Japanese castle architecture, Fukugoshiki style

The most important feature of a Japanese castle is, of course, its main keep (tenshukaku in Japanese), the tallest building in the complex, usually with 3 or 5 stories. From a military point of view, the tenshukaku was the central command post for the castle’s daimyo, but it was also built with an artistic touch, to impress the visitors and to tell the world about the power and the richness of its lord. That’s why many of them are featuring complex and sometimes even golden ornaments…

There are many Japanese donjon styles, depending on the tower’s relation to other structures, whether it is standalone or connected with other towers (yagura). In this photo from Odawara Castle you can see the Fukugoshiki version, where the main keep is directly connected with a smaller donjon (located to the left)…

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Odawara Castle, Odawara

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Unusual Japanese architecture - Isshin-ji Gate