List of 100 famous Japanese castles

List of 100 famous Japanese castles (Nihon Hyaku Meijo)

It is said that there are several hundred of large castles in Japan, and if include small castles the number will reach to several thousand. Of course the selection of "famous" castle highly depends on each person, but as an one standard, 100 famous Japanese castles (日本百名城) is often used.

100 famous Japanese castles were selected by Japan Castle Foundation, a voluntary association consist of historians, researchers of architecture,  archaeologists and so on, in 2006. The following 100 famous Japanese castles were nominated and selected under the following conditions;

1) Having excellent historical value
2) Place of famous historical events
3) Representing each region and era
4) One to five castles per prefecture

Due to above reasons some castles other than typical castles are included, and because of number limitation some excellent castles are out of list. But it is a useful list to grasp the overview of Japanese castles at first. See also 100 more famous Japanese castles published in April 2017.

Eastern Japan area (complete)

No	Name	Image	Location/ prefecture	Type	Major Remnants	Remarks
1	Chashi Ruin at Nemuro Peninsula		Nemuro city, Hokkaido	Indigenous forts	Clay walls and moats
2	Goryokaku		Hakodate city, Hokkaido	Western style fortress	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
3	Matsumae Castle		Matsumae town, Hokkaido	Modern castle	Gates, stone walls, clay walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
4	Hirosaki Castle		Hirosaki city, Aomori	Modern castle	Main tower, turrets, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers
5	Nejo		Hachinohe city, Aomori	Medieval castle	Clay walls and moats
6	Morioka Castle		Morioka city, Iwate	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
7	Tagajo  Castle		Tagajo city, Miyagi	Ancient castle	Clay walls and moats
8	Sendai Castle		Sendai city, Miyagi	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
9	Kubota Castle		Akita city, Akita	Modern castle	Clay walls and moats
10	Yamagata Castle		Yamagata city, Yamagata	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
11	Nihonmatsu Castle		Nihonmatsu city, Fukushima	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
12	Aizu Wakamatsu Castle		AIzu Wakamatsu city, Fukushima	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
13	Shirakawa Castle		Shirakawa city, Fukushima	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
14	Mito Castle		Mito city, Ibaraki	Modern castle	Gate, clay walls and moats
15	Ashikaga Clan Residence		Ashikaga city, Tochigi	Medieval residence	Temple building, clay walls and moats	Bannaji Temple
16	Minowa Castle		Misato town, Gunma	Medieval castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
17	Kanayama Castle		Ota city, Gunma	Medieval castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
18	Hachigata Castle		Yorii town, Saitama	Medieval castle	Clay walls and moats
19	Kawagoe Castle		Kawagoe city, Saitama	Modern castle	Palace building and clay walls
20	Sakura Castle		Sakura city, Chiba	Modern castle	Clay walls and moats
21	Edo Castle		Chiyodaku,  Tokyo	Modern castle	Turrets, gates, stone walls and moats	Imperial Palace
22	Hachioji Castle		Hachioji city, Tokyo	Medieval castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
23	Odawara Castle		Odawara city, Kanagawa	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
24	Takeda Clan Residence		Kofu city, Yamanashi	Medieval castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats	Tsutsujigasaki Palace
25	Kofu Castle		Kofu city, Yamanashi	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
26	Matsushiro Castle		Nagano city, Nagano	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats	Kaizu Castle
27	Ueda Castle		Ueda city, Nagano	Modern castle	Turrets and stone walls
28	Komoro Castle		Komoro city, Nagano	Modern castle	Gates, stone walls and moats
29	Matsumoto Castle		Matsumoto city, Nagano	Modern castle	Main tower, turrets, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers National Treasure
30	Takato Castle		Takato town, Nagano	Modern castle	Gates, clay walls and moats
31	Shibata Castle		Shibata city, Niigata	Modern castle	Turret, gate, stone walls and moats
32	Kasugayama Castle		Joetsu city, Niigata	Medieval castle	Clay walls and moats

Central Japan area (complete)

