Konnichiwa Maciamo-san!

There was a lot of Castles in Japan in old times, but we can not get hold of the exactly numbers about old Castles. Because most of all them were lost and there is not a historical records about old Castles.
But don't imagine "Osaka castle" or "Nagoya castle" about old Castles. "Osaka castle" and "Nagoya castle" are the newest castle(it means a mode but not age) and are very big castle. In specialty discipline, "castle" means a building with defense function, and small fort is included in castle too. I have heard too that old castles were more than 40,000 in old days. Of course there were not 40,000 castles as "Osaka castle" or "Nagoya castle". This numbers include small forts and temples.

The Age of Civil Wars, a lot of people had castle, Daimyo(feudal lord), Bandit, Pirate, Buddhist priest, merchant, farmer and etc. But there is not a historical records about small(farmer's) castle now. And the end of Civil Wars, King Toyotomi and Tokugawa ordered destruction of castles, and a lot of castles were lost in this age.

I have heard that existing original big castle are 12(but sorry, I don't know this number is correct or not). The representative of existing original big castle is "Himeji castle". Himeji castle is the newest castle and is not involved in any war.

The representative of rebuilding castle is "Osaka castle". The first Osaka castle is "Ishiyama Honganji". "Ishiyama Honganji" is a Buddhist temple. But "Ishiyama Honganji" was lost by accidental fire. The second Osaka castle is Daimyo Toyotomi's castle. But this castle was destroyed by Daimyo Tokugawa. And the third Osaka castle is Tokugawa's castle, but this castle was destroyed in the Meiji Restoration. The present castle is the fourth, this castle's foundations are Tokugawa's foundations but castle tower was rebuilded from plan of Toyotomi's tower. And now, Osaka castle means Toyotomi's castle usually.

How many castle exist now? original or reconstructions? Ummm... sorry I don't know too.

NANGI