When we talk about a Japanese castle, we often think of the main tower (tenshu in Japanese) but actually the castle was a complex of buildings, some built for military purposes, others for offices, and some castles also included a palace (goten in Japanese).

Either original or reconstructed, only few goten still exist. In some cases, such as at the rebuilt tenshu of Tsuruga-jō, in Aizu-Wakamatsu, some parts of the palace were reconstructed inside the main tower. At the second floor, you can admire one of the lord’s private rooms, as they originally looked in the old palace. Here, the female visitors are also invited to try the old-style sumptuous kimono…

Tsuruga-jo, Aizu-Wakamatsu

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Fukuoka Yatai