to...

We visited kokura castle. It was the end of golden week and less crowds.

You are encouraged to purchase tickets online. There are tickets for castle only, castle+garden, castle+garden+museum package. We bought castle + garden for JPY 560 per pax at the counter. Payment by credit card is accepted.

Restrooms are available at level 1 only.

There are many interactive activities on the first floor of the castle. Visitors can enjoy playing quiz, take photos in traditional wear, photo booths, shooting games and many more.

We were attracted to the movie theatre and learnt about the history of kokura castle. The movie has subtitles in various languages. Very considerate.

The castle is 5-storey height and it has a lift for visitors with wheelchairs, baby carriages, or simply too tired to walk on stairs.

The top floor is a cafe, and we ordered a small cup of premium coffee at JPY 1000. Take some time to appreciate the view near castle from different window panels.

There are also some pop up booths outside the castle. Staff wearing samurai and Japanese costumes are everywhere to greet you and provide support if needed. A real...