The interior of the typical Japanese castle was often hiding defensive “tricks", designed to surprise or confuse the attackers, such as the ishi-otoshi floor openings.

In some cases, defensive design was used even outside the castle, in the samurai residential area, such as in today’s photo, taken in the old castle town of Hagi. Here, the streets were built with right angled corners called kaimagari, strategical places to be used as ambush points against the invading armies.

Hagi-jo Jokamachi, Hagi, Yamaguchi

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Yesterday’s Japan Photo: Simply beautiful Japanese scenes, Osaka Castle garden pond reflection