At the beginning of the Edo period, Japan regained peace after a century and a half of conflicts. The interest of the local lords turned from raising fortifications to building palaces designed to offer luxury and comfort. Therefore, sophisticated mansions and halls were built inside the walls of the old military castles.

Photographed here is a hall inside the Kumamoto Castle Honmaru Goten palace. Recently reconstructed by using original materials and technologies, it offers an accurate glimpse of the sumptuous lifestyle of the Edo period lords.

Honmaru Goten Palace, Kumamoto Castle, Kumamoto

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