Kochi Castle

Kochi Castle (Also known as Kochijo), in the city of Kochi – Kochi Prefecture -, is one of the twelve original castles that still remain from Japan’s feudal era. The original castle was constructed between 1601 and 1611, but had large portions of the castle rebuilt in the mid 1700s after a fire ravaged through the original castle grounds. Despite the fire what destroyed the majority of the original 17th century castle, Kochi Castle is still classified as an original feudal castle as the reconstruction was built in the feudal era.

Additionally, the castle remained intact and was left alone during the Meiji restoration, which is a remarkable feat for Japanese castles, as many were seized by the government and ordered to be demolished. Before Kochi Castle was established, 2 other attempts were made to establish castles in the city of Kochi,  but both attempts failed horribly due to various reasons. 

In total, there are 15 buildings around the Kochi Castle grounds which have been designated as Important National Cultural Properties. One quite unique feature of the Kochi Castle is that the castle lord actually lived inside the main tower, as opposed to other castles where the the lord would sleep nearby. Due to the age of the castle and cultural importance of many rooms inside, the interior of the castle is mostly empty, but you can still see some of the historic rooms and features of the castle. You can climb to the top floor of the castle and gain an advantageous view of the city of Kochi.

Kochi Castle is visible in the background of the 1993 Studio Ghibli film “Ocean Waves.