100 Fine Castles of Japan

The castles in Top 100 Japanese Castles or 100 Fine Castles of Japan (日本百名城, Nihon Hyaku-Meijō) were chosen based on their significance in culture, history, and in their regions by the Japanese Castle Association (日本城郭協会, Nihon Jōkaku Kyōkai) in 2006.[1]

Himeji Castle

In 2017, Japanese Castle Association created an additional finest 100 castles list as Continued Top 100 Japanese Castles.[2]

Hokkaidō

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Nemuro Peninsula Chashi Site
根室半島チャシ跡群
Hokkaido Nemuro From the 16C
to the 18C
Ainu people
アイヌ民族
 
Goryōkaku
五稜郭
Hokkaido Hakodate 1866 Tokugawa shogunate
徳川軍和新政府軍
 
Matsumae Castle
松前城
Hokkaido Matsumae 1606 Matsumae Takahiro
松前 崇広
 

Tōhoku region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Hirosaki Castle
弘前城
Aomori Hirosaki 1611 Tsugaru Tamenobu
津軽為信
Tsugaru Nobuhira
津軽信枚
 
Ne Castle
根城
Aomori Hachinohe 1334 Moroyuki Nanbu
南部師行
 
Morioka Castle
盛岡城
Iwate Morioka 1598 Nanbu Nobunao
南部信直
 
Sendai Castle
仙台城
Miyagi Sendai 1601 Date Masamune
伊達政宗
 
Taga Fort
多賀城
Miyagi Tagajō 724 Ōno no Azumabito
小野東人
 
Kubota Castle
久保田城
Akita Akita 1604 Satake Yoshinobu
佐竹義宣
 
Yamagata Castle
山形城
Yamagata Yamagata 1356 Shiba Kaneyori
斯波 兼頼
 
Nihonmatsu Castle
二本松城
Fukushima Nihonmatsu Muromachi period Hatakeyama Mitsuyasu  
Aizuwakamatsu Castle
会津若松城
Fukushima Aizuwakamatsu 1384 Ashina Naomori
蘆名直盛
 
Komine Castle
小峰城
Fukushima Shirakawa 1340 Yūki Chikatomo  

Kantō and Kōshin'etsu region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Mito Castle
水戸城
Ibaraki Mito 1198 Baba Sukemoto
 
Banna-ji
鑁阿寺
Tochigi Ashikaga 1196 Minamoto no Yoshiyasu
源義康
 
Minowa Castle
箕輪城
Gunma Takasaki 1512 Nagano Narihisa
 
Kanayama Castle
金山城
Gunma Ōta 1469 Iwamatsu Iezumi
岩松家純
 
Hachigata Castle
鉢形城
Saitama Yorii 1476 Nagao Kageharu
長尾景春
 
Kawagoe Castle
川越城
Saitama Kawagoe 1457 Uesugi Mochitomo
上杉持朝
 
Sakura Castle
佐倉城
Chiba Sakura Tenbun era Kashima Chikamiki  
Edo Castle
江戸城
Tokyo Chiyoda 1457 Ōta Dōkan
太田道灌
 
Hachiōji Castle
八王子城
Tokyo Hachiōji 1587 Hōjō Ujiteru
北条氏照
 
Odawara Castle
小田原城
Kanagawa Odawara 1633 Ōmori Yoriharu
大森頼春
 
Tsutsujigasaki Castle
躑躅ヶ崎館
Yamanashi Kōfu 1519 Takeda Nobutora
武田信虎
 
Kōfu Castle
甲府城
Yamanashi Kōfu 1583 Tokugawa Ieyasu
徳川家康
 
Matsushiro Castle
松代城
Nagano Nagano 1560 Takeda Shingen
武田信玄
 
Ueda Castle
上田城
Nagano Ueda 1583 Sanada Masayuki
真田昌幸
 
Komoro Castle
小諸城
Nagano Komoro 1554 Takeda Shingen
武田信玄
 
Matsumoto Castle
松本城
Nagano Matsumoto 1504 Shimadachi Sadanaga  
Takatō Castle
高遠城
Nagano Ina ? ?  
Shibata Castle
新発田城
Niigata Shibata 1654? Shibata clan?  
Kasugayama Castle
春日山城
Niigata Jōetsu Nanboku-chō period Nagao clan
Uesugi clan
 

