Wakayama Castle

Wakayama Castle
和歌山城
Wakayama, Wakayama-ken, Japan
The reconstructed concrete tenshu (keep) of Wakayama Castle MapMap around Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle is located in Wakayama Prefecture
Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle is located in Japan
Wakayama Castle
Wakayama Castle
Coordinates34°13′39.46″N 135°10′17.84″E / 34.2276278°N 135.1716222°E / 34.2276278; 135.1716222
TypeHirayamashiro (hilltop castle)
HeightThree stories
Site information
ConditionThe tenshu and some connected buildings were reconstructed using concrete in 1958.
Site history
Built1585-1586
Built byToyotomi Hidenaga
In use1586 to 1945
MaterialsEarth, stone, and wood
DemolishedMost of the castle during the Meiji Restoration, though the tenshu survived until its destruction from firebombing in 1945.
Layout of the tenshu

Wakayama Castle (和歌山城, Wakayama-jō) is a Japanese castle located in the city Wakayama, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan. For most of the Edo Period, it was the administrative center of Kishū Domain, which was controlled by a cadet branch of the Tokugawa clan. Due to its size and status, Wakayama Castle was ranked as one of the most important castles under the Tokugawa shogunate.

Although the castle was designated a National Historic Site in 1931,[1] the original Tenshu and buildings were all destroyed by US bombing campaigns during the Pacific War. The current structures were rebuilt in concrete in 1958. The Nishi-no-Maru Garden was designated a National Place of Scenic Beauty in 1987.[2]

  1. ^ "和歌山城" [Wakayama-jō] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2021.
  2. ^ "和歌山城西之丸庭園" [Wakayama-jō] (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved August 20, 2021.