Shimabara Tourist Information Site

ENJOY!しまばら Shimabara Tourism Burean

Shimabara Tourist Information Site

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sightseeing

Shimabara Catle

The symbolic historical building of Shimabara

The history of the Shimabara castle

The Shimabara castle was constructed by Matsukura Bungonokami Shigemasa spending 7 years from 1618.

At that time, a high land called Moritake was cut  into a castle shape and people pilled stones up and dug a moat, then built the castle. 

All walls are Nurigome(*1) and 

Hakuagoso tenshukaku(*2) is set up in the centre and 

arranged 50 large and small turrets in key points, 

then Yazama wall(*3) surrounded the tower and turrets. The wall was so splendid that it was 2233m length in total and was adopted Azuchimomoyama castle style. 

Since then, the castle had been used as a residence for 4 masters and 18 generations for around 250 years, and made a lot of history.

But abandoned castle was decided atMeiji restoration.

For 90 years since the castle was demolished in 1874,

The ruins of a castle without the castle tower still look as it used to.

In 1960, “West turret” was restored,

And the next, in 1964 “the tower”, in 1973 “Tatsumi turret”, in 1980 “Ushitora turret” were restored as well as long walls with Yazama and pistole Yazama.

These days, at the tower documents related to hidden Christian and local materials related to the Domain and folklore materials are displayed.

*1 Nurigome

     A wall plastered sand up heavily.

 

*2  Hakuagoso tenshukaku

     A 5 story-tower of castle with a white wall

 

*3 Yazamabei

     A wall with a small window to shoot an arrow looking from inside to outside.

Basic information
The tower
Entrance fee
Adult 550 yen, Elementary/Junior/High school student 280 yen
*3 (The tower, Saibo Memorial Hall, 観光復興記念館)combination entrance fee
*Offer 20% discount for a group of 15 and more persons
*Offer 20% discount for the people with disabilities
Please click here for special offer combination tickets
Location for Japan's Top 100 Castles Stamp Reception in the tower of the Shimabara castle
Click here for Japan’s Top 100 Castles
Address 1-1183-1 Jonai, Shimabara city, Nagasaki prefecture
Access 10 min walk from Shimabara Station
TEL 0957-62-4766
(Office in the tower of the Shimabara castle)
Open 9:00-17:30 (Enter by 17:00)
The Shimabara castle official website https://shimabarajou.com/
Parking fee passenger car 330 yen, small-sized bus 550 yen,
large-sized bus 1,100 yen, motorcycle 100 yen
Contact Office in the tower of the Shimabara castle
(Shimabara Tourism bureau)

2019.09.07