Hokuriku region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Takaoka Castle
高岡城
Toyama Takaoka 1609 Maeda Toshinaga  
Nanao Castle
七尾城
Ishikawa Nanao 1429 Hatakeyama Mitsunori  
Kanazawa Castle
金沢城
Ishikawa Kanazawa 1580 Sakuma Morimasa  
Maruoka Castle
丸岡城
Fukui Sakai 1576 Shibata Katsutoyo  
Ichijōdani Castle
一乗谷城
Fukui Fukui Nanboku-chō period Asakura clan  

Tōkai region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Iwamura Castle
岩村城
Gifu Ena 1221 Tōyama Kagetomo  
Gifu Castle
岐阜城
Gifu Gifu 1201 Nikaidō Yukimasa  
Yamanaka Castle
山中城
Shizuoka Mishima 1570 Hōjō Ujiyasu  
Sunpu Castle
駿府城
Shizuoka Shizuoka 1585 Tokugawa Ieyasu  
Kakegawa Castle
掛川城
Shizuoka Kakegawa 1487 Asahina Yasuhiro  
Inuyama Castle
犬山城
Aichi Inuyama 1469 Oda Hirochika  
Nagoya Castle
名古屋城
Aichi Nagoya 1609 Tokugawa Ieyasu  
Okazaki Castle
岡崎城
Aichi Okazaki 1452? Saigō clan  
Nagashino Castle
長篠城
Aichi Shinshiro 1508 Suganuma Motonari  
Iga Ueno Castle
伊賀上野城
Mie Iga 1585 Tsutsui Sadatsugu  
Matsusaka Castle
松阪城
Mie Matsusaka 1588 Gamō Ujisato  

Kansai region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Odani Castle
小谷城
Shiga Kohoku 1516 Azai Sukemasa  
Hikone Castle
彦根城
Shiga Hikone 1622 Ii Naokatsu  
Azuchi Castle
安土城
Shiga Ōmihachiman 1576 Oda Nobunaga  
Kannonji Castle
観音寺城
Shiga Ōmihachiman 1487 Rokkaku Ujiyori  
Nijō Castle
二条城
Kyoto Kyoto 1603 Tokugawa Ieyasu  
Osaka Castle
大坂城
Osaka Osaka 1583 Toyotomi Hideyoshi  
Chihaya Castle
千早城
Osaka Chihayaakasaka 1332 Kusunoki Masashige  
Takeda Castle
竹田城
Hyōgo Asago 1431 Yamana Sōzen  
Sasayama Castle
篠山城
Hyōgo Sasayama 1609 Tokugawa Ieyasu  
Akashi Castle
明石城
Hyōgo Akashi 1618 Ogasawara Tadazane  
Himeji Castle
姫路城
Hyōgo Himeji 1346 Akamatsu Sadanori  
Akō Castle
赤穂城
Hyōgo Akō 1483 Oka Mitsuhiro  
Takatori Castle
高取城
Nara Takatori 1332 Ochi Kunizumi  
Wakayama Castle
和歌山城
Wakayama Wakayama 1586 Toyotomi Hidenaga  

