Saga Castle

Saga Castle (佐賀城, "-jō") is a Japanese castle located in Saga City, Saga Prefecture, Japan. It is a "hiraijiro", a castle built on a plains rather than a hill or mountain, and is surrounded by a wall rather than being built above a stone base.

History

The castle was home to the Nabeshima clan, "daimyō" (lords) of the Saga Domain. The castle was built between 1608 and 1611 by Nabeshima Katsushige, the first lord of the domain. A fire in 1726 damaged the building, and the castle was renovated two years later, but unfortunately a second fire occurred in 1835, damaging the castle once more. Within three years, however, it had been reconstructed by Nabeshima Naomasa. By 1874 the castle had been used as a court building and a prefectural office, and in 1883 it became a junior school. The buildings were eventually replaced by modern school buildings. From 2001 to 2004 the main palace of the castle was restored. It is now the Saga Castle History Museum and is the largest wooden castle reconstruction in Japan. It is divided into two main buildings: "honmaru" (main tower) and "Ni-no-maru" (second building).

Saga Castle is also the castle where Yamamoto Tsunetomo, the orator of Hagakure, worked.

ee also

*Saga Rebellion

Literature

*cite book | title=Castles in Japan| last=Schmorleitz| first=Morton S.| date=1974| pages= pg. 144-145| publisher=Charles E. Tuttle Co.| location=Tokyo| id=ISBN 0-8084-1102-4

External links

* [http://sagajou.jp/english/index.html Saga Castle History Museum]
* [http://www.pref.saga.lg.jp/at-contents/gaikoku/english/eibun/ekankou/info100/i018/index.htm Saga City Tourism Information - Ruins Of Saga Castle]