No	Name	Image	Location/ prefecture	Type	Major Remnants	Remarks
33	Takaoka Castle		Takaoka city, Toyama	Modern castle	Clay walls and moats
34	Nanao Castle		Nanao city, Ishikawa	Medieval castle	Stone walls and clay walls
35	Kanazawa Castle		Kanazawa city, Ishikawa	Modern castle	Turret, gate, stone walls and moats
36	Maruoka Castle		Maruoka city, Fukui	Modern castle	Main tower and stone walls	12 original main towers
37	Ichijodani Castle		Fukui city, Fukui	Medieval castle	Clay walls and dry moats, ruins of Japanese gardens
38	Iwamura Castle		Iwamura town, Gifu	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
39	Gifu Castle		Gifu city, Gifu	Medieval castle	Stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
40	Yamanaka Castle		Mishima city, Shizuoka	Medieval castle	Clay walls and moats
41	Sunpu Castle		Shizuoka city, Shizuoka	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
42	Kakegawa Castle		Kakegawa city, Shizuoka	Modern castle	Palace building, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
43	Inuyama Castle		Inuyama city, Aichi	Modern castle	Main tower and stone walls	12 original main towers National Treasure
44	Nagoya Castle		Nagoya city, Aichi	Modern castle	Turrets, gates, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
45	Okazaki Castle		Okazaki city, Aichi	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
46	Nagashino Castle		Shinshiro city, Aichi	Medieval castle	Clay walls and moats
47	Iga Ueno Castle		Igaueno city, Mie	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
48	Matsusaka Castle		Matsusaka city, Mie	Modern castle	Stone walls  and moats
49	Odani Castle		Nagahama city, Shiga	Medieval castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
50	Hikone Castle		Hikone city, Shiga	Modern castle	Main tower, turrets, gates, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers  National Treasure
51	Azuchi Castle		Omi Hachiman city, Shiga	Medieval castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
52	Kannonji Castle		Omi Hachiman city, Shiga	Medieval castle	Stone walls and clay walls
53	Nijyo Castle		Kyoto city, Kyoto	Modern castle	Palace building, turret, gates, stone walls and moats	World Heritage
54	Osaka Castle		Osaka city, Osaka	Modern castle	Turrets, gates, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
55	Chihaya Castle		Chihaya Akasaka Village, Osaka	Medieval castle	Clay walls
56	Takeda Castle		Asago city, Hyogo	Medieval castle	Stone walls
57	Sasayama Castle		Sasatama city, Hyogo	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
58	Akashi Castle		Akashi city, Hyogo	Modern castle	Turrets, stone walls and moats
59	Himeji Castle		HImeji city, Hyogo	Modern castle	Main tower, turrets, gates, fances, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers World Heritage National Treasure
60	Ako Castle		Ako city, Hyogo	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
61	Takatori Castle		Takatori Town, Nara	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
62	Wakayama Castle		Wakayama city, Wakayama	Modern castle	Gates, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower

Western Japan area (complete)

No	Name	Image	Location/ prefecture	Type	Major Remnants	Remarks
63	Tottori Castle		Tottori city, Tottori	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
64	Matsue Castle		Matsue city, Shimane	Modern castle	Main tower, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers, National Treasure
65	Gassan Toda Castle		Yasuki city, Shimane	Medieval castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
66	Tsuwano Castle		Tsuwano town, Shimane	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls, moats, turrets and gate
67	Tsuyama Castle		Tsuyama city, Okayama	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
68	Bicchu Matsuyama Castle		Takahashi city, Okayama	Modern castle	Main tower, turret, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers
69	Kinojyo Castle		Sojya city, Okayama	Ancient castle	Stone walls and clay walls
70	Okayama Castle		Okayama city, Okayama	Modern castle	Turrets, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
71	Fukuyama Castle		Fukuyama city, Hiroshima	Modern castle	Turret, gate, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
72	Aki Koriyama Castle		Aki Takada city, Hiroshima	Medieval castle	Clay walls and moats
73	Hiroshima Castle		Hiroshima city, Hiroshima	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
74	Iwakuni Castle		Iwakuni city, Yamaguchi	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
75	Hagi Castle		Hagi city, Yamaguchi	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
76	Tokushima Castle		Tokushima city, Tokushima	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
77	Takamatsu Castle		Takamatsu city, Kagawa	Modern castle	Turrets, stone walls and moats
78	Marugame Castle		Marugame city, Kagawa	Modern castle	Main tower, gate, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers
79	Imabari Castle		Imabari city, Ehime	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
80	Yuzuki Castle		Matsuyama city, Ehime	Medieval castle	Clay walls and moats
81	Matsuyama Castle		Matsuyama city, Ehime	Modern castle	Main tower, turrets, gates, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers
82	Ozu Castle		Ozu city, Ehime	Modern castle	Turrets, warehouse, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
83	Uwajima Castle		Uwajima city, Ehime	Modern castle	Main tower, gate, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers
84	Kochi Castle		Kochi city, Kochi	Modern castle	Main tower, palace building, turrets, gates, stone walls and moats	12 original main towers
85	Fukuoka Castle		Fukuoka city, Fukuoka	Modern castle	Turrets,  stone walls and moats
86	Onojo   Castle		Onojyo city, Fukuoka	Ancient castle	Stone walls and clay walls
87	Hizen Nagoya Castle		Karatsu city, Saga	Medieval castle	Stone walls and moats
88	Yoshinogari Ruins		Yoshinogari town, Saga	Ancient ruin	Clay walls and moats
89	Saga Castle		Saga city, Saga	Modern castle	Gate, stone walls、clay walls and moats
90	Hirado Castle		Hirado city, Nagasaki	Modern castle	Turret, gate, stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
91	Shimabara Castle		Shimabara city, Nagasaki	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
92	Kumamoto Castle		Kumamoto city, Kumamoto	Modern castle	Turrets, gate,  stone walls and moats	Reconstructed main tower
93	Hitoyoshi Castle		Hitoyoshi city, Kumamoto	Modern castle	Stone walls, clay walls and moats
94	Oita Funai Castle		Oita city, Oita	Modern castle	Turrets, stone walls and moats
95	Oka Castle		Takeda city, Oita	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
96	Obi Castle		Nichinan city, Miyazaki	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
97	Kagoshima Castle		Kagoshima city, Kagoshima	Modern castle	Stone walls and moats
98	Nakijin Castle		Nakijin village, Okinawa	Medieval castle	Stone walls	World Heritage
99	Nakagusuku Castle		Kita Nakagusuku village, Okinawa	Medieval castle	Stone walls	World Heritage
100	Shuri Castle		Naha city, Okinawa	Modern castle	Stone walls	World Heritage