Chūgoku region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Tottori Castle
鳥取城
Tottori Tottori 1555 Yamana clan  
Matsue Castle
松江城
Shimane Matsue 1611 Horio Tadauji  
Gassantoda Castle
月山富田城
Shimane Yasugi 1185? Sasaki Yoshikiyo?  
Tsuwano Castle
津和野城
Shimane Tsuwano 1295 Yoshimi Yoriyuki  
Tsuyama Castle
津山城
Okayama Tsuyama 1444 Yamashina Tadamasa  
Bitchū Matsuyama Castle
備中松山城
Okayama Takahashi 1240 Akiba Shigenobu  
Ki castle
鬼ノ城
Okayama Sōja 7C? Yamato court?  
Okayama Castle
岡山城
Okayama Okayama 1369 Uwagami Takanao  
Fukuyama Castle
福山城
Hiroshima Fukuyama 1622 Mizuno Katsunari  
Yoshida-Kōriyama Castle
吉田郡山城
Hiroshima Akitakata 1336 Mōri Tokichika  
Hiroshima Castle
広島城
Hiroshima Hiroshima 1589 Mōri Terumoto  
Iwakuni Castle
岩国城
Yamaguchi Iwakuni 1601 Kikkawa Hiroie  
Hagi Castle
萩城
Yamaguchi Hagi 1604 Mōri Terumoto  

Shikoku region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Tokushima Castle
徳島城
Tokushima Tokushima 1585 Hachisuka Iemasa  
Takamatsu Castle
高松城
Kagawa Takamatsu 1590 Ikoma Chikamasa  
Marugame Castle
丸亀城
Kagawa Marugame Muromachi period Nara Motoyasu  
Imabari Castle
今治城
Ehime Imabari 1602 Tōdō Takatora  
Matsuyama Castle
松山城
Ehime Matsuyama 1602 Katō Yoshiaki  
Yuzuki Castle
湯築城
Ehime Matsuyama 14C Kōno clan  
Ōzu Castle
大洲城
Ehime Ōzu 1331 Utsunomiya Toyofusa  
Uwajima Castle
宇和島城
Ehime Uwajima 1586 Tachibana no Tōyasu  
Kōchi Castle
高知城
Kōchi Kōchi 1603 Yamauchi Kazutoyo  

Kyūshū region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Fukuoka Castle
福岡城
Fukuoka Fukuoka 1601 Kuroda Nagamasa  
Ōno Castle (Chikuzen Province)
大野城
Fukuoka Ōnojō 665 ?  
Nagoya Castle
名護屋城
Saga Karatsu 1591 Toyotomi Hideyoshi  
Yoshinogari site
吉野ヶ里遺跡
Saga Yoshinogari
Kanzaki
Yayoi period ?  
Saga Castle
佐賀城
Saga Saga 1602 Nabeshima clan  
Hirado Castle
平戸城
Nagasaki Hirado 1599 Matsura Shigenobu  
Shimabara Castle
島原城
Nagasaki Shimabara 1624 Matsukura Shigemasa  
Kumamoto Castle
熊本城
Kumamoto Kumamoto 1467 Ideta Hidenobu  
Hitoyoshi Castle
人吉城
Kumamoto Hitoyoshi Genkyū era Sagara Nagayori  
Funai Castle
府内城
Ōita Ōita 1597 Fukuhara Nagataka  
Oka Castle
岡城 (豊後国)
Ōita Taketa 1185 Ogata Koreyoshi  
Obi Castle
飫肥城
Miyazaki Nichinan Sengoku period Tsuchimochi clan  
Kagoshima Castle
鹿児島城
Kagoshima Kagoshima 1602 Shimazu Iehisa  

Okinawa region

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Name Prefecture City Year completed Built by Photo
Nakijin Castle
今帰仁城
Okinawa Nakijin 13C? Haniji?  
Nakagusuku Castle
中城城
Okinawa Kitanakagusuku 1440 Gosamaru  
Shuri Castle
首里城
Okinawa Naha 14C? King of Chūzan  

See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ "日本100名城" (in Japanese). 日本城郭協会. 2007. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  2. ^ "続日本100名城" (in Japanese). 日本城郭協会. 29 November 2017. Retrieved 25 July 2019.
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