Top 20 Castles in Japan

Imperial Palace Tokyo 皇居 The Imperial Palace Tokyo 皇居, Kōkyo, "Imperial Residence" is the residence of the Tennō, the Japanese Emperor. The imperial residence is located on the former grounds of Edo Castle in the present-day Chiyoda district of the district of the same name in the center of Tokyo. After the Meiji Restoration and the overthrow of the shogun, the imperial court was moved from Kyoto to Edo, which was renamed Tōkyō, and at that time also Tōkei ("eastern capital"). The city's castle, until then the seat of the Tokugawa shoguns, was visited by the emperor on November 26, 1868, and renamed Tōkei-jō (東京城, Ger. "Castle of the Eastern Capital"). On May 9, 1869, he made the residence used by the last shogun in the western district (Nishi-no-maru) his permanent seat and renamed it Kōjō (皇城, Ger. "Imperial Castle").[1] On May 5, 1873, this residence burned down. Until the completion of the new residence in the same location in a Japanese-Western mixed style in 1888, called Kyūjō (宮城, Ger. "Palace Castle"), the imperial family used the Akasaka Imperial Residence for 15 years. In World War II, the buildings were destroyed by bombs. The palace got its current name in 1948. Until 1968, the complex was rebuilt in a modern style. The architect was Yoshimura Junzō. Text / Source : wikipedia.org https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaiserpalast_Tokio

Imperial Palace 皇居エリア Garden strolls, art treasures, and grounds tours of an imperial castle The Imperial Palace is the home of the Emperor of Japan, built on the former site of Edo Castle, where the shogun lived before 1868. Protected by wide moats and thick walls, and surrounded by carefully tended gardens, the grounds offer a peaceful, green contrast to the steel and glass of Tokyo's modern downtown office buildings. Runners, cyclists, and strollers, couples, and families visit the outer palace grounds. There are also guided tours of the grounds, and you can view the Imperial Collection of Art for free. Text / Source: Japan.travel/en https://www.japan.travel/en/spot/2121/

Himeji Castle 姫路城 Himeji-jō Himeji Castle (Japanese: 姫路城, Himeji-jō) is located in the city of Himeji in the Japanese prefecture of Hyōgo. It is one of the oldest surviving structures from 17th-century Japan. The castle complex, consisting of 83 individual buildings, is considered the most beautiful example of Japanese castle architecture and has the nickname Shirasagijō (白鷺城, lit. "White Heron Castle"), an allusion to its white exterior walls and roofs. Despite its architectural beauty, such as its spiral floor plan, its defensive structures (nawabari) are highly developed, so the castle was considered practically impregnable. Himeji Castle is one of Japan's national cultural treasures, was declared a Special Historic Site (tokubetsu shiseki) in 1956, and was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993. The first buildings of the castle were constructed at the beginning of the Muromachi period in 1346. The architect is considered to be Akamatsu Sadanori, who had previously built the Shomyoji Temple at the foot of Mount Himeji, on whose site the castle complex now stands. Text / Source: wikipedia.org https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_Himeji

Burg Ōsaka Osaka Castle, Osaka City Ōsaka Castle (Japanese: 大阪城, Ōsaka-jō) is located in the city of Osaka in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's most famous castles and played an important role in the unification of Japan in the 16th century. Tenshu (Main Tower) The reconstruction by the Tokugawa began in 1620 and took 10 years. After a lightning strike, the main tower burned down completely in 1665, yet the castle continued to play an important role in the control of western Japan by the Tokugawa shoguns. It was not until 1843, almost 200 years later, that the castle was partially rebuilt with donations. But already in 1868, the castle was destroyed again during the wars of the Meiji Restoration. The remains of the castle were converted into barracks by the Meiji government in the following years. In 1928, the castle's main tower was rebuilt again after a very successful fundraising campaign by the mayor. After the main tower had been heavily damaged by bombing raids in World War II in 1945, it took several decades again until the castle was rebuilt in 1997 after three years of construction work. In 1953, the original castle complex was declared a Special Historic Site (tokubetsu shiseki). Text / Source: wikipedia.org https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_%C5%8Csaka

Burg Ōsaka 大阪城, Osaka 大阪市 Ōsaka Castle (Japanese: 大阪城, Ōsaka-jō) is located in the city of Osaka in Osaka Prefecture, Japan. It is one of Japan's most famous castles and played an important role in the unification of Japan in the 16th century. Tenshu (Main Tower) The reconstruction by the Tokugawa began in 1620 and lasted for 10 years. After being struck by lightning, the main tower burned down completely in 1665, yet the castle continued to play an important role in the Tokugawa shoguns' control of western Japan. It wasn't until 1843, almost 200 years later, that the castle was partially rebuilt with donations. But already in 1868, the castle was destroyed again during the wars of the Meiji Restoration. The remains of the castle were converted into a barracks by the Meiji government in the following years. In 1928, the castle's main tower was rebuilt again after a very successful fundraising campaign by the mayor. After the main tower was heavily damaged by bombing raids in World War II in 1945, it took several decades again until the castle was rebuilt in 1997 after three years of construction work. In 1953, the original castle complex was declared a Special Historic Site (tokubetsu shiseki). Text / Source: wikipedia.org https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burg_%C5%8Csaka

Be careful because it's very crowded, so you have to factor in huge queues.

A truly remarkable castle, and one of Japan's most famous. It's built on two elevated platforms, surrounded by a large moat. The central building has five visible floors and three hidden, windowless ones. It stands on a high stone base and, as was common with Japanese buildings in the past, was originally constructed almost entirely of wood. However, during its restoration in the early 20th century, the ruined castle was rebuilt almost entirely in concrete. During my visit (February 2026), it wasn't necessary to remove your shoes to enter.

The castle, which was rebuilt and then destroyed several times, was last reconstructed in 1997. In 1953, the castle complex was declared a special historical site. Today, it houses a museum. Visitors must remove their shoes at the entrance before climbing the eight floors.