Fukuyama Castle

Fukuyama castle, also known as Hisamatsu Castle or Iyo castle is a large castle complex located directly opposite Fukuyama station in Fukuyama city, Hiroshima prefecture.

Fukuyama castle was built in 1622 by the Mizuno clan on the orders of the Tokogawa Shogun. It stands 7-stories high and was originally surrounded by two moats, neither of which exist today. It was one of Japans original castles, the Tenshu (keep) having survived the Meiji restoration when many of Japans castles were demolished.

However, it was heavily damaged during WWII and had to be rebuilt in 1966 out of concrete. It is still a reasonably impressive one and really brightens up the view from Fukuyama station. The castle grounds are expansive and free to enter. They include several other buildings and a castle museum as well as several shrines, a tea garden and the Fukuyama Budokan (martial arts hall) Just outside the castle is the Fukuyama Art Museum, which is surrounded by park lands and shrine complexes.

The Fukuyama Art Museum is cheap at only 290 yen, however there is only minimal English so it’s better appreciated if you have a good grasp of Japanese. The art museum is open from 9.30am until 5.00pm every day except Monday. It has a 300 yen fee for the permanent exhibit with additional fees for temporary exhibits. There are occasionally famous painters on exhibition at the museum so it is worth a look at.