Kitsuki Castle — Attraction in Kitsuki

Kitsuki Castle in Oita, Japan is a historical landmark that is famous for its unique and well-preserved architecture. The castle is known for being one of the smallest castles in Japan, but what it lacks in size it makes up for in beauty and charm.Kitsuki Castle was originally constructed in 1394 on a hill overlooking the city, as a fortress to defend local clans. It is said that the castle was built in such a way that it was almost impossible to conquer, with multiple layers of defense that made it a formidable obstacle.

The castle is shaped like an octagon and has two layers of walls. The outer wall has 12 watchtowers and the inner wall, which encircles the castle keep, has eight watchtowers. This design provided a great view of the surrounding landscape, allowing those inside the castle to predict enemy movements and prepare for defense, as well as catch any intruders trying to get close.

Inside, the castle features traditional Japanese architecture that is both functional and aesthetic. The castle was designed to allow easy access for visitors and provided space to host meetings and other events. The interior is also beautifully decorated with paintings and calligraphy.

One unique feature of this castle is its preserved samurai residences located outside the castle walls. These were the homes of samurai warriors who served the lords of the castle and are now a designated National Cultural Asset.

Today, Kitsuki Castle is open to the public as a museum where visitors can experience the atmosphere of a historical castle while enjoying stunning views of the city and sea. It is a great place to visit for anyone interested in the rich history and...

My husband is an avid bird watcher and had pinned an area nearby as a bird hotspot, so I searched for things to do nearby and I’m glad we found the castle. The area around it looks like it’s full of beautiful flowers Ilan day cherry blossoms in the spring, but we visited on a dreary, rainy winter day.

The exhibit inside was interesting to see with several samurai suits and some swords as well. The second floor had uniforms from more recent (20th century) wars. None of the exhibits had signs in English, but they handed us a brochure when we entered that gave an overview and some information. Overall, we enjoyed ourselves. We did not buy the combo ticket as we didn’t anticipate that we’d see all the samurai residences today as neither of us felt like taking long walks...

It is a small castle that look very similar to the Osaka Castle. There is steep slope with about 150 steps of stairs to climb before reaching the peak to the castle. There is a famous restaurant known as Wakaeya near to the castle. Highly recommended to visit Wakaeya which is 320 years old and the owner is currently the 16th generation owner of the shop. The fish is special...